Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Rich, moist homemade chocolate cake with a creamy vanilla frosting. This decadent chocolate cake with vanilla frosting is a moist, rich chocolate cake covered in a smooth, sweet vanilla buttercream. Sometimes known as a chocolate layer cake with white icing or a chocolate birthday cake with vanilla buttercream, it’s perfect for any celebration. The perfect Black and White Cake!

Black and White Cake — Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

It is my youngest daughter’s 13th birthday so I officially have a house full of teenagers. I always believe that everyone should have a cake (or their favorite treat) on their birthday and to actually blow out a candle. I am passionate about both birthdays and homemade cakes! 

When creating this Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting, I wanted the chocolate to be a nice contrast to the sweet vanilla frosting. The chocolate cake is my Love at First Chocolate Cake recipe and it is paired with a creamy vanilla bean frosting made with sweet cream butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean. I love the addition of cream cheese to add some tang to the frosting. 

If you have ever tried Nothing Bundt Cake, they only use cream cheese frosting on all of their cakes. It is incredible and pairs so well with every single cake flavor. 

I experimented with different ratios of butter and cream cheese to powdered sugar and I will include two options below in the recipe card. One will be a more traditional buttercream with the addition of one package of cream cheese frosting. The other will be a more traditional cream cheese frosting and will use two packages of cream cheese. You can choose which one you prefer but I will tell you this — you can’t go wrong with either one! 

This chocolate cake is absolute perfection thanks to a combination of ingredients — oil, buttermilk, and hot boiling water. All of these helps to create a super moist cake that stays moist for days! I hope you love this chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting Ingredients:

What ingredients do you need to make a homemade chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream? You just need simple ingredients you may find in your pantry and refrigerator. This will be a thin cake batter due to the addition of hot water into the batter.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (high-quality): The star of the show for chocolate flavor. Use unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process) for best results.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These leaveners work together to help the cake rise. The baking soda also reacts with the acidic cocoa.
• Salt: Enhances flavor and balances sweetness.
• Oil (canola, vegetable, coconut, etc): Oil keeps the cake moist and soft
• Eggs
• Buttermilk: Makes the cake texture more tender.
• Vanilla
• Hot Water: Blooms” the cocoa powder, bringing out its chocolate flavor. Helps to keep the chocolate cake extra moist.

Vanilla Frosting:

• Butter (softened)
• Cream Cheese (room temp, softened)
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Bean Paste

How to make the Best Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream:

Here is how to make a chocolate layered cake with white buttercream frosting…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
• In a mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute.

• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that’s a good thing — it will create a moist cake.

• Spray two 9-inch or three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 20-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean. After 5-10 minutes, carefully run a knife along the sides of the cake pans and invert onto cooling racks. Let cool before frosting.

• TO MAKE VANILLA FROSTING: In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add in powdered sugar and mix together and beat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in vanilla bean paste. Add milk, if needed.
• FROSTING THE CAKE: I suggest placing the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before frosting. This helps to keep from too many crumbs coming off of the cake. Frost each layer with frosting. Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate pearls, or mini chocolate chips.

How to frost a cake:

Here are tips and tricks for frosting a homemade layered cake and techniques for achieving a smooth, professional-looking finish:

• Level the layers of the cake. If your cake layers have a slight dome, use a serrated knife to level them. This creates flat surfaces for easy stacking and helps prevent shifting.
• Secure the bottom cake layer by placing a small dab of frosting on the cake board or plate so the first layer “sticks” and doesn’t slide around.
• Apply a Crumb Coat which is a thin layer of frosting that locks in any loose crumbs. Spread a small amount of vanilla frosting on top of the first layer, then stack the second layer. Lightly frost the top and sides of the entire cake with a thin coating of frosting. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 15–20 minutes (or until the crumb coat is set and slightly firm).
• Add the final layer of frosting. Once the crumb coat is set, scoop a generous amount of vanilla frosting on top of the cake and spread it outward in a circular motion with an offset spatula. Work the frosting over the edges and down the sides. After covering the cake with frosting, hold a bench scraper or a long offset spatula at about a 45° angle against the cake’s side. Slowly rotate the cake (using a turntable if you have one) while keeping your tool steady. This levels out any bumps and creates a smooth surface.
• Decorate (optional). Make classic swirls by using a piping bag with a star tip to swirl rosettes on top or around the cake’s edges. Top with chocolate shavings or sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. To add some freshness to the cake, top with fresh berries.

Baking Tips for making the perfect Black and White Cake:

1. Use a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder. This is the star of the show so you want it to be good. 
2. Use a mixture of oil (canola, vegetable, coconut, etc), buttermilk, and hot water to make this chocolate black and white cake extra moist. 
3. Use cake flour, if at all possible. This creates a more tender texture in cakes. You may use all-purpose flour if cake flour isn’t available. 
4. Don’t overbake the cakes. You want to keep that moist, tender crumb so watch it carefully. Start checking doneness a few minutes before recommended time, as ovens vary. Overbaked cakes can turn dry.
5. When making the frosting, whip the butter and cream cheese for at least 5 minutes. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. 
6. Place the baked cakes (once they are removed from the pan) in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes before frosting. This helps to keep the cake from flaking off and creating a lot of crumbs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):

Why is hot water used in chocolate cake?

Hot water (or hot coffee) “blooms” the cocoa powder, releasing more of its chocolate flavor and ensuring a moist, tender crumb.

Can I use coffee instead of water?

Yes! Hot coffee deepens the chocolate flavor even more. It won’t necessarily taste like coffee, just richer chocolate.

Which cocoa powder is best—natural or Dutch process?

Either works, but natural cocoa powder has a sharper chocolate taste, while Dutch-process is smoother and darker. I like to use Callebaut cocoa powder.

How do I keep my cake from sticking to the pan?

Generously grease or spray your pans, then dust with flour or line with parchment rounds.

What if I want a smaller batch or cupcakes?

You can scale the recipe down or use the same batter to make cupcakes. Cupcakes typically bake in 18–20 minutes.

Storing the Cake

Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. (Refrigerating can dry it out slightly—let it come to room temperature before serving.)

What frosting should I use on chocolate cake?

There are several frosting options that pair beautifully with chocolate cake. Here are some suggestions. I include two vanilla frosting recipes below in the recipe card.

Chocolate Buttercream is a classic butter-based frosting whipped with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. My Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake Recipe includes a decadent chocolate buttercream frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream made with butter, powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla offers the perfect contrast to a rich chocolate cake.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting is a tangy, sweet frosting made with cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar and is less sweet than vanilla buttercream frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting is a creamy frosting using peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and milk or cream. I share a recipe for Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.

If you LOVE cake, check out these popular cake recipes:

• Key Lime Cake
• Vanilla Cake
• LEMON Olive Oil Cake
• VANILLA Cupcakes
• YELLOW Cake with Chocolate Frosting
• Love at First Sight CHOCOLATE Cake 
• Chocolate RASPBERRY Cake 
• COCONUT Cake 
• RED VELVET Cake
• Jeff’s Best BANANA Cake 
• Southern CARAMEL Cake 
• BERRY Chantilly Cream Cake 

Chocolate Cake Recipes:

Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Best Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

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