Who doesn’t love both cheesecake and regular cake? Then why not enjoy both at the same time? This decadent Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling is a rich, moist chocolate cake with a cheesecake layer baked right into it and topped with a chocolate glaze.
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Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A moist chocolate bundt cake layered with tangy cream cheese filling and topped with a rich chocolate glaze.
WHY: Easy enough for beginners yet impressive enough for special occasions, with minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
HOW: Mix cake batter, layer with cream cheese filling in bundt pan, bake, then drizzle with homemade chocolate glaze.
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why I Love Making Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- How To Make Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- FAQs for Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- My Best Tips for Making Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- What to Serve With Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- More Cake Recipes I Love to Make
- More Delicious Cake Recipes to Try
Why I Love Making Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
This recipe combines the simpleness of a box cake mix with quick prep of the cheesecake filling and chocolate drizzle to create a dessert that tastes complex and decadent. The first time I served it at a family gathering, everyone assumed I’d ordered it from a bakery — the cream cheese filling peeking through each slice looked that professional.
What makes this recipe so special is how the cream cheese filling stays wonderfully creamy after baking, creating pockets of cheesecake goodness throughout each slice. Using a cake mix as the base means you can have an impressive dessert ready without the fuss of making everything from scratch.
The sour cream in the batter keeps the cake incredibly moist, and the chocolate chips in the filling add extra bursts of chocolate throughout. Whether you’re baking for a celebration or just because, this cake never fails to impress.
🩷 Melissa
I always grease every nook and cranny of my bundt pan thoroughly with butter or baking spray with flour to ensure a clean release and prevent sticking in those intricate details.
I like to keep my glaze slightly warm so it stays pourable but not too thin. If it gets too thick while I’m working with it, I just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it back up.
Ingredient Notes
Cake Mix with Pudding: Look for a mix that includes pudding in the ingredients list — this creates extra moisture and a richer texture. If you can only find regular cake mix, the recipe will still work well.
Sour Cream: This is the secret to keeping the cake incredibly moist. Full-fat sour cream works best for the richest flavor and texture.
Cream Cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind in a tub. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for smooth blending.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 Chocolate Fudge cake mix with pudding in the mix around 15 ounce package
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- For the cake, place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat 2 to 3 minutes more until combined.1 Chocolate Fudge cake mix with pudding in the mix, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 4 large eggs
- Pour ⅔ of the batter in a greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan.
- Mix together filling ingredients. Spread filling over the batter and top with remaining batter8 oz. cream cheese, 1 egg, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a rack and cool 20 minutes more.
- For the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- Place the cake on a serving platter and drizzle the warm glaze over it. (I usually just melt the chips with the cream in the microwave, put the glaze in a Ziploc, cut the corner and drizzle it over the cake.)
- Store cake covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Step 1: Combine cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat on low for 1 minute, scrape sides, then beat 2-3 minutes until smooth and well combined.
Step 2: Pour two-thirds of the chocolate cake batter into a greased bundt pan. Beat together softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, and chocolate chips until smooth, then spread over batter. Top with remaining cake batter.
Step 3: Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed and pulls away from pan sides. The top should look set and slightly cracked.
Step 4: Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool another 20 minutes before glazing.
Step 5: Heat chocolate chips and heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Drizzle warm glaze over cooled cake using a spoon or plastic bag with the corner cut off.
FAQs for Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
When baking a cake in a bundt pan or angel food cake pan, it is best to cool down the cake with the pan inverted. This allows for gravity to help your cake stay tall and fluffy after cooling, rather than being weighed down and a bit more dense.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened but not too warm, and that your cake batter is thick enough. The chocolate chips in the filling also help weigh it down and keep it centered as the cake bakes around it.
Glaze consistency depends on the chocolate-to-cream ratio and heat. If too thick, add cream one teaspoon at a time. If too thin, let it cool for 2-3 minutes before drizzling. The glaze should coat the back of a spoon but still flow smoothly.
Insert a toothpick into the cake portion (not the cream cheese filling) near the edge of the pan. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. The center may seem slightly jiggly due to the cream cheese mixture but it will finish setting as it cools.
My Best Tips for Making Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
☞ Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix just until combined to keep the cake tender. Overmixing develops gluten and can result in a tough, dense cake.
☞ Don’t Skip The Cooling Steps: That 20-minute rest in the pan allows the cake structure to set, while the second 20-minute cooling period prevents the glaze from melting off. Rushing this process often leads to broken cakes or runny frosting.
☞ Use A Piping Bag Or Ziplock For Glaze Control: Rather than pouring glaze directly from the pan, transfer it to a bag with the corner snipped off. This gives you precision for creating beautiful drizzle patterns and prevents overflow.
☞ Reserve Some Chocolate Chips For Garnish: Sprinkle a handful of whole or chopped chocolate chips over the wet glaze for added texture and visual appeal. This simple touch makes the presentation even more bakery-worthy.
What to Serve With Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Fresh raspberries or strawberries provide a bright, tart contrast that cuts through the richness of the chocolate and cream cheese. A simple berry compote or fresh fruit garnish adds color and freshness to each slice.
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream offers a cool, creamy complement that balances the dense cake texture. The temperature contrast makes each bite more interesting, especially when served at family gatherings.
Caramel sauce drizzled alongside the chocolate ganache creates a decadent turtle-inspired dessert. This combination works particularly well for special occasions when you want to go all out.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature
This cake requires refrigeration due to the cream cheese filling and should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Always cover and refrigerate after serving.
Refrigerator Storage
Store covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The cake actually improves after a day as the flavors meld together. Bring slices to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for best texture.
Freezer Storage
Wrap the unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before glazing and serving. The glaze doesn’t freeze well, so always apply it fresh.
Make Ahead
Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Add the glaze a few hours before serving for the freshest appearance. The filling stays creamy and doesn’t separate when made ahead.
Serving Cold Slices
The cake is delicious served chilled straight from the fridge, or let slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften slightly before serving.
More Cake Recipes I Love to Make
- Black Magic Cake – Rich, moist, and intensely chocolatey
- Easy 5-Ingredient German Chocolate Cake – Just FIVE ingredients
- Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting – Nearly as easy to make as a box cake
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Chocolate Cake – With a no-bake peanut butter cheesecake filling
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Sharlana
Do you think a gluten free chocolate cake mix would work with this? Would I need to add an instant pudding mix since I don’t think they make them with pudding added? And would the amounts of sour cream, eggs, water and oil be the same?
I would really like to try this…looks absolutely delicious! Thanks.
Melissa Griffiths
I don’t know as I haven’t tried it but I’ve had really good luck using gluten free cake mixes in recipes in the past. I don’t know what you would need for all the sour cream and such though. So not very helpful but I think it’s possible.
mrsblocko
I made this cake for National Bundt day and wrote about it
here. This is by far the best bundt I’ve ever made. Thank you for posting the recipe!
James
Wow.. this is looking amazing. Chocolate cake is my favourite. Let me try to follow your recipe chocolate with cheese.
Bamboo
chocolate plus cheese = a delicious cake!
Anita
YUM! What a fantastic looking cake!
Deborah
I’ve never seen a tunnel cake with cheesecake in it – this looks amazing!
Jude
Sinful and decadent. Tunnel cake is a hardcore indulgence for me because of its richness 🙂
Carrian
This looks delicious!!!
Jerri - Simply Sweet Home
Now THAT looks yummy!
Marcela S.
Absolutely delicious! Congraculations. Yummy.
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Cathleen
Gabe's Girl
Yowser, this is one of the best recipes I have seen in a while!
Anj
I’m always looking for new cakes to try. This one is definitely going on my list. Chocolate and cheesecake what a great combination. You have a great blog!
Judy
Oh, my, Barbara, your cake looks delicoso! Who doesn’t love chocolate and cheesecake?