Say hello to Cream Cheese Chocolate Pound Cake AKA the softest, moistest chocolate bundt cake topped with the richest cream cheese glaze. This cake is made in 2 bowls without a mixer and is perfect for a crowd!
Are you a chocolate lover? WELCOME TO THE CLUB! I have a whole chocolate section on the bloggy for fellow lovers. I love these Triple Chocolate Brownies and these Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies (my new fav recipe on the blog).
Why You'll LOVE This Recipe
Texture: This cake has the most tender texture! The combination of the cake's moisture and the cream cheese glaze creates a velvety and melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Rich Flavor: This chocolate cake is just bursting with chocolate flavor and has the most fudgy, chocolate cake base and the most decadent glaze.
Look: This cake is simply STUNNING. Bundt cakes have a naturally-gorgeous shape and has such an elegant look with the glaze dripping around the sides.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Both sugars add to sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs at room temperature add to structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Even though these have a deep chocolate flavor, pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor of the cake.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk creates a really tender texture and can be made at home. Check out "Expert Tips" for more information!
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is the star of the recipe and creates a moist and tender cake. You can substitute it with Greek yogurt.
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is the base of the recipe. Oil creates a moister and fluffier cake than butter. It can be substituted for another unflavored oil.
- Hot Water: Hot water deepens the chocolate flavor and makes the cake so rich!
- All Purpose Flour: Regular, plain all purpose flour is perfect for a soft texture. Measure properly by using a kitchen scale or by using a spoon to carry and level the flour into your measuring cups.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is where this cake gets its chocolate flavor. I use natural cocoa powder. I use Hershey or Walmart brands!
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Both leavening agents work to create the rise of this cake. Do not substitute one for the other.
- Salt: Salt brings out sweetness and enhances flavor.
Step by Step Process
STEP 1: Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Then, heavily spray a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, light brown sugar, room temperature eggs, pure vanilla extract, room temperature buttermilk, room temperature sour cream, vegetable oil, and hot water together until fully combined and smooth.
STEP 3: Next, pour all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and whisk until combined.
STEP 4: Then, transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Bake the bundt for 38-45 minutes or until the top is shiny and domed. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out with moist crumbs and the top will spring back when poked. Do not overbake to avoid dry, crumbly cake.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Glaze
STEP 1: In a medium bowl, use a fork or electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder until mixed throughout.
STEP 2: Pour 2 tablespoons of milk into the mixture and combine until smooth. The glaze should be thick but should fall from the fork when lifted out of the bowl. Add additional milk by the ½ tablespoon to create a smoother glaze or additional powdered sugar by the tablespoon to thicken the glaze.
STEP 3: Then, pour the glaze over the fully cooled bundt cake after it has been removed from the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend letting the bundt cake cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before attempting to remove it. Then, let it cool for another 30 minutes or until the cake is room temperature or cool to the touch before decorating to prevent the frosting from melting off of the cake.
Yes! This cake is moist enough that you can leave it plain or top it with powdered sugar. If you want a different topping, you can use american buttercream, chocolate ganache, strawberry glaze, chocolate fudge frosting, or even store-bought frosting!
Expert Tips
- You can make homemade buttermilk by adding 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, adding ⅔ cup of dairy milk, stirring, and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using as buttermilk.
- Use room temperature ingredients for a lighter, more even cake. If you forget to leave them out ahead of time, you can leave eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and heat sour cream and buttermilk in the microwave for 15 seconds or until they are slightly cool to the touch.
- Make sure to run your knife along the edge of the bundt and around the inside of the bundt before you flip it onto a cooling rack or cake plate and tap the pan to loosen the cake.
- Decorate the cake with nuts, chocolate chips, candy pieces, marshmallows, sprinkles, or anything your heart desires!
Storing
After the cake has been frosted, store it tightly covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. To freeze the cake after it has been frosted and decorated, place the full cake or cake pieces in the freezer for 30 minutes on a plate or sheet pan before wrapping in cling wrap.
To store before decorating, wrap or cover the cake at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze the unfrosted cake in a freezer bag or tightly wrapped in cling wrap for up to 4 months.
Related Recipes
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Cream Cheese Chocolate Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10-inch bundt 1x
- Category: Chocolate, Bundt, Cake
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Say hello to Cream Cheese Chocolate Pound Cake AKA the softest, moistest chocolate bundt cake topped with the richest cream cheese glaze. This cake is made in 2 bowls without a mixer and is perfect for a crowd!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (160g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (30g) milk
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heavily spray a 10-inch bundt cake with cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking and breaking when removing it from the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, light brown sugar, room temperature eggs, pure vanilla extract, room temperature buttermilk, room temperature sour cream, vegetable oil, and hot water together until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and whisk until combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the mixture is combined throughout.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Bake the bundt for 38-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out with moist crumbs and the top will spring back when poked. Do not overbake to avoid dry, crumbly cake.
- Let the bundt cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a medium bowl, use a fork or electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of milk into the mixture and combine until smooth. The glaze should be thick but should fall from the fork when lifted out of the bowl. Add additional milk by the ½ tablespoon to create a smoother glaze or additional powdered sugar by the tablespoon to thicken the glaze.
- Pour the glaze over the fully cooled bundt cake after it has been removed from the pan.
Notes
Removing the Cake: Do not remove the cake until it has had at least 45 minutes to cool in the pan. Before removing, use a knife around the edge and around the center of the pan to help remove the cake. Then, firmly tap the top of the pan to help loosen the cake.
Storing: Store this cake tightly covered, in an airtight container, tightly wrapped in cling wrap, or with the slices individually wrapped to preserve freshness. You can store the cake before decorating at room temperature for 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months. You can store the frosted cake at at room temperature for up to a day, in the fridge for 6 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Keywords: Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt, Bundt Cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake, Cream Cheese Glaze
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