I’m a big fan of easy. A really big fan of easy. But I’ve got to say I also don’t mind showing up somewhere with a dessert that makes a bit of a statement. This easy chocolate cream cheese bundt cake looks pretty fancy, but is seriously so simple my kids could make it. And it’s delicious! Rich chocolate with a tang of cream cheese running through it, and perfectly moist thanks to one simple tip which I’m not going to tell you about yet because you’re supposed to read the whole post first so you’ll decide you love my blog and want to click around on it all day and tell all your friends to do the same.
Ok, fine, here’s the magically moist cake tip: cool your cake IN THE FREEZER. Seriously. Try it. Take your cake straight from the oven and put it in the freezer. It will, like, change your life. As will not overcooking your cake to begin with. All the times listed on a cake mix box are way, way too long. I’m not sure why the cake mix producers all want us to burn our cakes, but apparently they do. It’s probably part of a plot to take over the nation. With bad devil’s food. I don’t know, I don’t get it either.
But I digress. Back to the bundt cake!
You do, in fact, start with a cake mix for this cake, which adds to the easy factor, and then you just dress it up a bit for a little wow factor.
My friend’s daughter recently got married, and at the reception they served a collection of amazingly beautiful and delicious bundt cakes. Everyone wanted to know what bakery they came from, when in reality my friend made 35 bundt cakes in 2 days a week before the reception and froze them until the day of, when her friend helped frost and decorate each one. My cake isn’t nearly as pretty as the ones at the wedding because I’m cake decorating challenged (it’s true), but I think it still turned out nice. If I can do this, anyone can do this.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
- Eggs, Oil, and Water as Directed on Mix
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting if desired
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare bundt pan with non-stick spray and dusting of flour.
- Prepare cake mix as directed on the box.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and salt together until smooth and creamy; mix in chocolate chips.
- Layer half of the cake batter in bundt pan, then spoon in half of the cream cheese batter.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
- Bake 50-60 minutes until wooden skewer inserted in cake comes out clean.
- Take cake out of pan immediately and put in the freezer to cool.
- Frost with chocolate and cream cheese frostings and garnish with mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings.
You’re going to want to start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and by prepping a bundt cake pan. You REALLY don’t want the cake to stick, so use plenty of nonstick spray, then dump in 1/3 cup or so of flour and shake it around so it gets all over the pan. Turn the pan upside-down over the sink and tap it hard to get rid of any extra flour. (Or just buy nonstick spray with flour in it. I’m too lazy to do that. Obviously my method is much simpler.)
Then mix up the cake mix as directed on the box, and the cream cheese batter as directed on the recipe card. Pour in half the cake batter, then spoon half the cream cheese batter on top. Repeat.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn out onto a cake plate or other flat surface. Place the cake (uncovered) in the freezer for about an hour to cool completely.
When the cake is cool, you can frost it with your favorite chocolate frosting. I use my favorite chocolate frosting recipe, which is very easy to whip up, but you could also use canned chocolate frosting. If you do, just get the Hershey’s brand, since it’s the only one that actually tastes like frosting.
Microwave the frosting for 15-20 seconds until it’s just runny, but not super thin. This will allow you to pour the frosting on top of the cake and let it run down the sides.
Test a small section; if the frosting runs down too quickly and pools at the bottom, stick it in the fridge for a few minutes to let it firm down just a bit so it will cover the cake better. I like there to be plenty of look prettier.
Once the chocolate frosting is done, you can also add some cream cheese frosting to make it look fancier. I did use canned cream cheese frosting for this, since it’s mostly for looks. I used about a third of a can, and just spooned it into a ziplock bag. I snipped a corner of the bag off and “piped” the frosting on top. I garnished with mini chocolate chips, but chocolate curls would look even nicer.
Either way, everyone’s going to be excited to try it!
Laurie says
Very good! Next time I will let cool in pan 10 or 15 minutes to reduce risk of cracking. I used a 10″ tube pan and iced with only cream cheese glaze.
JEAN P. says
Just wanted to say it looks great, wonderful recipes on your site! Thank you for sharing them.
Also a tip: You can prep your bundt pan lightly before using it, with your chocolate cake mix,
(the dry cake mix) instead of using the white flour;
it won’t remove much to hurt your recipe amt. to dust the pan, and your cake won’t have a
floury white look when finished,(when you use darker) cake mixes, just use the cake mix!
It works as good as the flour, and enhances the outer flavor a bit.
Denise says
I tried this one and it is so beyond delicious!! It was worth breaking my diet for. 😉
Sharlyn says
Yummmmmmm!!!! Gotta try this one
Barbara says
Years ago I read dusting a cake pan when making a chocolate or dark cake with cocoa keeps it from having white dust spots on the outside. Love this recipe and your suggestions. Thank you.