Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting recipe
Moist, rich, and easy to make, this best chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting recipe is the perfect treat for any occasion, no fancy tools needed
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake (Three 8-inch layers)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 tsp espresso powder
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 16 oz 2 blocks full-fat cream cheese
- 5 –6 cups powdered sugar to taste
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 –4 tbsp milk or cream if needed for texture
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch pans.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (buttermilk, water, oil, eggs, vanilla). Mix until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Tap to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 30–34 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
- Stir in vanilla and add milk/cream if needed for spreadable consistency.
Assemble the Cake
- Layer cakes with frosting between each. Apply a thin crumb coat, then chill 15–20 minutes.
- Finish frosting, smoothing or swirling to your style. Decorate or leave as-is — it’s delicious either way!
Notes
- 580 calories, 30g total fat
- 14g saturated fat),
- 95mg cholesterol,
- 320mg sodium,
- 72g total carbohydrates
- 3g dietary fiber
- 52g sugars,
- 6g of protein.
Based on 12 servings. Nutrition values are approximate and may vary based on ingredient brands and portion size.