• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Batters & Blessings logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Become a Better Baker
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Become a Better Baker
×

Home » Cakes & Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Dated: February 15, 2020, Last Modified: January 18, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links.


I asked my non-writer husband to describe this cake and here's what he said: perfectly chocolatey, rich, yet fluffy, just sweet enough, not too heavy, not too light, juuuuust right. He may not be destined for writing, but he hit the nail on the head with that description 😀 Seriously- this chocolate cake is best-ever material. Paired with a just-a-tad-sweet cream cheese frosting, this is the only chocolate cake recipe you'll ever need.


Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate

About

Despite not having much time this week, I knew Valentine’s Day was coming up, so I figured I’d make Chris’s favorite: chocolate cake. He was beyond excited when I started testing out chocolate cake recipes. If you’ve read some of my other posts (primarily my pretzel hug bites), you’ll know he is veeeeery picky about his desserts. Place ‘n Bake chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and boxed chocolate cake with canned cream cheese frosting were quite literally the only desserts he would eat growing up. And don’t get me wrong- I think all desserts (including pre-made) have a place in this world. But, I mean, come on. Homemade chocolate chip cookies don’t hold a candle to the Place ‘n Bakes, and homemade cream cheese frosting can’t be beaten. So, when we started dating, I decided to open his mind to the entire world of desserts.

And I failed.

Well, sort of. He still won’t go near any dessert that has fruit or nuts in it. He only tries one bite of everything I make because I force him into it. But, we have found out that he likes my mom’s pumpkin bars (recipe coming in the fall) and pies with graham cracker crusts! So, we’re further than we once were.

However, whenever he requests a dessert, it is 1 of 2 things: my chocolate chip cookies or the chocolate cake I’m about to tell you about.

Now, I love desserts. I’ve never met a chocolate cake I didn’t like. But let me tell you- this is the chocolate cake to end all chocolate cakes. Seriously. It literally does not get any better than this.

Ingredients

Coffee: Please please please try it out with the coffee in the batter. You can get decaf if you’re worried about the caffeine (though there’s so little compared to the rest of the cake, I don’t worry about it). Also take heart that I do not like coffee, but I loooooove this cake. It doesn’t have a coffee taste at all, but the coffee develops a richer chocolate flavor. However, if you are reaaaaally opposed, you can use 1 cup of hot water instead.

Cream Cheese Frosting: I made it this time around with cream cheese frosting because that’s Chris’s favorite to go with chocolate cake, but I recently made it with vanilla buttercream for a friend’s birthday and it was just as delicious. I’m sure it would also pair well with chocolate buttercream (or really literally any other frosting because it is just that good).

Notes

Storage: Cover and store on the counter for up to 3 days.

You may like these recipes, too!

  • Peach Blackberry Upside Down Cake
  • New York Cheesecake

Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting with a fork taking a bite.

Chocolate cake with a fork taking a bite out.

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I asked my non-writer husband to describe this cake and here's what he said: perfectly chocolatey, rich, yet fluffy, just sweet enough, not too heavy, not too light, juuuuust right. He may not be destined for writing, but he hit the nail on the head with that description 😀 Seriously- this chocolate cake is best-ever material. Paired with a just-a-tad-sweet cream cheese frosting, this is the only chocolate cake recipe you'll ever need.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Course Dessert
Servings 20 slices

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose or cake flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder dark
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot coffee 8 oz

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 pkg cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Prepare.

  • Preheat your oven to 350.
  • Grease a 9x13 pan then coat the pan with flour.

Mix the Batter.

  • Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
  • Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or by hand. Mix until just combined.
  • Add the coffee, and stir to combine. The batter will be loose. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake.

  • Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just crumbs, not loose batter.
  • Allow the cake to fully cool before frosting, at least 2 hours.

Make the Frosting.

  • Start making the frosting shortly before you plan to frost the cake.
  • Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
  • Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until fully incorporated.

Assemble.

  • Once the cake is cooled, spread the frosting evenly over it.
  • Voila! Best chocolate cake ever!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Did you make this chocolate cake? I want to know! Post it on social media, tag @battersandblessings, and add #battersandblessings so I can see your creation 🙂


You Might Need...

9x13 Pan

« Peanut Butter Cookies
Cream Cheese Frosting »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tracy says

    September 23, 2021 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    This is a fabulous cake. I made it for my husband’s birthday as this is also his favorite flavor combo. He loved the flavor, thought it was just the right amount of sweetness with deep rich chocolatey goodness. I loved how easy it was to make. This one is a keeper for sure. Thank you for a great recipe.

    Reply
    • Batters and Blessings says

      November 16, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      Tracy, thank you so much for the kind comment, I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! It's my hubby's favorite, too 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

My name is Jo, and I'm so happy you're here! My husband, pup and I live in Georgia, though I'm a midwesterner at heart. I love Jesus, my family, and desserts, and sharing my recipes has been a dream of mine ever since my grandma taught me how to make chocolate chip cookies when I was just 10 years old.

Read more →


Recent Posts

  • Homemade Whiskey Salted Caramels (with Sea Salt)
  • Lazy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Peppermint Mocha Cookies
  • Christmas Spritz Cookies

10% of all proceeds from Batters and Blessings goes to a Christian church or nonprofit. If you'd like to learn more, contact Jo on this page!

Footer

The first 10% of proceeds each month are donated to a nonprofit Christian organization.

  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Become a Better Baker

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Batters and Blessings