Copycat Nothing Bundt Cake Recipe

If you have a Nothing Bundt Cakes location near you, you know how amazing their cakes and pastries are. 

It started with two women who just loved to bake for their friends and families. Today, it's so much more than that: The growing chain now has franchises nationwide, and people love how they make their cakes with real eggs, butter, and cream cheese.

The frosting on their baked goods is incredible, but what really separates Nothing Bundt Cakes from the competition is the cake itself. Cakes can sometimes become dense as they bake, and it's hard to make one that's light and moist without sacrificing flavor. We wondered if we could pull it off and challenged ourselves to make a bundt cake that's just as delicious for a fraction of the cost; after all, $40 for a 10-inch bundt cake isn't exactly affordable for every occasion. 

So we took a few bites, tried to identify their secret ingredients, and went about building a copycat recipe of Nothing Bundt Cakes decadent Chocolate Chocolate Chip cake. Did we get close? Read on to find out.

There are several popular bundt cake flavors, but their Chocolate Chocolate Chip cake is our favorite, so that's the one we decided to make. Our first step in developing copycat recipes usually begins with a look at the ingredients on the company's website. Unfortunately, Nothing Bundt Cakes doesn't say much other than their allergen disclosure: The cakes contain wheat, milk, eggs, and soy. So we had to start from scratch with this one, and we decided to keep it really simple.

We could have made the cake completely from scratch. Instead, we picked up a package of devil's food cake mix and a box of instant chocolate pudding. Add in a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and this cake would have a rich, super chocolatey backbone. 

From there, we added the wet ingredients that would help this bundt cake achieve its characteristic level of moistness: water, canola oil, sour cream, and eggs. We could have used four eggs, but we swapped one of the eggs for mayonnaise (more on that later). Finally, for the cream cheese frosting, we whipped together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

You'll find a full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions at the end of this article.

You might think there is one super weird ingredient in our Nothing Bundt Cakes copycat recipe: mayonnaise. It seems like a strange thing to put in a cake, considering that mayonnaise is usually used in savory applications and this cake is a sweet treat. We promise you it won't turn out gross! Replacing one egg with mayonnaise is our secret ingredient to ensure the cake turns out rich and moist, every time.

It makes even more sense when you examine how mayonnaise is made: It's a combination of egg yolks and a neutral oil like canola oil. You'll notice that both of those ingredients are already on our cake recipe list. As you whisk the ingredients together, the egg acts as an emulsifying ingredient, creating a thick mixture that holds the oil in suspension. The oil keeps the cake tender, while the egg helps the batter stay nice and moist. Most mayonnaise brands also add vinegar or lemon juice, which can bring out even more chocolate flavor.

If you're not sure about this secret, try it for yourself. Make one cake with mayonnaise and another replacing the mayo with an extra egg. You'll see for yourself that the mayonnaise cake really does taste better.

There are several different sizes of bundt pans, but they all share the same design. This round pan has fluted edges and a hollow center. Some pans have decorative edges to give the cake a unique shape as it bakes, but the hole in the middle is what really makes this pan shine. It allows airflow through the center of the cake, helping dense cake batters rise quickly and evenly. You could use a tube pan for this recipe, but it's smooth so you'll miss out on the fancy shapes around the edge of the cake.

When it comes to bundt pan sizes, we recommend using a 10-inch bundt pan. If you used an 8-inch bundt pan, you'd run the risk of the batter rising above the top of the pan, creating a rounded bottom instead of a flat one. It will still taste great, but it won't sit evenly on the plate. You can easily measure the size of your bundt pan by filling it with water. If it holds 12 cups, it's a 10-inch pan.

Okay, it's time to get started making our Nothing Bundt Cakes copycat recipe. There are two sections of this recipe: the bundt cake and the frosting. We'll start with the cake ingredients. Because we're using a prepared cake mix, this process is very simple. Simply add the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer: the devil's food cake mix, chocolate instant pudding, sour cream, mayonnaise, eggs, water, and canola. We'll leave the chocolate chips out for now and add them in later.

Mix the cake using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix the cake with a spoon or use a hand mixer. You're looking to fully incorporate the flour without overmixing. It's okay if there are some lumps, but you don't want to see any dry bits of flour.

When the batter has come together, add the chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter gently using a silicone spatula or a large wooden spoon. Again, you don't want to overmix the batter here, but we do want to distribute the chocolate chips throughout the cake mix.

The most frustrating part of making a bundt cake is removing it from the pan. If you haven't properly prepared the pan, it will stick and destroy the cake's beautiful look. This can even happen with nonstick bundt pans. Luckily, we have a method that ensures that the cake won't stick to the pan.

Start by spreading a thin layer of butter over the entire pan. You can also use shortening, if you prefer, but don't use oil or nonstick spray; you want to use something that's solid at room temperature. 

Use your fingers to smooth the butter over every crevice in the pan. Then, grab a pinch of flour and dust it over the pan, making sure it hits all the buttered surfaces. When the entire pan has a thin layer of flour, turn it upside down over the trash can to shake out the excess. Now, when you add the cake batter, it won't stick to the sides.

Now that your bundt pan is prepared to prevent sticking, it's time to get baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the batter into the cake pan and tap it lightly on the counter to level it out. You can also use a rubber spatula to smooth out the bundt cake's surface so it lays in an even layer. Bake the cake for 45 minutes to an hour.

It's important to note that everyone's oven is different, and factors like humidity and outside temperature can affect cake baking times. The cake may need more time than we suggest, and it can take as long as 90 minutes to cook. At the 45 minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and insert a toothpick into the center of the batter. If it comes out clean, the cake is finished. If any moist bits cling to the toothpick, bake the cake for an additional 15 minutes and test it again.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell if the moist bits are melted chocolate or raw cake batter. In that case, you can also use an instant-read thermometer to check if the cake is done. When it reads 210 degrees, the cake is finished.

While the cake is baking, you can prepare your cream cheese frosting. If you like, you can make the frosting a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. 

Place the room temperature cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Using a whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the mixture until it's light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the vanilla and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. Beat the sugar until it's smooth and creamy before adding another 1/2 cup. Continue until all the sugar is added and everything is well mixed. Taste the frosting and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter frosting.

From there, you can store the frosting in the refrigerator in the bowl, but we think it's easier to store it in a piping bag, as the frosting stiffens as it cools. Use a rubber spatula to remove the frosting from the bowl and scoop it into a piping bag with a large, round piping tip. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a plastic bag instead.

The waiting is always the hardest part, and we have quite a bit of waiting left to do once the cake is finished baking. If we were to ice it right away, the frosting would melt and create a messy, sticky situation! 

First, you want to let the cake cool in the pan for a full ten minutes. This gives the cake a few extra minutes to finish cooking, but it also firms up the batter. If you take it out too early or too late, the texture of the cake will be off.

Then, gently run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to be sure it won't stick. The cake should come out clean if you followed the steps above, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. 

Place a wire cooling rack on top of the bundt pan and invert the pan so it's upside down. Carefully pull the pan up, leaving the cake to cool — uncovered — on the rack. It should take anywhere from one to two hours to cool. If you don't have time to wait, place the cake in the refrigerator after 30 minutes and let it cool there.

Now comes the fun part: frosting the cake. One of the things that makes Nothing Bundt Cakes so fancy is their piped frosting design. It's much easier than you think, so we suggest giving it a try. If you're not into it, feel free to spread the frosting out over the entire cake using a knife. You may have to double the cream cheese frosting recipe if you're going this route to make sure you have enough.

To pipe on the frosting, use a pastry bag with a large, round tip. Or, place the frosting in a plastic bag and cut a hole in one corner. Start at the bottom edge of the cake and squeeze the frosting from the top of the bag, pulling a line of frosting over top of the cake and into the large hole in the center. When you reach the center, pinch off the frosting and repeat the process. You should have about an inch of unfrosted cake in between each frosting line.

When you're finished, slice the cake into 16 portions and eat it right away. Or, you can loosely cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

This Nothing Bundt Cakes copycat recipe seems to get better and better every day. It was good on day one, but it was fantastic a few days later. We'd recommend making it the day before you need it. That way, you won't have to stress about letting it cool before frosting it, and it will taste even better than the first day.

If you really want to keep your Nothing Bundt Cakes copycat cake fresh, you'll need to store it in the refrigerator, where it's good for up to five days. It's best to keep the cake whole and loosely wrap it in plastic wrap so it will stay as moist as possible. But, you could also store individual slices if you prefer. 

If you still have leftovers (we certainly didn't), you can freeze them for up to three months. The best way to freeze this frosted bundt cake is to put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the frosting. Then, wrap it very tightly with a layer of plastic wrap. Finish by wrapping it in aluminum foil and store it in the freezer for up to three months. When you're ready to eat, let the cake thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Our version of Nothing Bundt Cakes Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake was nothing short of phenomenal. The combination of eggs, sour cream, and mayonnaise was the perfect recipe for keeping the cake batter light and moist. 

When it came to chocolate flavor, this cake certainly had it. The chocolate pudding was rich, and the chocolate chips melted in your mouth as you took a bite. When you combined that ultra-rich chocolate flavor with the sweet, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting, it almost tasted like an Oreo cookie.

Did they have a leg up on us when it came to decoration? Perhaps. The frosting on our cake was a little clunky looking compared to the original, but these guys are experts who frost cakes every single day. From afar, you really couldn't tell that our version wasn't made in a professional kitchen. Up close, you might see a few imperfections, but they won't matter once you dig in and take a bite.