This moist, easy chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting settles the question: is chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting good? The verdict is in – this triple layer Philadelphia cream cheese chocolate cake is a winner! It's the best chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting recipe!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
baking spray
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, 2 cups granulated sugar
Stir in vegetable oil until dry ingredients are well coated, followed by eggs and vanilla.
¾ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Stir in buttermilk until combined, then carefully pour in hot coffee and stir until smooth.
1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup hot brewed coffee
Add batter evenly to prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cakes comes out smooth or with moist crumbs.
Cool cake layers slightly in cake pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before adding frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat softened butter and softened cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
12 oz full-fat cream cheese, ¾ cup salted butter, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing on low until combined, starting at 5 cups and adding up to 6 cups total if needed for desired consistency. Turn speed to high and mix another 2 minutes.
5-6 cups powdered sugar
Spread frosting over cooled cake layers.
Video
Notes
Substitutions:
Buttermilk Substitute - Measure out 1 cup of whole milk and replace 1 tablespoon of it with lemon juice or vinegar. Then let it sit a few minutes and add it in to your chocolate cake batter!
Vegan Option - I haven't tried this cake with vegan substitutes yet, unfortunately. However, if you try it I would recommend trying it out with this egg replacer, and substitute the buttermilk for plant-based milk (create a buttermilk substitute with the tip above!). And you can also make your own vegan cream cheese buttercream with a recipe like this one!
Storage and Freezing: Store this delicious cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Then to serve, cut individual slices and let them come to room temperature.Also, this moist chocolate cake freezes very well -- it's best frozen in individual slices to make thawing easier. First, place slices in the freezer until frozen solid, then wrap in plastic wrap and then in heavy duty foil. Then freeze for up to two months and thaw, uncovered, at room temperature.Variations:
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting - my favorite way to take cream cheese frosting to the next level is to use browned butter instead of regular butter -- just be sure to chill it so that it hardens back up, then bring it to room temperature before adding it in.
Oreo chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting - add Oreo chunks to the cake batter and the frosting for a cookies and cream cake!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting - replace ¾ cup of the powdered sugar in the frosting with cocoa powder for even more rich chocolate flavor!