This recipe has been around for a long time in one form or another. The first time I had it was a long time ago when a friend brought it to some gathering. It was such a hit that every time she came to a party afterwards, we all would ask her to bring “that” cake. When I started to make it for my family when my kids were little, they started to ask for it by saying “Mom, will you make “that” cake…you know, the chocolate one?” So to me, it is forever named “that Chocolate Cake”.
I stopped making it a few years ago when we were all warned about the dangers of partially hydrogenated oils in packaged foods. I vowed to rarely, if ever, use packaged mixes again—no partially hydrogenated stuff for my family! But oh, I missed “that” cake—the simplicity of dumping everything in a bowl…the chocolatiness…and it was so pretty!
And then, one day I was shopping the aisles of our new Whole Foods Market. And there, I happened to notice Dr. Oetker’s organic chocolate cake mix. I looked at the ingredients, and behold! No partially hydrogenated anything! Eureka! I could make “that” cake again. And so I did. And served it for dessert yesterday for lunch with some old and dear friends who loved and remember “that” cake too.
Chocolate Bundt Cake
10 to 12 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 package devil’s food cake mix (I used Dr. Oetker’s organic)
1 package 3.9 ounce chocolate instant pudding mix (also Dr. Oetker’s organic)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Oil a 10-inch bundt cake pan and set aside.
Put the chocolate chips in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the cake mix. Stir and set aside. (Doing this helps to keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake).
Put the remaining cake mix, the pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl and blend again, this time on medium speed until the batter is thick and fairly smooth (almost like a mousse). Fold in the chocolate chips until they are well distributed. Pour the batter into the bundt cake pan. Tap the pan on the counter to help evenly distribute the batter.
Put the pan in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the pan onto a serving latter to finish cooling, about 20 minutes more.
Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar, cut into slices and serve.
Not once have I ever read the ingredients on a cake mix. Thanks for the heads up and will be on the lookout for this at Whole Foods.
Joyce
I’m glad you will…maybe if enough of us “switch” Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines will put their heads together and improve their blends too…
Great idea! Can’t wait to try making “that cake”!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for checking in again…enjoy!
I can’t wait to make this cake. I’ll check our local health food store for Dr. Oetker’s cake mix. My question is for high altitude baking. I usually add a couple extra tablespoons of flour to cookie dough, but not sure about this cake receipe.
Good question about the high altitude issue. My feeling is that you probably have to make it once and see. My understanding is that the low air pressure at high altitudes causes the moisture in recipes to evaporate more quickly. So one remedy is to add an egg to keep it moist–and sometimes an extra tablespoon of flour or two to keep it light. But since this recipe has a lot of moist ingredients already…it may be just fine the way it is–but please let me know what you discover and I can add a note to the post for my other “high altitude” friends.
Have you ever made this cake w/o the chips…I am putting it in muffin pans with a piece of expresso dark chocolate in the center for a lava like cake thingy…lol…I also add some of my salsa to the cake with a bit of chipotle chili pepper…yummy…just don’t want to use the chips as am using chocolate…just wondering…
Brenda, I like your idea about the dark chocolate in the center–I’m sure that would make a fine substitute for the chips–haven’t tried it, but I’d love for you to let me know how it turns out. Salsa? I’ve had Lindt chocolate bars with chili and they’re great–is that the flavor you get by adding the salsa and chipotle?
Yes it is the flavor you get but adding cherries packed in water (pureed along with pureed chipotles in adobo to the icing just sets it off…made one last night)…can I adapt this recipe and use it at a cooking class on Saturday…making mini cupcakes…with espresso chocolate bar pieces in the middle…for little mini lava cakes…and if I use it…who to do I credit….just wondering…email me if you wish at [email protected]…I would like to post the adptation on the website for my salsa…not sure if it is your exclusive recipe…I can send you one…thanks Brenda
Thanks for a wonderful recipe! I’m visiting with my mom and she had a box of Dr. Oetker’s cake mix and asked me to whip up a cake, but I liked the idea of sprucing it up a bit rather than just making a boring old cake. This was amazing and a hit all around the table!
Also, we are in Colorado Springs and I was concerned about the altitude as well (I never do high altitude baking so wasn’t sure what to do.) I decided to take your advice in a previous comment and just try it first and I thought it came out wonderfully with no substitutions. It was very moist and possibly slightly on the heavier side (I could try adding some flour if I try it again while we’re here.) I really think it was wonderful just as is, though!
Thanks again! 🙂
I used a Dr. Oetker Organic Chocolate Cake Mix.
Replaced the 3 eggs with 1/2 cup + 1 TBS of Vegenaise. Used Almond Dream Vanilla Soymilk for the Milk, also used Canola oil for the oil. I added a tsp. of almond extract and 2 Tablespoons of freshly grated ginger. I used a dark (teflon coated I think ) greased and floured bundt pan sprinkled with sliced almonds. Baked at 325 degrees in a high altitude atmosphere. No other changes made for high altitude. Took 45 minutes to bake. Cooled 15 minutes in pan. Cake slid out easily. Brushed with Agave syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. And will probably dust with confectioners sugar just before I serve. Cake is said to be not too sweet so I figure I can afford to sweeten the crust up a bit. It’s for my Vegan son’s birthday. It looks and smells good!
I took