Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake is a delicious and decadent chocolate cake that is made with the help of a cake mix and a few simple ingredients for a chocolate treat you can enjoy in no time! The thin top layer of delicate chocolate flakiness resting precariously over the ooey-gooey molten cocoa-flavored lava lusciousness is pretty darn amazing. After making my Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, I knew I had to make it in chocolate!
Ingredients & Substitutions
GOOP: I prefer to prepare my cake pans with GOOP, or homemade pan release, but you could also spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
Chocolate Cake Mix: There is no shame in using a box of chocolate cake mix! You will still end up with a cake that will satisfy even the biggest chocolate lovers!
Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best results in this cake.
Cream Cheese: Be sure to set out your cream cheese an hour or two before making the cake; when it’s at room temperature, it blends more easily with other ingredients and helps the cake have a better texture after baking.
Cocoa Powder: Look for high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder. You could substitute Dutch-processed cocoa powder if that is what you have on hand.
Can I Use a Different Sized Pan?
I recommend baking this Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake in a 9×3-inch round cake pan or 9×3 springform pan to achieve a cake with a very gooey center and thicker edges, which is how I prefer it. However, if you don’t have these types of pans, you can still use a 9×13-inch pan, but the cake will be thinner than what you see in my pictures. You can also use a 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch square pan. Just ensure that your oven is calibrated correctly to avoid hot spots that could cause uneven baking. (Hint: Use bake strips around your pan!)
‘Magic’ Chocolate Ooey-Gooey Cake
Want to know a trick to make this a ‘Magic’ Ooey Gooey Cake? You simply mix all the ingredients in one bowl, pour the batter into the prepared pan, and then bake. There is no layer separation, but the flavor and texture are still amazing!
Variations to Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake
You are not limited by the flavors in this recipe! Try adapting the Ooey Gooey cake recipe to create any flavor combination. Here are a few of my favorite modifications:
- Use vanilla cake in the base and lemon extract for the cream cheese topping.
- Add coffee extract in the base and cherry flavoring to the cream cheese layer.
- Try lemon in the base and lemon zest in the topping.
- Add fruit to the top to help cut the sweetness.
- Try adding chocolate chips to the base and/or the cream cheese layer.
- Add chopped pecans to the base layer.
How to Store Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake
To store chocolate ooey gooey cake, first, let the cake cool to room temperature. Next, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. For a longer shelf-life, store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, letting it come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. If freezing it, let the cake thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. The texture may change slightly after freezing and thawing, but the cake will still be delicious!
Ooey Gooey Desserts
Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs, one egg for bottom cake layer, then two eggs for filling layer, room temperature
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (31 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 16 ounces confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×3-inch round cake pan; then, line the pan with parchment paper. (You could also use GOOP*, a homemade pan release.)
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg (reserving the other 2 eggs for later), and 1 stick of melted butter. Stir until well blended.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, gently patting it down, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed (or using a hand-held mixer), beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder.
- Reducing the mixer to low speed, add the confectioners' sugar. Slowly add the remaining stick of melted butter. Add vanilla and continue to beat the mixture until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pan, over the cake mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes, being careful not to overbake the cake. The center should still be a little gooey when finished baking.
- Let the cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
That looks absolutely perfect! There’s nothing better than a chocolate cake! Maybe two chocolate cakes, but that’s it…
This looks amazing! I must make this cake :0) thanks!
This looks yummy! I wanted to know if the recipe would work with the new size cake mixes? The name brands, Duncan Hines, and Betty Crocker have reduced the size of their mixes. I have tried other “doctored” cake mix recipes that did not work with the new sizes.
I just made it with a name brand cake mix that was 16.5 oz without any problems. It is quite yummy! I used a 9×13 pan simply because it’s going to be used for a fundraiser at church. Seemed as if it would be easier to cut into manageable pieces for a large crowd that way. Thanks for the recipe Amanda!!
i just can’t see how this fits in a 9 inch cake pan. Are they deep pans? I have always used a 9×13.
It was a tall cake (a bit over the edges of the pan in height) but it definitely fit! 🙂
It doesn’t fit in a 9inch cake pan. I made it last night and it overflowed onto the bottom of my oven and made a mess! I pulled it out after 45minutes because the burning smell was awful and it was still undercooked. Best to use a 9×13 pan.
So sorry that happened to you! My apologies. I did not run into that issue when I made it in my 9in pan.
Chocolate ooey gooey cake? Yum! Seriously, I’m lovin’ that crust 🙂
We this is absolutely divine! Feels like such an easy idea too!!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
Hallo, i am from Poland. I like Your recepies and photos of them very much..
Your recepies look very beautifull and tasty. I would like to make some of them..
But I don’t knew how much is 1 for example 1 stick butter. In my country it is 200 or sometimes 250 gramm.
It is also difficult with the oven temperature..we have here oven in Celsjus ..
Many there are more cake lovers from Europa, that like Your recepies?
Would You please give the amounts of ingredients write in European system?
Thank You very much
Ewa
Hi Ewa,
1 stick of butter is equal to 16 oz (4 tbsp) or 454 g.
I hope it can help you!
Happy baking !!
I’m sorry,
1 stick of butter is equal to 4 oz (not 16 oz, sorry!).
You had me at Chocolate! This cakes looks ooey gooey yummy!
Yum!! This looks so perfect!
I make one using red velvet cake mix that my nieces and nephews just love!