Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
4
Updated Apr 16, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Chocolate is a traditional food placed on the altar and eaten at Día de los Muertos celebrations. Some recipes with chocolate include mole, which can be a labor-intensive dish, and beverages such as champurrado and Mexican hot chocolate.
This cake is a modern-day dessert that honors old traditions. It is a very simple cake to make. As a matter of fact, my 12-year old daughter made it all by herself. It is the very first cake she has made, but I have a feeling it will certainly not be her last. This recipe is from Taste of Home, but rather than chocolate buttercream frosting she frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting. This cake is rich, moist, and flavorful. I have a feeling this recipe will be our go-to chocolate cake recipe for years to come.
This simple cake mixes up quickly and more than likely you have all the ingredients readily available.
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 package cream cheese, softened, 8-ounce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- Mexican chocolate, grated optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Grease a 13x9-in. baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk the first six ingredients. Stir in eggs, vanilla, oil and buttermilk. Add water; stir until combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar. Add buttermilk to desired consistency. Do not make it too thin.
- Spread frosting on top of cake. Garnish with grated Mexican chocolate if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please keep in touch and subscribe to Muy Bueno and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and subscribe to Muy Bueno on YouTube.
Chocolate is my daughter’s favourite and after making the cake it turned out to be really good and my daughter she enjoyed it.
Chocolate is my daughter’s favourite and after making the cake it turned out to be quite moist and chocolaty and was yum and my daughter she enjoyed it.
Maya did great on this cake, and like me, chocolate is our favorite. Looks so moist. I could tell a story of my first cake but its to long. Not a good one.
How special that you have this post and photos too to document your daughter’s first cake made by herself! I remember my first solo baking effort was a lemon meringue pie for my dad. I completely failed on the meringue but my dad smiled and ate it anyway. This cake is beautiful, well done!