Gooey Chocolate Cake Recipe – Bakery-Style At Home
This gooey chocolate cake recipe is rich, moist, and made with a cake mix, cream cheese, and cocoa. Only 6 ingredients and 50 minutes from start to finish—perfect for a quick dessert that tastes homemade.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 box (15.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- 2
Line an 8x8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and coat it lightly with cooking spray. This keeps the cake from sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the chocolate cake mix, 1 egg, and melted butter until it forms a thick dough.
- 4
Press the dough evenly into the pan using your fingers or a spatula. Don’t worry if it feels sticky—this layer bakes into a soft, cookie-like crust!
- 5
In the same bowl (no need to wash it!), beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- 6
Add 2 eggs, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix until creamy and lump-free. Pour this over the base layer.
- 7
Bake for 30–35 minutes. The edges should look set, but the center will still jiggle slightly—that’s your gooey magic!
- 8
Let the cake cool for 20 minutes before slicing. The top will develop a thin, flaky crust as it cools.