High Altitude Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake

A moist, high altitude chocolate bundt cake, baked in a petite heart shaped pan, topped with rich chocolate ganache and colorful sprinkles for Valentine’s Day. This cute heart shaped bundt cake makes a perfect dessert for chocolate lovers.

You might also love this red and white Valentine’s Day cake with mini hearts, heart shaped iced strawberry shortbread cookies, and buttercream filled red and white Valentine linzer cookies.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and Easy to Make. You don’t need a mixer for this heart shaped bundt cake, just a bowl and a whisk.

Moist and Chocolatey. You’ll love the rich chocolate flavor and the moist, fluffy cake that’s just as good days after baking as it is the day it’s made. You can even enjoy this cake while it’s warm, so you don’t have to wait long for it to cool before serving dessert.

Smaller Size. This is a petite cake, about half the size of a standard cake recipe (or 1/2 of a boxed mix), so it serves about 8 people.

Versatile Recipe. If you’ve been baking from my site for a while, then this chocolate cake might seem familiar. That’s because this recipe is just so perfect that I’ve used it in so many ways, from loaf cakes, to layer cakes to sheet cakes. There really isn’t anything you couldn’t do with this cake.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Cake

• All-Purpose Flour. Adds structure to the cake.
• Cocoa Powder. Gives chocolate cake its chocolate flavor and rich color.
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
• Espresso Powder. A small amount of espresso powder enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder, without making the cake taste like coffee.
• Baking Powder. Leavens the cake so it rises.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Eggs. Add structure.
• Whole Milk + Sour Cream. Moisture, fat, flavor and acidity.
• Vegetable Oil. Moisture.
• Vanilla Extract. Complements the flavor of the chocolate.

Ganache

• Cream. Use heavy whipping cream for a rich, creamy texture in your ganache.
• Chocolate. While you could use chocolate chips, I recommend chopping up a bar of dark chocolate, around 55% cacao.

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Thoroughly spray your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and salt, then whisk until evenly distributed.
• Separately, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk just until combined.

Note: The pan I used holds about 4 1/2 cups of liquid, when filled to the very top, but you shouldn’t fill it more than 2/3 – 3/4 full of cake batter. Today’s recipe makes just enough batter to fill it 3/4 full. While it will spread over the center piece as it bakes, it doesn’t spill over the edges.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a cake tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
• Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a plate or cake pedestal. Let the cake cool for about 30 minutes before adding the ganache.

Ganache

• In a saucepan, warm the cream over medium heat, just until hot and simmering around the edges.
• Chop the chocolate, and scrape it into a bowl. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and creamy.

• You can pour the ganache over the cake immediately, or wait about 30 minutes until it’s thickened slightly to pour it onto the cake.
• Before the ganache sets, scatter some sprinkles over the top.
• Serve the cake warm, or at room temperature.

This is such a versatile chocolate cake recipe that you can bake it in any type of pan you like, and top the cake with the ganache and heart sprinkles for a cute Valentine’s Day cake. Here are a few variations.

Recipe Variations

Loaf Cake. For a chocolate loaf cake, see this post for baking times.

Larger Bundt Cake. The small heart shaped pan I used holds about 4 1/2 cups of liquid, when filled to the very top, but you shouldn’t fill it more than 2/3 – 3/4 full of cake batter. Today’s recipe makes just enough batter to fill it 3/4 full. While it will spread over the center piece as it bakes, it doesn’t spill over the edges. If you’re using a larger, 10-12 cup heart shaped bundt pan, double the cake recipe. You may need to bake it a little longer.

Sheet Cake. For a chocolate sheet cake, see this post for pan sizes and baking times.

Two or Three Layer Cake. For a chocolate layer cake, see this post for pan sizes and baking times.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did you get the sprinkles?

I used this Metallic Valentine’s Day Sprinkle Mix.

How should I store the leftover cake?

Keep the leftover cake in an airtight container or cake carrier for up to 3-5 days.

What kind of chocolate did you use?

I used Chocolove 55% Dark Chocolate for the ganache, and Cacao Barry Extra Brute Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder for the cake.

You Might Also Like

Favorite Products

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!