Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting is a delightful blend of rich, moist cake layered with light, airy frosting, perfect for any occasion. This classic dessert combines deep cocoa flavors with creamy sweetness for a truly indulgent experience.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time44

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 389kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

2 cups cake flour I used King Arthur brand
⅔ cup cocoa powder I used Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
½ cup very hot water

For the Cool Whip Frosting

5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ cups whole milk very cold
16 ounces whipped topping thawed

Instructions

Making the Cool Whip Frosting

Make your whipped cream frosting by adding 5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding and ¼ cup powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl.
5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding, ¼ cup powdered sugar
Add 1 ½ cups whole milk to the bowl and beat with a handheld mixer for 3-4 minutes, starting on low and increasing to high as the pudding mixture thickens.
Starting on low speed helps avoid the milk splattering too much until the pudding starts to thicken.
1 ½ cups whole milk
Gently fold 16 ounces whipped topping(thawed) into the vanilla pudding until fully combined and no streaks of white or yellow remain.
16 ounces whipped topping
Cover the bowl of whipped cream frosting with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour while your chocolate cake is baking and cooling.

Making the Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with baker’s spray. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups cake flour, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Make sure you do not have any lumps of cocoa powder in your dry ingredient mixture. Set aside.
2 cups cake flour, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, beat together, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, the 1 ¾ cups granulated white sugar, 3 large eggs (room temperature), ½ cup vegetable oil, and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
1 ¾ cups granulated white sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup vegetable oil
Add half the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix on low just until incorporated.
Next, add 1 cup whole milk and mix until fully incorporated.
1 cup whole milk
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
Lastly, you will add ½ cup very hot water and mix for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute to get a smooth batter.
½ cup very hot water
Divide the batter equally between the two prepared 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once your cake layers have cooled completely, you can frost and serve your chocolate cake.
Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes before slicing/serving.

Video

Notes

We recommend making the frosting first, then refrigerating it until the cake has been baked and completely cooled. This would give the frosting about two hours in the fridge to firm up a little more to make it easier to spread on the cake.
The Hershey’s Special Dark 100% Cocoa powder is also known as “Dutch Processed” cocoa, NOT hot cocoa mix. You can find this in any grocery store, in the baking aisle, where you will also find chocolate chips and chocolate baking bars.
You can add a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper to the bottom of each sprayed baking pan to really make sure that your cake layers come out clean. This is most helpful if you have older cake pans that tend to cause sticking.
When dividing your cake batter between the two 9-inch round baking pans, you want to make sure that you have an even amount of batter in each pan. This will ensure that your cake layers bake at the same time and are equally sized. If you have a digital kitchen scale, you can just weigh each pan and adjust the amounts of batter in each pan accordingly.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cake at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition