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Home » Blog » Recipes

Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Published: May 15, 2021 · Updated: Jun 6, 2022 by Kara · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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This easy chocolate cream cheese pound cake comes together super fast, but tastes amazing. It’s a quick cake to throw together that everyone will love.

This cake is a doctored cake mix recipe, which makes it super easy to make and very predictable. It’s practically a no-fail cake and tastes just like you made it from scratch.

slice of chocolate pound cake on a plate
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This easy bundt cake is an excellent quick dessert. People will think you’ve slaved in the kitchen to make it, but it comes together really quickly.

easy chocolate cream cheese pound cake main pin graphic

Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

Jump to:
  • Ingredient Notes:
  • Mixing method:
  • Tips & FAQs:
  • Supplies & tools:
  • Recipe:
  • Other posts you might like:

The great thing about this cake is that it’s so moist, you can serve it without a glaze if you want. It’s great by itself, with a glaze, or even with ice cream.

This cake is perfect for potlucks and family get-togethers.

close up of chocolate cake slice on plate with fork

Oh and one quick thing to note for those that are technical baking wizards, I realize that this isn’t technically a ‘pound cake’. However I’m okay with calling it that as many people call these types of cakes ‘pound cake’ in general terms. If that bothers you, feel free to call it another name.

Now, let’s talk a little bit about just some of the ingredients for this recipe. (The entire ingredient list is in the recipe card lower in this post.)

Ingredient Notes:

Unsalted Butter: You’ll want to use unsalted real butter for this recipe. It gives it a ‘from scratch’ flavor.

You’ll also want to make sure that you set the butter out at least an hour before you start making this cake as it needs to be room temperature.

Cream Cheese: This adds a little flavor and moisture to the cake. This will need to soften before using as well.

Chocolate Cake Mix: This cake starts with a cake mix that we’ll doctor up…that’s what makes it so easy.

Chocolate Pudding Mix: This will add a boost of chocolate flavor and moisture.

*The recipe card close to the end of this post will go into all the ingredients and amounts.

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chocolate pound cake with glaze on a plate

Mixing method:

The mixing method for this cake couldn’t be easier. You’ll essentially just mix up the butter and cream cheese first, then dump in all the other cake ingredients and mix well.

The batter will be very thick, so you’ll most likely need to switch to hand mixing once you get all the ingredients incorporated.

For the glaze, you’ll literally just add the ingredients to the bowl, microwave and mix well.

*The recipe card below will show all the steps.

collage of steps for the chocolate pound cake

Tips & FAQs:

Can I use margarine instead of butter?

It’s really best to use real butter for this recipe. I have not tested this recipe with margarine, but if you want to experiment with it, feel free to test it out.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?

You can, but you just can’t predict how salty it will be. If that’s all you have though, you can try it.

Make sure to grease and flour your bundt pan very well.

This cake is moist and will stick the pan if you don’t

Make sure the butter and sour cream are at room temperature.

If you try to mix them cold, the batter will be very hard to mix.

What kind of chocolate cake mix should I use?

I used Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix, but you can probably use any chocolate cake mix you like. Just note that you won’t be adding the ingredients that the cake mix box calls for. You’ll instead, add the ingredients that the recipe below calls for.

Can I use a vanilla cake mix and make this a vanilla cake instead?

Yes, but you would want to change out the pudding mix with a different flavor and perhaps add a different glaze. I do have another recipe for a vanilla version of this cake here: Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake

What size pudding mix should I use? Also, should I used the cooked or instant pudding mix?

You’ll want to use a small box of the instant pudding mix. You won’t be adding the other ingredients that the pudding mix will call for on the box, you’ll just add in the dry pudding mix.

The batter will be very thick. That’s okay.

Just know that you don’t want to add any additional liquid to the batter. If it gets too thick for your mixer, just switch to hand mixing it.

My batter did not fill up my entire pan. What do I do?

That’s okay. The batter will not fill up the pan, but it will rise quiet high during baking.

Do I have to add the corn syrup to the glaze?

No, but it does help to firm it up a bit and it adds shine.

top view of cake slice on a white plate

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Supplies & tools:

  • Large glass mixing bowl
  • Silicone spatulas
  • Hand mixer
  • Bundt pan
  • Cooling racks

Ok let’s get to the recipe!

***I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are used to seeing and using. For weight in metric measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s a best guess. Please note that because I develop recipes using ‘cups’ I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results.

Recipe:

slice of chocolate pound cake on a plate

Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This easy chocolate cream cheese pound cake comes together super fast, but tastes amazing. It’s a quick cake to throw together that everyone will love.
4.34 from 3 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate cream cheese pound cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 14 servings
Calories: 417kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese (softened)
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 3.4 oz pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix (dry)
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ¼ cup water
  • 4 large eggs

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional, but helps to add shine and to firm up the glaze)
  • ½ cup heavy cream (sometimes called whipping cream – not whipped cream, half and half should work as well)
US Customary – Metric
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Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10″ bundt pan very well.
  • Mix butter, cream cheese and extracts very well until completely smooth.
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix on medium to medium/high until incorporated. Once the batter starts to thicken up, you may need to switch from the electric mixer to hand mixing it.
  • The batter will be very thick. You don't want to add any more liquid to it.
  • Add to prepared pan and smooth the batter evenly. The batter will not fill the entire pan up to the top. That is normal as the cake will rise quite high when baking.
  • Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the top will come out with a few moist crumbs on it, but not raw batter.
  • Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then turn out of the pan onto the wire rack and cool completely before adding a glaze or powdered sugar.

For the glaze:

  • In a bowl, add the chocolate chips, butter, cream and corn syrup. Melt in the microwave for about 45 seconds to a minute. Once melted, mix until smooth. Either spoon the glaze onto the cake or add to a squeeze bottle and then squeeze onto the the top of the cake.

Video

Notes

Store this cake covered at room temperature for a few days, then keep well covered in the fridge to prolong freshness.
Nutritional values are an estimate. 
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you may have.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
Some recipes have difficulty levels. What do they mean?Check them out here Difficulty Levels Explained
Baking at higher elevation?You’ll need to make adjustments for high elevations. This website does not specialize in that type of baking. Please take time to research high elevation baking websites for adjustments that should be made.
DisclaimersTo see food safety, allergy & nutrition disclaimers, go here: Disclaimers

How to Share

I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!

Other posts you might like:

  • Double Chocolate Buttercream
  • Chocolate Butter Cake
  • One Bowl Triple Chocolate Cake
  • Easy Double Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
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Filed Under: Cakes, Recipes Tagged With: birthday cakes, bundt cakes, chocolate, cream cheese

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Hey there, I’m Kara!

Hi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better. Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn more about me!

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