Impossible 5-Ingredient Chocolate Cake

An impossibly moist, fudgy, decadent chocolate bundt cake recipe made with just five ingredients.

I’ve mentioned them before, but we have two families that we spend a lot of time with. All of us adults are great buddies and our kids LOVE hanging out with each other. We’ve all sort of become family to each other over the years and it’s great because none of us has much family in the area.

I grew up spending every free weekend with my aunts, uncles and cousins so it’s nice to have created something similar for my kids. It’s also nice spending time with other couples who are a lot like Husband and me in that we do almost everything together, with our kids in tow.

Anyway, we got together one night to celebrate a birthday and my friend, Amanda, had made a chocolate cake for the birthday girl. I’d gotten my belly full of supper and had a few cold beers in me so I wasn’t too interested in eating any cake.

Until I saw it.

It was a perfect chocolate bundt cake that looked so rich and fudgy and moist I HAD to try it! Especially after listening to the kids rave about how good it was.

And, oh my goodness, was it ever delicious! This cake doesn’t need any frosting at all! I spooned a little melted icing and chocolate chips on the one pictured here because I wanted it to be extra beautiful for y’all but it really doesn’t need anything extra.

This cake is sorta like a mix between a brownie and a cake. It's thick and fudgy and just BEGS to be eaten with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee!

Amanda told me it is a recipe she’s been making for years that uses a cake mix, pudding mix, and chocolate chips. She said she uses it with all sorts of other flavors too (I’ll list some below).

I wanted to make Amanda’s cake and thought I remembered the ingredients (I remember her saying it’s ONE of everything) but when I ticked them off to myself it didn’t seem right...

One box of cake mix, one box of pudding mix, one big carton of sour cream, one egg and one bag of chocolate chips...

No butter or oil?

This can’t be right.

No liquid?

This doesn’t seem possible.

I better ask her again...

So I shot her a text and she confirmed I had it all right. She told me the batter would be thick – like PlayDoh – and that you’ll think to yourself that it doesn’t seem right (um, yep, that’s exactly what I thought!).

I mixed it up, popped it in the oven and the cake was just as delicious as I remembered! I've made this twice since the first time and can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing.

Don't let the sour cream throw you off. I wasn't scared of it because I LOVE desserts with sour cream and chocolate. I've had a few sour cream chocolate cakes over the years that were sinfully delicious so I knew the sour cream would be perfect with all the sweet chocolate.

Don't you love my old bundt pan? I got it at the flea market eons ago and I reach for it over my fancy-pants pans every time!

This is my new go-to recipe for any easy, no-fuss cake! Here are some of the flavor variations Amanda told me she’s tried (plus a few I think sound delicious!)

• Lemon: Lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, white chocolate chips
• Butter Pecan: Butter pecan cake mix, butterscotch pudding, butterscotch chips and pecans
• Vanilla: Yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, white chocolate chips
• Peanut Butter Cup: Chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, peanut butter chips
• Butterscotch: Yellow or caramel cake mix, butterscotch pudding, butterscotch chips
• Strawberry: Strawberry cake mix, strawberry pudding, white chocolate chips 
• Pumpkin Spice: Spice cake mix, pumpkin spice pudding (seasonal), butterscotch chips
• Carrot Cake: Carrot cake mix, butterscotch pudding, coconut or pecans
• Cheesecake: White cake mix, cheesecake pudding, white chocolate chips

UPDATE: I've just added this list of variations to the printable recipe card per a reader suggestion!

This is what the batter will look like - don't let it scare you! It will cook up perfectly!

Since Amanda’s cake didn’t have a name and the word that kept coming to mind when I was mixing it up was impossible, that’s what I’m calling this cake!

It seems impossible that these ingredients would make such a moist, rich cake - but they do! And it seems impossible to make something so incredibly decadent and delicious with just 5 ingredients - but you can!

If you love desserts made easy with a cake mix, try some of these recipe too!

• Cherry Danish Cake - An easy semi-homemade cake recipe dotted with cherry pie filling, drizzled with sour cream icing and topped with slivered almonds.
• Easy Pecan Pie Bars - All the fabulous flavor of pecan pie in a chewy, gooey bar recipe made easy with a cake mix base.
• Lemon Crumble Cream Cake - A tender lemon-kissed cake with lemon cheesecake filling topped with a crumb streusel topping dusted with powdered sugar.
• Cake Mix Cookies - Make these super easy cookies from any cake mix using any morsels.
• White Wine Cake - A super moist, rich cake recipe made with white wine and a touch of cinnamon.
• Pistachio Cake - Also called Watergate Cake, this moist cake recipe uses pistachio pudding in the cake and in the frosting.

Impossible 5-Ingredient Chocolate Cake

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 45 Mtotal time: 55 M

A moist, fudgy, decadent chocolate bundt cake recipe made with just five ingredients.

ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. carton sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 bag chocolate chips (see notes)

instructions:

How to cook Impossible 5-Ingredient Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan well (I use the cooking spray with the flour in it) then set aside.
2. Combine sour cream and egg in a large bowl or stand-mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) then stir or blend until combined. Add cake mix and pudding mix then stir or blend until mixed well. Stir or blend in chocolate chips (reserving 1/3 cup for garnish if desired) until evenly combined.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes then invert onto a serving plate to finish cooling.
4. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired. Cover and store at room temperature.

NOTES:

This cake doesn’t need any frosting but you can make a simple glaze or heat a small amount of prepared chocolate frosting for 30 seconds then drizzle over the cooled cake. Garnish with reserved chocolate chips if desired.
Use regular or mini chocolate chips.
I suggest using your stand mixer with paddle attachment because this batter is THICK.
This recipe uses a standard size (15-16 oz) cake mix, a regular size (10-12 oz) bag of chocolate chips and regular size (4-serving) pudding mix.
Do not prepare the pudding – just use the dry mix.
I think this could be made in a 13x9 baking pan. Cook for 20-25 then test with a toothpick.
I also think these would be great cooked in a muffin tin. Cook for 15-20 then test with a toothpick.

Recipe Variations:

• Lemon: Lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, white chocolate chips
• Butter Pecan: Butter pecan cake mix, butterscotch pudding, butterscotch chips
• Vanilla: Yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, white chocolate chips
• Peanut Butter Cup: Chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, peanut butter chips
• Butterscotch: Yellow or caramel cake mix, butterscotch pudding, butterscotch chips
• Strawberry: Strawberry cake mix, strawberry pudding, white chocolate chips
• Pumpkin Spice: Spice cake mix, pumpkin spice pudding (seasonal), butterscotch chips
• Carrot Cake: Carrot cake mix, butterscotch pudding, coconut or pecans
• Cheesecake: White cake mix, cheesecake pudding, white chocolate chips
• Red Velvet: Red velvet cake, chocolate pudding, white chocolate chips

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Created using The Recipes Generator

Check out this recipe I found for Breakfast Bundt Cake if you're looking to try something savory in your favorite bundt pan! This looks so fun, I had to share!

This recipe was shared at Meal Plan Monday!

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