Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 68 min
Ingredients: 180 g boiling water; 260 g all-purpose flour; 300 g granulated sugar; 75 g unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 tsp instant espresso powder; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 ½ tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 180 g whole milk (room temperature); 110 g vegetable oil (like canola oil); 3 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 300 g butter; 150 g full-fat cream cheese; 550 g powdered sugar (sifted); 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

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This classic chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting is so simple and so delicious. If you want a super easy, yet incredibly delicious cake then this one is for you. It has soft and moist chocolate cake, with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting that is easy to stack your cake with.

Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting on a cake stand

This classic chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting never goes out of style. It's always a delicious cake to make and a crowd pleaser. It has a super moist and soft chocolate cake, combined with a classic cream cheese frosting, giving it a light tangy balance to the chocolate cake layers.

For more layer cake recipes, try Chocolate Orange Cake, Blueberry Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake and Oreo Layer Cake.

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
INGREDIENT NOTES
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - ASSEMBLING
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
FAQ
STORAGE
Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Chocolate Cake Layer: This cake has the most soft and moist chocolate cake layers, that are so easy to make. They require no mixer, just as whisk and two bowls.
Cream Cheese Frosting: This cream cheese frosting is so delicious. It has a delicious tangy flavor, making the buttercream not overly sweet.
Easy to make: This cake is a no-fuss kind of cake. It is super simple and easy to make, and the assembling of this cake, takes no time.

INGREDIENT NOTES

These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
Boiled water: Heat up a kettle of water before you start. Add the boiled water to a measuring cup and while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, let it cool down a bit, so it's not piping hot.
Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola or rapeseed oil.
Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
Instant espresso powder: I use 100% arabica instant espresso powder as it dissolves quickly and has a great flavor.
Butter: Take it out of the fridge 10 min before making the frosting. Cut the butter into cubes.
Cream cheese: Take it out of the fridge 10 min before making the frosting.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

Here is how to make and bake this chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need a 2x 20 cm/8in baking pans lined with parchment paper.

The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.

Before starting preheat the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8 in baking pans with parchment paper.

STEP 1: Start by boiling some water and weigh out the water so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.

STEP 2: In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.

STEP 3: In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the boiled water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.

STEP 4: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.

The wet and dry ingredients mixed together.

STEP 5: Divide the cake batter into the 2 prepared baking tins and bake them for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

STEP 6: Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

The finished baked cake layer cooling down on a cooling rack.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

TIP: If you live in Europe, place your cream cheese between a few pieces of paper towels to remove any excess water.

STEP 1: Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes and sift the powdered sugar.

STEP 2: In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 2 minutes.

STEP 3: Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - ASSEMBLING

STEP 1: Start by cutting the top of the cake layers, so they have a flat top. Then place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.

STEP 2: Add 3 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes, for the buttercream to set.

STEP 3: Add the remaining buttercream, and even it out over the cake. Optional, make a wavy design with the buttercream, using the offset spatula.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.

FAQ

Can it be made a day ahead?

Yes, you can make both the cake layers and the frosting the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Store the frosting in the fridge in an airtight container. Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then give a remix in the you stand mixer, until smooth, and it ready to be assembled.

When do you know when a cake layer is done?

I recommend using a cake tester. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.

STORAGE

Store this chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting in the fridge in an airtight container. When wanting to eat it, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days.

A slice of chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate.

Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try

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