Chocolate Gooey Cake

This chocolate gooey butter cake has a soft and fudgy bottom and is topped with a gooey chocolate cream cheese filling that bakes into the middle of the cake. Both components are simple and easy to make. It’s like a gooey brownie cheesecake that’s best eaten warm. The cake has both chocolate and cocoa powder for the best flavour and texture. 

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Why you will LOVE this recipe:

• Gooey: The filling is gooey and tastes like a cross between a cheesecake and a custard filling.
• Chocolate: It has both melted chocolate and cocoa powder for the best flavour and texture.
• Easy: It's such an easy cake to make, the cake batter doesn't even need an electric mixer.

What makes this the best chocolate cake ever

This gooey chocolate butter cake is based on a classic St. Louis butter cake. It's essentially a soft, buttery cake with a custard gooey filling that bakes right into the cake. Like my gooey lemon butter cake recipe!

Each part only requires one bowl, and you don't need an electric mixer for the cake batter. This makes the cake so easy to make.

Make ahead and storage

For the best gooey texture, I recommend serving the cake slightly warm. You can rewarm the cake for a gooey texture as well!

For a firmer texture, chill the chocolate butter cake for a few hours or overnight (like you would a cheesecake). Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve.

This chocolate butter cake will keep well in the fridge (store in an airtight container or cake carrier) for up to 3 days. You can freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Wrap them in parchment paper to prevent them from sticking in the freezer.

Flavour variations

Check out these other flavours of gooey butter cake recipes I have for you:

• Lemon Butter Cake
• Lime Cake
• Strawberry Butter Cake

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate will give the cake the best flavour. If you can't get any, use semisweet chocolate chips instead.

Cocoa powder: Use natural cocoa powder for best results. You can also use dutch processed if that's the only one you have on hand. Natural cocoa powder will only have one ingredient (cocoa powder) in the ingredient list.

Butter: Since this is a butter cake, good quality real butter will give the best results.

Cream cheese: Use brick style full fat cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese won't set in the filling because it's too watery.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Step by step: cake batter

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9” springform round baking pan with a cold piece of butter. If using a regular pan, line the bottom and sides with a whole piece of parchment paper so you can lift it out afterwards.

Step 2 - Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 3 - In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla until thickened. Pour melted butter and chocolate into the same bowl, whisk until combined.

Step 4 - Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold to form a thick batter.

Step 5 - Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.

How to make the filling

Step 1 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder.

Step 2 - Beat until fully smooth and creamy (use an electric mixer or immersion blender for best results). Pour the filling on top of the cake batter.

Step 3 - Place the baking pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any butter drips in case the baking pan leaks. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the edges are set and the middle of the cake is slightly puffed. The middle will still be jiggly! If you see it browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of aluminum foil.

Step 4 - Let cool for 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan or lifting out the cake. Slide it onto a serving plate and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve at room temperature for extra gooey-ness or chill for a firmer texture.

FAQ

Check out these other recipes:

Happy baking!

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📖 Recipe

Chocolate Gooey Cake

Mary

This chocolate gooey butter cake has a soft and fudgy bottom and is topped with a gooey chocolate cream cheese filling that bakes into the middle of the cake. Both components are simple and easy to make. It’s like a gooey brownie cheesecake that’s best eaten warm. The cake has both chocolate and cocoa powder for the best flavour and texture.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• ▢
  nine inch springform round baking pan
• ▢
  electric mixer
• ▢
  Baking sheet

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cake Batter

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 3.5 oz good quality dark chocolate or ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour 270g
• ▢ ¼ cup natural cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder

Filling

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for dusting

Makes: 9inch9 x 9inch round

Instructions

 

Cake Batter

• Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9” springform round baking pan with a cold piece of butter. If using a regular pan, line the bottom and sides with a whole piece of parchment paper so you can lift it out afterwards.
• Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Let cool to room temperature.
  1 cup unsalted butter, 3.5 oz good quality dark chocolate
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla until thickened. Pour melted butter and chocolate into the same bowl, whisk until combined.
  1 cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold to form a thick batter.
  2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, ¼ cup natural cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.

Filling

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder.
  8 oz cream cheese, 1 large egg, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
• Beat until fully smooth and creamy (use an electric mixer or immersion blender for best results). Pour the filling on top of the cake batter.
• Place the baking pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any butter drips in case the baking pan leaks. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the edges are set and the middle of the cake is slightly puffed. The middle will still be jiggly!If you see it browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan or lifting out the cake. Slide it onto a serving plate and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve at room temperature for extra gooey-ness or chill for a firmer texture.
  2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Notes

If using a regular non-springform pan:

 

If using a regular round pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to be able to lift it out easily.

 

How to tell the cake is ready:

 

The edges will be set and browned, and the middle will be puffed up. If you see any bubbles around the middle, that's a good sign that it's ready. If the middle isn't puffed and the edges are getting too dark, tent the top with aluminum foil to prevent burning, lower the temperature, and keep an eye on it. 

 

For an ultra gooey texture, I recommend serving the cake when it's slightly warm at room temperature.

 

For a firmer texture, chill the cake for a few hours or overnight (like you would a cheesecake). Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve.

 

Storage:

 

The cake will keep well in the fridge (store in an airtight container or cake carrier) for up to 3 days. You can freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Wrap them in parchment paper to prevent them from sticking in the freezer.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!