This recipe for Kahlua Cake is so delicious – it’s one that has been in my family for decades. With just six simple ingredients, you can have this cake prepared and in the oven in less than 10 minutes. What I love most about a bundt cake is the perfect combination of moist, rich, melt in your mouth cake that packs a big punch of flavor in every slice.
Kahlua is a sweet coffee-flavored liqueur, perfect for pairing with desserts. The coffee flavor enhances the rich chocolate cake. This bundt cake is SO easy to mix up all in one bowl making it my husband’s recipe of choice when he’s baking something to take to his office for work parties and such.
You can always swap out the liqueurs with straight coffee or espresso, as we did in this Double Chocolate Cake or in my Double Chocolate Cupcakes. If liqueur flavored desserts are your jam, you might also like our Baileys cheesecake or our Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake Trifles.
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🍰 Ingredients:
- German Chocolate Cake boxed mix – This is for the chocolate cake base, we use just the dry cake mix, not the specific ingredients listed on the box.
- Vegetable or canola oil – keeps the cake moist
- Kahlua coffee liqueur – This ads depth to the cake and offers a hint of coffee flavor
- Eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate more air than cold eggs, important for leavening (rise) in cake
- Sour cream – This helps make the cake rich and super moist
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – the chips bake up scattered throughout the cake and add to the texture.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- We use Semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could try dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips.
- Baileys is also great in this recipe if you have run out of Kahlua in your cupboard.
- If you’re not a boozy desserts fan, you can swap out the liqueur with coffee or a teaspoon of espresso powder.
- We’ve also tried Greek Yogurt instead of the sour cream and the result was moist and delicious.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together the boxed cake mix, Kahlua, oil, eggs, and sour cream with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer on medium speed. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula or spoon.
Step 3: Spray the bundt cake pan thoroughly with a non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the greased pan and tap to coat lightly. After the pan is prepared, spread the batter evenly in the bundt pan.
Step 4: Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Allow the warm cake to cool until you can easily handle it with bare hands. Use a small spatula to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Place the wire rack on top of the bundt pan, flip the pan and cooling rack upside down, and lift the pan off of the cake.
Pro Tip:
Sprinkling the prepared bundt pan with cocoa powder will help the cake to easily release from the pan after baking and cooling. You can also use flour, but the cocoa powder keeps the nice brown coating on the outside of the baked cake. If you’d like to use a non-stick baking spray that has flour in it, that should be sufficient.
Step 5: Allow to cool completely. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar immediately before serving.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: This Chocolate Kahlua bundt cake is delicious on its own, but you can serve with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. You can also enjoy each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, fresh strawberries, or a cold glass of milk! On a cooler day, enjoy your slice of cake with a cup of coffee!
Recipe Tips for Chocolate Kahlua Cake
- Grease the bundt pan really well to avoid any possible sticking.
- Remove the cake from the pan only once it has cooled enough to handle the pan with your bare hands.
- To remove the cake from the pan without any sticking inside, I use a tiny spatula and work it down around all the sides as much as I can before tipping the pan upside down. If some of the cake gets stuck in the pan, just use your spatula to loosen what’s left and then plunk it out on top of the rest of the cake. Once the powdered sugar is on there, no one will even notice that there’s a break in the cake.
Recipe FAQs
Not sure if you’ll have any left, this is so good! But if you do, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
The cake can be frozen – it will keep for up to 3 months if wrapped well. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap and then place into a ziploc bag or airtight container.
MORE Chocolate Treats
If you tried this Kahlua Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Kahlua Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box German chocolate cake mix (w/ pudding in the mix)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Kahlua liquor can substitute coffee
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 16 oz. sour cream light or fat-free is fine
- 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except the chocolate chips and powdered sugar, and beat well.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into a well-greased bundt pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool for 10 minutes or until the pan can be managed with bare hands.
- Slide a spatula around the cake to loosen from the pan; carefully remove the cake to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
- Transfer cake to a platter.
- Dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Joyce says
Great, followed the recipe to a tee. It is now the most requested cake for family dinners. The se one time I made it I added about a tablespoon of espresso powder also.
Randy Aucoin says
Is it 1/2 C Kahlua as typed or is it 1/4 C as the pictured ingredients are posted?
Stefanie says
Hi Randy, it’s 1/2 cup, I’ve fixed the ingredient image, thanks for catching that!
Lyn says
Cake was a hit at pot luck gathering. Will make again! Recipe fine as is.
Bonnie Brooks says
Easy.. basically a dump cake! Very moist, very tasty, very easy, my daughter loved it. Was a BD cake for her BD!💕🎉🥳🎂
Sassylady says
Loved it! Moist delicious chocolate dessert. I added one ore egg. Will definitely make again!
Stefanie says
Right? I’m so glad you liked it. We’ve been making this since I was a kid and every time I’m like, yes, this really is the best. lol.
Lyn says
Do I need 3 eggs.?
Denise Anderson says
I made this recipe and it is awesome! I also made the icing recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Coco and drizzled it all over the cake! *
Denise Anderson says
I made this cake tonight and used a fudge cake mix and added chocolate pudding and I made a chocolate Icing.
girlinspired says
Sounds delicious, Denise!
Katie says
Great recipe! Very similar to one I make. Except, I use 4 eggs, 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 -1/2 Kahluha. 🙂
Lyn says
Do you need an extra egg.?
Lyn says
Do you really need an extra egg.?
Jennifer says
Has anyone ever made this as a layer cake? Wondering how long to cook it in 2-9” round pans.
girlinspired says
Hi Jennifer! I haven’t made it as a layer cake, but I have made it in muffin tins. There’s a lot of moisture, which makes it ideal as a bundt cake, but if you want to try it as layers, I’d start checking it after maybe 25 minutes and then use a toothpick to test when it’s done. Let us know how it turns out!
Rena Pichcuskie says
Can you use a spring form pan??
girlinspired says
I think a spring form pan would work just fine. The open center will help the cake cook through. I’ve even made these in cupcake form. Enjoy!
Cheryl Demunbrun says
If you butter or grease with shortening, then use cocoa powder in place of flour, the chocolate cake should release and not have the white, dusty appearance that flour would leave.
Cheryl Demunbrun says
I am talking about cake pans, bundt or otherwise.
girlinspired says
You’re a genius!
Alicia says
Can’t wait to try this! Will grease the pan super well then use dark cocoa powder instead of flour on top of the grease layer- I do this with another dark fudge cake I make and it works like magic! Now to see if I have any Kahlua…
girlinspired says
Great idea!
Andree Carlson says
Spray the pan with Baker’s Joy or Pam for Baking, let the cake cool in the pan. Turn out. No spatula needed. No broken cake.
Anyway, it’s delicious. I had to taste test before serving to the family, of course, just to make sure… Yup. It’s a winner.