Easy Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is seriously so freaking easy to make. It’s simple ingredients mixed together in just one bowl turn into a moist, soft, and fluffy chocolate cake that everyone will want the recipe for. Topped with a tangy and sweet classic cream cheese frosting– this is the cake and frosting combo that you didn’t even know you needed!

As a professionally trained pastry chef, I’m often tasked with making special occasion desserts or big birthday cakes for family and friends. If you’re in the same boat and your first instinct is to buy a store bought cake, try this recipe first!
This chocolate cake is easy to make and comes out moist and delicious. It uses simple baking ingredients you probably already have on hand and can be made into large rounds or one large rectangle.
The cream cheese frosting is my favorite part – it’s not too sweet and has a delicious tang that pairs perfectly with the chocolate cake. It can also be made up in just minutes! If you love chocolate and cream cheese combo you can totally use this chocolate cream cheese frosting for this cake! You can also frost this with a whipped cream cheese frosting or if you run out of butter try cream cheese frosting without butter.
This chocolate cake recipe is great to have whether you need to make a big chocolate birthday cake or something sweet to bring to a party or special occasion!
If you need a smaller cake, try this 6 Inch Chocolate Cake with my chocolate buttercream frosting. Or for something different try this chocolate orange cake!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
How to make this cake
Preheat your oven to 350° F and spray 2 8” round pans with baking spray.
For The Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
- Cream butter and cream cheese: In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer, add cream cheese and the unsalted butter and mix on low- medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fully creamed.
- Add sugar: Stop and scrape down the mixer. Add in the 4 cups of confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed working your way up to medium speed as the sugar mixes in. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients: Turn the mixer to low and add in vanilla and milk. Mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
To Assemble:
- Level off the cakes: Carefully remove the cakes from the pans. When the cake is cool, level off the tops to make it even. Use a long serrated knife to help with clean cuts.
- Frost and Fill: Fill and frost the cake with cream cheese buttercream. If making the 9×13 just top the cake with the frosting!
TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS
- Light-colored pans distribute heat more evenly while dark pans could cause the cakes to burn quicker.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing the batter. This will help all of the ingredients mix together more easily.
- Don’t overmix the batter! Mix just until everything is combined and no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing will result in a tough cake.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Be careful not to over bake the cake. Chocolate cake is especially prone to drying out, so be sure to check it often towards the end of baking.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting and filling to avoid the frosting from melting.
- If you can’t tolerate coffee, you can omit it from this recipe, use additional water or milk as a replacement.
Easy Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups (64.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tablespoon (0.5 tablespoon) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 (2) eggs, large
- 1/2 cup (120 g) buttermilk
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups (177.75 g) black coffee, brewed
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) vegetable oil
For the cream cheese buttercream
- 8 oz (226.8 g) cream cheese, block at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tbsp (0.5 tbsp) milk
Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F and spray a 9×13” or 2- 8” round pans with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tbsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt, and mix on low till combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating them into the mix before each addition.
- Raise the speed up to medium and in a steady stream add in the 1/2 cup buttermilk and vanilla.
- Mix until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides to make sure it is evenly mixed.
- With the mixer running on medium again, add in the 3/4 cup coffee and 1/4 cup oil slowly. Continue mixing until the batter is evenly mixed, it is a runny batter!
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 mins, or until the edges of the cake break away from the pan, or a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Make the buttercream
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer, add the 1 block cream cheese and the 1/2 cup unsalted butter and mix on low- medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fully creamed.
- Stop and scrape down the mixer. Add in the 4 cups of confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed working your way up to medium speed as the sugar mixes in. Mix for 2-3 mins more until fully mixed.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tbsp milk. Mix again on medium speed for 2-3 more minutes until super light and fluffy.
Assemble the cake
- When the cake is cool, level off the tops to make even. Fill and frost the cake with the cream cheese buttercream. If making the 9×13 just top the cake with the frosting!
Hey Lauren! Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I think what happened here is that the cakes should have been made in 3 8″ pans and not 2 8″ pans. I see in the recipe noted on the blog post it states 3 pans should be used and in the card it says 2 as well as the photos. I have updated the recipe card to reflect it accurately. This recipe is the same as my one bowl chocolate cake just baked separately in a different pan. I have made it 100’s of times and have great reviews on that post. Our apologies for the mistake, and hope you try some more recipes soon! XO
YAY Laura! Thank you so much for giving this another chance, we appreciate you so much! Our go to cocoa is Hershey’s. If you like a darker taste you can try the Hersheys Dark Chocolate cocoa powder and see how that works! XO
The taste is nice, but I used two 8 inch pans and it it super flat and also caved in in the middle. I am bummed as this was for my daughters birthday. Guess I’ll have to make a few more layers!
Hey Jessica, thats super frustrating, the cake probably needed some more time in the oven if thats the case. Thanks for trying this anyways! Happy birthday to your daughter!
Plan to try this but I am confused by number of eggs. Is it 2 or 4?
Hi Joan, the correct number is 2 eggs. Sorry for the confusion there!