It’s chocolatey and delicious but simple enough to make in one night, this Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream is my new go-to chocolate cake. The layers of dark chocolate cake are soaked with a brown sugar milk syrup before being stacked up with soft and fluffy chocolate mascarpone frosting.
Why do you soak a cake?
Layer cakes are often “soaked” with a simple syrup to keep them moist or save a dry cake. In this case I wanted to make sure the mascarpone frosting didn’t lose moisture to the cake but I also wanted to add flavor to the cake. The brown sugar milk soak is different from a classic water and white sugar soak and I think it’s DELISH. That being said you can use any soak that you want!
What is mascarpone frosting made of?
Mascarpone frosting can be made in a variety of ways but this one is made with mascarpone, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, heavy cream and cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. If you over whip the frosting, simply fold in a bit of extra heavy cream to smooth it back out.
What does sour cream do in baking a cake?
Sour cream or yogurt is great for baking cakes because it adds moisture without thinning out the cake. This way you still get that nice dense pound cake like texture but with a deliciously moist cake.
Tips for making a simple chocolate layer cake
- If you want to make a full 9″ cake, multiply all the cake ingredients by 1.5 aka instead of 2 eggs, use 3. This cake can be easily scaled so you could also double it and make two thinner 9″ cakes.
- This cake is a great base for so many flavors so don’t be afraid to play around with fillings, frostings, and soaks but I do love how simple and elegant this one is.
- I made a version of this cake where I left the cocoa out of the mascarpone frosting and then decided to dust the top of the cake with a layer of cocoa to give it a bit of a tiramisu vibe and it was DELICIOUS! If I did that again, I would make the soak with espresso and brown sugar to really emphasize the flavor combo.
- Make sure all the ingredients for the cake are at room temperature – this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
- I’m not usually one to worry about sifting, but sifting the cocoa powder will ensure it all dissolves evenly into the batter without over mixing the cake.
- Use a baking spray with flour in it to spray the bottom of your cake pan, try not to spray the sides as it can make the cake rise oddly. Alternatively, grease the pan with soft butter and line the bottom with a round sheet of parchment paper.
- When making the brown sugar and milk syrup, be very cautious. Over cooking it will cause the milk to curdle. To be safe, I usually take it off the heat just before I think all of the sugar has dissolved and then keep stirring to dissolve any remaining sugar.
- Be careful not to over whip the mascarpone frosting. It can easily split if you do, so it’s better to stop when it is still soft and if needed, whip a little more by hand just before assembling.
- I prefer to soak and assemble the cake on the day it is baked, I find the syrup soaks in better to the layers and it is easy to cut into three layers when the cake has just cooled to room temperature.
Additional Cake Recipes to try!
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this bundt cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help make the cake rise – make sure to check the expiration date! If they are expired, they won’t be very effective.
- Cocoa Powder: Both dutch processed and natural cocoa powder will work here.
- Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor and enhances the chocolate.
- Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
- Sugar: This chocolate cake uses granulated sugar in the cake batter.
- 5% Fat Greek Yogurt: Full fat greek yogurt adds richness and moisture to the cake. You can also use Sour cream.
- Butter: Butter adds moisture and richness to this cake, just make sure it is nice and soft.
- Espresso: Adding espresso to a chocolate cake enhances the chocolate flavor! You can use two shots of espresso or 3 ounces of strongly brewed coffee.
Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream Ingredients
- Mascarpone: Mascarpone adds a little extra umph to an otherwise simple whipped cream.
- Brown sugar: I love the flavor of dark brown sugar with the mascarpone and cocoa powder but light brown sugar or white sugar will work too.
- Vanilla Extract: A bit of vanilla goes a long way with any whipped cream to give it a little flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work, just make sure it’s cold.
- Cocoa powder: This frosting is delicious with or without cocoa powder but if you want a fully chocolatey cake, you need the cocoa powder.
Brown Sugar Milk Soak Ingredients
- Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar will work too! But I love the flavor of dark brown sugar along with the milk and the chocolate cake.
- Milk: Any milk will work for the soak but I tend to use whole milk for a richer taste.
How to make a Chocolate Cake?
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Chocolate cake batter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
- Add in the sugar, eggs, butter, greek yogurt, vanilla, and espresso. Use the paddle attachment to mix the batter first on low speed for 10 seconds. Then medium high for another 10 seconds until just fully mixed.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Spray the cake pan with your baking spray and then pour in the chocolate batter.
- Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula.
Bake
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
- When the cake is finished baking, check it by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before removing the spring form.
- After 10 minutes, remove the springform.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.
Chocolate Mascarpone frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, add in the cold mascarpone, brown sugar, half of the cocoa powder (sifted) vanilla, and salt.
- Use the paddle attachment to cream the mascarpone with the brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved. If using a hand mixer, the regular beater attachments will work.
- Turn off the mixer and pour in the cold heavy cream along with the second half of the cocoa powder (sifted).
- Switch to the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until medium stiff peaks form. Do not over whip it, it’s better to under whip rather than over whip. If you over whip it, pour in a little extra heavy cream and use a rubber spatula to fold it in.
- Set aside until ready to assemble.
Brown Sugar Milk Cake Soak
- In a medium pot, add in the brown sugar and milk.
- Place over medium low heat and whisk until most of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
Assemble
- * If you want to fully frost the outside of the cake, level off the domed top first.
- Slice the cake into 3 layers with a serrated knife.
- Brush the top of the bottom layer with the brown sugar milk syrup until no more will sink in.
- Scoop one third of the mascarpone frosting onto the bottom layer of cake and use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to spread it out. Stop about 1/4″ from the edge of the cake.
- Layer the middle layer of cake over the frosting and press down gently.
- Repeat the syrup and frosting layers on the middle layer of cake.
- Flip the top layer of cake over and brush the bottom of it with more of the syrup.
- Flip the layer back over and place it soak side down onto the frosting layer.
- Scoop the remaining frosting onto the top of the cake and use the back of a spoon to make loose swoops on top.
- *If you want to fully frost the cake, make 1.5 times the frosting. Once layered, place the fridge in the cake for at least an hour to let it firm up before frosting the sides of the cake.
- If time leave the cake to firm up slightly for an hour before slicing but it can be sliced and served immediately.
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting
It's chocolatey and delicious but simple enough to make in one night, this Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream is my new go-to chocolate cake. The layers of dark chocolate cake are soaked with a brown sugar milk syrup before being stacked up with soft and fluffy chocolate mascarpone frosting.
Servings: 12
Calories: 474kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- 7" Metal Cake Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 150 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 35 grams cocoa powder natural or dutch processed
- 175 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 125 grams butter very soft
- 100 grams sour cream room temperature
- 2 shots espresso
ChocolateMascarpone Whipped Cream
- 226 grams mascarpone 8 ounces, cold
- 100 grams dark brown sugar
- 60 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 300 milliliters heavy cream cold, more as needed
Brown Sugar Milk Soak
- 60 grams brown sugar
- 120 milliliters milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
- Add in the sugar, eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and espresso. Use the paddle attachment to mix the batter first on low speed for 10 seconds and then medium high for another 10 seconds until just fully mixed.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Spray the cake pan with your baking spray and then pour in the chocolate batter.
- Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula.
Bake the Cake
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
- When the cake is finished baking, check it by sticking a toothpick into the center of one section of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before removing the spring form.
- After 10 minutes, run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan, then remove the springform.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.
Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- In a medium mixing bowl, add in the cold mascarpone, brown sugar, half of the cocoa powder (sifted) vanilla, and salt.
- Use the paddle attachment to cream the mascarpone with the brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved. If using a hand mixer, the regular beater attachments will work.
- Turn off the mixer and pour in the cold heavy cream along with the second half of the cocoa powder (sifted).
- Switch to the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until medium stiff peaks form. Do not over whip it, it's better to under whip rather than over whip. If you over whip it, pour in a little extra heavy cream and use a rubber spatula to fold it in.
- Set aside until ready to assemble.
Brown Sugar Milk Soak
- In a medium pot, add in the brown sugar and milk.
- Place over medium low heat and whisk until most of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
Assemble
- * If you want to fully frost the outside of the cake, level off the domed top first.
- Slice the cake into 3 layers with a serrated knife.
- Brush the top of the bottom layer with the brown sugar milk syrup until no more will sink in.
- Scoop one third of the mascarpone frosting onto the bottom layer of cake and use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to spread it out. Stop about 1/4" from the edge of the cake.
- Layer the middle layer of cake over the frosting and press down gently.
- Repeat the syrup and frosting layers on the middle layer of cake.
- Flip the top layer of cake over and brush the bottom of it with more of the syrup.
- Flip the layer back over and place it soak side down onto the frosting layer.
- Scoop the remaining frosting onto the top of the cake and use the back of a spoon to make loose swoops on top.
- *If you want to fully frost the cake, make 1.5 times the frosting. Once layered, place the fridge in the cake for at least an hour to let it firm up before frosting the sides of the cake.
- If time leave the cake to firm up slightly for an hour before slicing but it can be sliced and served immediately.
Notes
Tips for making a simple chocolate layer cake
- If you want to make a full 9″ cake, multiply all the cake ingredients by 1.5 aka instead of 2 eggs, use 3. This cake can be easily scaled so you could also double it and make two thinner 9″ cakes.
- This cake is a great base for so many flavors so don’t be afraid to play around with fillings, frostings, and soaks but I do love how simple and elegant this one is.
- I made a version of this cake where I left the cocoa out of the mascarpone frosting and then decided to dust the top of the cake with a layer of cocoa to give it a bit of a tiramisu vibe and it was DELICIOUS! If I did that again, I would make the soak with espresso and brown sugar to really emphasize the flavor combo.
- Make sure all the ingredients for the cake are at room temperature – this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
- I’m not usually one to worry about sifting, but sifting the cocoa powder will ensure it all dissolves evenly into the batter without over mixing the cake.
- Use a baking spray with flour in it to spray the bottom of your cake pan, try not to spray the sides as it can make the cake rise oddly. Alternatively, grease the pan with soft butter and line the bottom with a round sheet of parchment paper.
- When making the brown sugar and milk syrup, be very cautious. Over cooking it will cause the milk to curdle. To be safe, I usually take it off the heat just before I think all of the sugar has dissolved and then keep stirring to dissolve any remaining sugar.
- Be careful not to over whip the mascarpone frosting. It can easily split if you do, so it’s better to stop when it is still soft and if needed, whip a little more by hand just before assembling.
- I prefer to soak and assemble the cake on the day it is baked, I find the syrup soaks in better to the layers and it is easy to cut into three layers when the cake has just cooled to room temperature.
- Once sliced, wrap leftover slices in plastic and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. This cake somehow gets better after a day or two.
- If you want to keep the remaining cake unsliced but store it, press a piece of plastic wrap to the cut sides and place it in the fridge. If possible store it with a large mixing bowl upside down on top of the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1006IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg
This cake is so so good! I found her thru TikTok and immediately followed her on IG.
I’ve only done the cake part of this entire recipe and I confidently say that I’m so so happy w it. I have been looking for the perfect, easy, yummiest chocolate cake recipe and I can’t believe I found it.
I did use a 6” cake pan instead of the 7” the recipe called for, I DM’d her on IG asking if I needed to adjust anything and she replied so promptly and suggested to fill it 2/3rd of the way and make cupcakes w the extra batter. I followed the recipe as is, and that’s exactly what I did, 3 cupcakes and one cake later I can confidently say that this will now be my go to chocolate cake recipe, and I don’t consider myself a baker AT ALL!
Excellent, yummy, moist and chocolatey, thank you!
A 5/5.
Thank you so much Elizabeth!!! I’m so glad the method with the cupcakes worked will for you!
I haven’t made the cake yet, but I did use the recipe for the frosting and milk soak, and OMG so delicious. I was dead set on Ermine frosting 100% of the time, but for my chocolate cupcakes I’m going to have to use this frosting recipe for now on.
Aww yay thank you so much Brandi!!!
I made this chocolate cake a week ago on Sunday. I loved it, whole family loved it! It was so good and delicious. Your recipe is perfect and my cake looked like yours on the first try. This whipped cream is fantastic.
Whole cake with milk soak and cream is amazing.
I am looking forward to try another recipe of yours.
Thank you!
Yay!!! Thank you so much Veronika!
Okay, but that Mascarpone Whip is pure cake crack!!! Want to try the white version but love the chocolate so much I don’t know if can!
ahhh haha thank you so much Jessie!
I would love to bake this cake but I am stumped when it comes to 2 shots espresso. I don’t have a machine to make espresso but could make a strong mocha in my Bialetti stovetop mocha maker. How much is liquid would that be though?
I noticed the recipe calls for sour cream, however the directions say “Greek yogurt “. Doesn’t matter?
Sorry for the confusion, both work!
This cake is insanely good – I made the tiramisu-esque variant and everyone was fawning over it, so so tasty!!
This looks wonderful! I’m wondering if I could do half of the mascarpone cream with chocolate and half without? To have layers of each? Would I just take half of the mixture out and then add cocoa to the rest? Wondering what the ratios would be, still a newbie with cakes!
Hi! Yes, I’ve done that before and you’re exactly right!
I used this chocolate mascarpone whipped cream for filling between layers in my cake and OMG is was delicious, rich, indulging, and a big hit at my daughters bday party!! Thank you so much!!
Hi!
If I only have a 8inch springform pan can I still make the exact measurements and use the same oven temp but just check earlier? and possibly only cut into 2 layers?
Also, do you have any measurements for cups vs grams? Or do you simply just recommend getting a scale for the best baked goods. Thank you!!
Best,
Emma Mocol
Hi Emma! That’s totally fine, yes use the same temp just check earlier and cut into two layers. Also yes! Scales are best for baked goods so that is my recommendation!
Hi!!
This is by far my favourite chocolate cake recipe, so easy so simple. I made it for a friend’s birthday a few months ago and they have been begging me to make it again every since 🙂
AMAZING. Super easy. I love. Red Currant Bakery you are my idol oml
Hi, really want to make this recipe, just have a question! Would a standard 7” springform cake pan work? Yours looks taller, and I don’t want to bake this cake with overfill. Is there a specific pan needed to bake this cake?
Hi! If yours is a bit shorter I would split it into two pans or bake 1/2 and then the other half, you can store half the batter in the fridge while the first half is baking!
This recipe is absolutely phenomenal!!!! Every year for my Dad’s birthday I make him a chocolate cake as it’s his favourite, but I had yet to find one that I truly loved. I made this for his birthday this year, and I have now found my go-to chocolate cake recipe I’ll be making every year! Everyone was obsessed with the cake, even my mom who is a certified chocolate cake hater. THANK YOU for the wonderful recipe & detailed instructions! I made the cake 9” and did 1.5x the cake and soak, and 2x the frosting to fully frost the outside of the cake, and it all turned out perfectly.
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday and holy MOMMA was it a winner! I used the vanilla mascarpone whipped cream from the vanilla cake recipe for a little chocolate+vanilla moment and it was absolutely divine. I never need to look for another chocolate cake recipe as long as I live!
Soo this is the first time I ever attempted to make a cake like this and it tasted amazing, the instructions are very detailed so that was very helpful. Everyone loved it. I did half chocolate cream and a half with no cocoa powder, so I used the espresso & brown sugar soak (I kept the same ratio mentioned here, not sure if that was the case).
I used a 7″ cake pan but the cake didn’t rise enough to cut it into three layers. I’m not sure why. Maybe cause I don’t have a stand mixer so I used a hand mixer. The butter didn’t seemed to mix that well tbh, it could have been that?
So I cut it in two and then kinda over filled the center with too much chocolate mascarpone cream, so when I moved the cake to a friend’s house it spill out of the cake.
It was a bit messy but totally on me. I managed to scrapped it out and make it look presentable again, ups.
Anyways, everyone loved it. It slices great after a while in the fridge. I missed something a little more tangy or citrusy in the filling that would balance the flavor of the mascarpone cream but my friend said it was even more delicious the day after!
thank you <3
My 4 year old requested a “strawberry vanilla chocolate cake” for his birthday, so I started with this recipe. I made the cake and soak as is. Divided the mascarpone frosting in half and added (half) the cocoa to one half, and a little cream cheese and a bit of powdered sugar to the other (he wanted it black and white and red – so I used black cocoa powder and the cream cheese helped to lighten the vanilla half of the frosting). I added in a strawberry filling, it was fantastic. My new favorite frosting recipe for sure!! Thank you ❤️✨🤍✨🖤
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday and it was INCREDIBLE! Very rich without being too sweet. I will definitely keep this in my back pocket for any future birthday cakes.
One question… is it possible to make the cake / whipped cream ahead and refrigerate them before assembling? I have a trip coming up and want to bring the different parts of the cake and assemble it when we arrive but not sure if that is possible?
Made this for my husband’s birthday this year (he requested “the most chocolate that can be squeezed into a single cake” so I made this but used the chocolate ganache from your banana cake recipe in between the layers and kept the marscapone frosting for the outside.
People were raving about it and there were no leftovers.
On a baking note, this was one of the easiest cakes/sponges I have ever made. I was prepared to do a very elaborate recipe since it was a birthday cake but wow I would make this for no reason other than I want cake. It was that easy. (Referring to the cake, not the milk soak or the frosting, not that they were overly difficult). I didn’t have a springform pan, so I divided it between 2 cake pans and set the timer for 20 min and then watched it very carefully.
Absolutely delicious recipe, the cake itself has probably spoiled me for all other chocolate cake recipes. It all works so well and feels so versatile! An incredible recipe to have in your pocket. I don’t have a 7″ tin, so ended up using an 8″ and only doing two layers. I added a mulberry jam filling with the mascarpone whipped cream filling in the middle layer, and it was so good, everyone loved it!
Hi, I made the Chocolate Mascarpone frosting and it is out of this world DELICIOUS !!! Not to sweet and smooth as silk. Thank you for posting it =)