Decadent Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling 🍫🧁
Rich, moist chocolate layers swirled with a tangy cream cheese ribbon—this cake is a showstopper!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
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2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
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2 cups (400g) sugar
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¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
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2 tsp baking soda
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1 tsp baking powder
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1 tsp salt
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2 eggs, room temp
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1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)
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1 cup (240ml) strong coffee (or hot water)
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½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
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2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
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8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
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¼ cup (50g) sugar
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1 egg
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½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache (Optional):
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1 cup (170g) dark chocolate chips
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½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
Instructions
1. Prep & Preheat
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper.
2. Make the Cake Batter
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Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
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Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth (batter will be thin).
3. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
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Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Layer & Swirl
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Divide chocolate batter evenly between pans.
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Dollop cream cheese filling over batter. Use a knife to swirl gently.
5. Bake & Cool
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Bake 30-35 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool 10 mins in pans, then transfer to a wire rack.
6. Add Ganache (Optional)
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Heat cream until steaming, pour over chocolate chips, wait 1 min, then stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
🌟 Pro Tips
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No buttermilk? Use 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar.
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Extra tang: Add 1 tsp lemon zest to cream cheese filling.
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Make ahead: Cake layers freeze well for up to 1 month.
Slice into this beauty to reveal the marbled filling! 😍
Serve with: Fresh berries or vanilla ice cream. 🍓🍨
Want a mocha twist? Add 1 tsp instant espresso to the cake batter! ☕