Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
This chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting is truly the best chocolate cake you’ll ever try! The cake is tender, moist, with a fudgy, silky smooth frosting for the perfect chocolate cake.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (72 grams)
- 1 cup HOT strong black coffee or HOT water
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream (180 grams)
- ¼ cup milk (63 grams)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (95 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (50 grams)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (219 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup butter room temperature (salted or unsalted) (226 grams)
- ¾ cup cream cheese room temperature (6 ounces/168 grams)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (460 grams)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder (108 grams)
- ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with hot coffee (or water) until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully combined and free of lumps.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and smooth.
- Pour in the cocoa mixture and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Prepare your pans. This recipe can be baked in two 8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan (see notes for cupcakes). Grease the pan(s) and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, or pour it all into the 9x13-inch pan.
- Bake for 23–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The center should spring back lightly when pressed.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (If using a 9x13-inch pan, allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.) Tip: For extra-moist cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap while still slightly warm to trap steam and them prevent drying out. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Note: For a 9x13-inch cake, you may want to halve the frosting unless you prefer a very thick layer of frosting.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until lump-free.
- Add half of the dry mixture, along with the vanilla and half of the cream, to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing on low until combined.
- Add the remaining cream and beat on high speed for 2–3 minutes, until the frosting becomes lighter in both color and texture.
- If the frosting is too thick, add additional cream 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition until the desired consistency is reached.
Cake Assembly
- For a 9x13-inch cake: Frost the cake directly in the pan, or turn it out onto a serving board first. Spread the frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula. You can frost the sides if removed from the pan, or leave them bare.
- For a layer cake (two 8-inch rounds): If the cake layers are domed, level them by trimming the tops.
- Place a small amount of frosting on your cake plate to anchor the first layer. Set the first cake layer bottom-side down on top.
- Spread a thick, even layer of frosting over the first layer, extending slightly past the edges.
- Place the second cake layer top-side down, aligning it evenly. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a generous layer of frosting. For best flavor and texture, serve the cake at room temperature.
Notes
Cupcakes. This recipe can also be made into cupcakes. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake baking cups, fill the baking cups about ¾ full and bake for 13-15 minutes. This recipe will make about 22 cupcakes. Cool completely before frosting.
Freeze the Cakes. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze the cake layers for about 30-60 minutes (up to several hours) before frosting to make them easier to handle, frost, and decorate.
Don’t beat the frosting too long. With this chocolate cream cheese frosting you need to whip the frosting long enough that the cream whips up and lightens the frosting, this should only take a few minutes once the cream is added. Be careful not to beat the mixture for long periods of time with a hand mixer or stand mixer—the base of the frosting contains cream cheese, which if over mixed can start to release water, making the frosting runny.
Nutrition
Calories: 528.27kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.92g | Protein: 5.28g | Fat: 29.38g | Saturated Fat: 13.76g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.98g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.27g | Trans Fat: 0.49g | Cholesterol: 76.93mg | Sodium: 532.21mg | Potassium: 212.81mg | Fiber: 4.82g | Sugar: 53.5g | Vitamin A: 709.82IU | Vitamin C: 0.14mg | Calcium: 83.12mg | Iron: 2.02mg