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This chocolate cream cheese butter cake is very easy to put together and doesn’t require an electric mixer yet with a rich, moist, light texture, and not overly sweet.
I love to make chiffon cake and I do it on a weekly basis. Every now and then though, I like to bake some butter cakes (or known as pound cakes). Our family loves this pandan butter cake. The cake requires an egg separation method for the light fluffy texture despite being a rich and moist cake at the same time. Some days I just want it easy! I don’t want to deal with whipping meringue and the whole nine-yard! This is where this easy chocolate cream cheese butter cake comes in
Why you’ll love this recipe
1. No special kitchen gadgets or tools
You only need a parchment paper, mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, loaf pan, digital kitchen scale will be great (otherwise U.S. cups/Tbsp measurements is also available)
2. No creaming of butter, cream cheese, and sugar
This can be daunting for some people, especially for a beginner in cake-baking
3. Great taste and texture
This is a must, right? The cake has a rich buttery taste, but with a moist yet light texture
How does this cake get its light texture then?
In general, cakes need something (or some actions) to get that soft, fluffy, light texture. We are not doing egg separation to whip the egg white meringues. There is also no creaming of butter and sugar until it reaches the ribbons stage. This cake depends solely on baking powder and baking soda to do the heavy lifting for us. So, please make sure that your baking powder and baking soda are still fresh. Without these two, this cake will come out like a brick 🙂
How to make easy chocolate cream cheese butter cake
1. Grease your pan with some oil and line your baking pan with parchment paper on all sides
2. Preheat the oven at 170 C (340 F). Put cream cheese, butter and dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl
3. The bowl should be albe to sit on top of a saucepan with some water inside the pan, without the water touching the bowl. We will melt the cream cheese mixture over gently simmering water. Stir until they are all melted into a thick paste. Remove from the saucepan and wipe the bottom of the bowl
4. Let the cream cheese mixture cools down before adding eggs as we don’t want to cook the eggs. Then add eggs and sugar and whisk again to combine into a smooth and more watery batter
5. Sift in the cake flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda
6. Use a spatula or a whisk to fold in the mixture until you no longer see loose flour
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan
8. Sprinkle with some chocolate sprinkles (chocolate rice). You can use chocolate chips too if you like. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
9. Lift the cake out from the pan by grabbing the parchment paper. Set it on top of a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper and let the cake cools down completely
Size and types of pan you can use for this recipe
1. Loaf pan
Loaf pan with at least 8 x 4 x 2.5 inches and up can be used
2. Bundt pan
This recipe can fit into 8-inch (6 cups) bundt pan
3. Square pan
You can also use 7 x 7 inch pan with at least 2.5 inches height
4. Round pan
You will 8 inch round pan with at least 2.5 inches height
Tips for success
1. Test the baking powder and baking soda for freshness before proceeding with the recipe. Mix a small amount of baking powder with hot water and it should bubble right away. If not, you need a new baking powder. Mix a small amount of baking soda with few drops of an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice and it should bubble right away too.
2. Do not melt the cream cheese over high heat as this will cause the cream cheese to curdle. Keep the heat on low
3. Eggs should be at room temperature so that when you add this to the cream cheese mixture, they won’t curdle the cream cheese
4. The cake may feel dry and not as much flavor if you eat it on the same day. This cake (and many other cakes) tastes best the next day after you allow the moisture and flavor to evenly distribute.
How to store unfrosted butter cake
I usually don’t eat butter cake with any frosting. I like it the way it is.
1. Room temperature
Let the cake cools down completely, wrap it in cling wrap, and store in an air-tight container. The cake can be kept this way at room temperature for about 4-5 days
2. Freezer
I don’t recommend putting the cake in the fridge as this tends to dry out the cake and the cake may absorb whatever smell in your fridge. The freezer is a better place. Once the cake has cooled down completely, wrap it in a cling wrap then another layer of aluminum foil and put inside a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal. The cake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply thaw the cake at room temperature for few hours before serving
Did you make this easy chocolate cream cheese recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (room temperature) about 58-60 gram each with the shell
- 100 gr granulated sugar
Wet ingredients:
- 100 gr unsalted butter
- 226 gr cream cheese
- 50 gr dark or semi-sweet chocolate
Dry ingredients:
- 150 gr cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp unsweeteened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Topping:
- Chocolate sprinkles/jimmies or chocolate chips
Instructions
Test the baking powder and baking soda for freshness:
- This cake depends on baking powder and baking soda to rise so that the cake won't be dense and tough. Test the baking powder and baking soda for freshness before proceeding with the recipe. Mix a small amount of baking powder with hot water and it should bubble right away. If not, you need a new baking powder. Mix a small amount of baking soda with few drops of an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice and it should bubble right away too.
Prepare the cake batter:
- Grease your pan with some oil and line your baking pan with parchment paper on all sides
- Preheat the oven at 170 C (340 F). Put cream cheese, butter and dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl that can sit on top of a saucepan with some water inside the pan, without the water touching the bowl. We will melt the cream cheese mixture over gently simmering water. Stir until they are all melted into a thick paste. Remove from the saucepan and wipe the bottom of the bowl
- Let the cream cheese mixture cools down before adding eggs as we don't want to cook the eggs. Then add eggs and sugar and whisk again to combine into a smooth and more watery batter. Sift in the cake flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and use a spatula/whisk to fold in the mixture until you no longer see loose flour
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with some chocolate sprinkles (chocolate rice). If you use larger-size chocolate, tossed them in a bit of flour and shake off excess flour to prevent the chips from sinking. Bake for 45 minutes- 1 hour (depending on your oven) or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
Cool down the cake:
- Lift the cake out from the pan by grabbing the parchment paper. Set it on top of a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper and let the cake cools down completely
- Like many cakes, this butter cake tastes best the next day. So if you can wait until the next day, you will find that the flavor is much better and the cake is moister and richer
Storage:
- Let the cake cools down completely, wrap it in a cling wrap and store in an air-tight container. The cake can be kept this way at room temperature for about 4-5 days
2 comments
Made it today and my boy gave it a 4.5 🌟, thanks for this sharing 👍
Yay!!! Thank you for trying 🙂