Description

This Chocolate Dump-it Cake is irresistibly moist, tender, chocolatey, and gets a decadent boost with a creamy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting! It’s an instant winner everywhere it goes.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake:
2 cups (397 grams) granulated sugar
5 ounces good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 TB instant coffee granules (decaf is fine)
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (283 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
For the Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups (340 grams) powdered sugar
½ cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 375F with rack on lower middle position. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, dark chocolate, butter, water, and coffee granules. Occasionally stir until mixture is melted smoothly together. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the pot in three additions, whisking gently to combine after each addition. Mixture will be liquidy.
Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean, 30 to 40 minutes (a few tender crumbs attached is perfect.) Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Sift in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add vanilla. Mix on low speed at first, as powdered sugar can fly upwards; increase to medium-high speed and beat until frosting is smooth and whipped, about 1 minute.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

If you prefer, instead of using 1 TB instant coffee granules: sub with 1 cup very strong brewed coffee in place of the water. I highly recommend using either the instant coffee granules or brewed coffee, as it enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake (it will not taste like coffee at all.)
Cake can be stored at moderate room temp for a few days. If room temp is warm, cover and chill leftover cake.

Category: dessert
Method: bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate dump cake, chocolate cake recipe