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Are you familiar with the chocolate cake filling inside of a Costco cake? You know the one. It’s light and fluffy, not too sweet, but similar in taste to a chocolate mousse. What’s not to love? That’s the inspiration behind our easy chocolate cake filling! It’s a simple, five ingredient recipe to make that creamy, fluffy chocolate filling at home!
This easy chocolate cake filling is one of our favorites because it’s a simple and basic recipe that pairs well with any kind of layer cake! You can even fill cupcakes with this creamy goodness. Try it in our famous chocolate cake.
Chocolate Filling for Cake
This is the quickest and easiest cake filling you could ever make. The filling is thick, creamy, smooth and so easy to spread between cake layers. The secret ingredient that pulls this chocolate cake filling together so quickly is the instant chocolate pudding mix.
It is a great filling for chocolate cake or vanilla cake but it goes with any flavor that complements chocolate. Try it with our banana layer cake or coconut cake. And it is so much more than just a filling for cake. Use it as a dip, sandwich it between cookies, spread it on top of cupcakes, or serve it as a quick chocolate mousse.
If you have a soft spot for chocolate cake, you’ll love our chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream! It’s the easiest, most versatile chocolate cake recipe and we break down all the different bake times you’ll need for various pan sizes, too. Check it out, because if you’re interested in this easy chocolate cake filling, you’ll need the perfect chocolate cake to go with it!
And you will want to check out our easy recipe for vanilla cake filling too. It is just as easy to make as this recipe.
How to make the dreamiest chocolate cake filling
A slice of classic, moist and tender chocolate cake will solve many problems. Not all problems, but we believe there’s a lot that a good cake can do. Agree? Whether you’re baking for fun, for a special occasion, or for a short home-ec baking activity, our easy chocolate cake filling is tasty, light and creamy, and simple enough for anyone to make! So if you have little ones at home, don’t hesitate to have them join in!
This recipe only requires 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip together! Here’s what you’ll need:
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- heavy cream
- instant chocolate pudding mix
To make this, you’ll need a standup mixer or a hand mixer since the cream cheese needs to be beat until smooth and it requires a lot of whipping to get the mousse-like texture.
Here’s the quick rundown of how it’s done, but be sure to check out the full recipe at the bottom of the page!
- Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or bowl with a handheld mixer). Beat the cream cheese until smooth- you’re going for no lumps.
- Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, stirring on low until both ingredients are well combined.
- Turn the speed up to high, beat until smooth.
- Turn the speed to slow, then add the whipping cream and whip until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the powdered instant pudding mix, increase the speed, and whip until the chocolate cake filling is thick and fluffy.
This recipe makes about 3-1/2 cups of cake filling. You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Simple, rich and delicious! We love this easy cake filling recipe! It results in a decadent, chocolate-y, whipped cake filling that’s not as sweet as a standard frosting, and pairs well with buttercream. It’s incredibly fast, which means you can get it ready while you’ve got a cake cooling.
how to use chocolate cake filling
Besides enjoying this cake filling in a layer cake, you can get creative with how to use it! It’s light, chocolate pudding taste makes it a versatile cake filling recipe, and here’s a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this chocolate goodness:
- Use it in this classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting recipe!
- Pipe it onto these red velvet cupcakes to try out a light whipped frosting instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting.
- Spread it on oatmeal shortbread for a sweet, indulgent spin.
- Use it to make cookie sandwiches to every kid’s delight!
This chocolate cake filling recipe is so easy and straightforward, we know you’ll love it! So bookmark it for the next time you have a layer cake or cupcakes in the works, or anything else that could use this sweet spread!
More Recipes You Will Love:
These chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are hard to beat! You will love our soft, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie and I guarantee you’ll need more than one batch!
This 6-inch cake recipe is perfect for any occasion! A personal-sized cake is never a bad idea, and we’ve got you covered with this tender, yellow cake recipe, on a smaller scale.
This Lemon Bundt Cake –perfect for spring- it’s infused with lemon and is light and moist. Serve with a dollop of lemon dessert sauce for something really special!
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Easy Chocolate Cake Filling
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 (3.4-ounce package) instant chocolate pudding
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then beat on low until incorporated. Turn the speed up and beat until smooth.
- Slowly add the cream and whip on slow until it is well incorporated and smooth.
- Slowly pour in the powdered instant pudding mix. Increase the speed and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until it is thick. If it gets too thick, add additional cream until it reaches the consistency you want.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This has got to be the easiest filling I’ve ever made
It is my go-to recipe for really any flavor cake / cupcake mix
After making it the first time it’s the only filling my family askes for
I’m actually making some tonight
Only thing different I do is just add a quarter cup of whole milk at the end just to loosen it up a bit.
Thanks
Thanks for the comment! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe. It can indeed get pretty thick, especially if you use a whisk attachment. Adding a touch of milk or even more cream is an easy fix.
I made this as dairy free as I could. I don’t think I’d call it vegan, but it is dairy free:
8 oz package tofu cream cheese
1 package of cook and serve chocolate pudding (didnt have instant)
1 cup international delight liquid sweet cream creamer
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
I followed all the mixing instructions and it came out great! I used less liquid because it was cook and serve pudding and using a non dairy liquid doesnt tend to set as firm with pudding mixes.
It came out great! Very thick, creamy, delicious.
Wow, I’m surprised that you were able to adapt the recipe and make it dairy-free while still keeping the filling thick and creamy! It’s fascinating to see how ‘cook and serve’ pudding and tofu cream cheese worked for you. While the original recipe leans heavily on instant pudding for that set texture, your version sounds like it got the job done.
That said, if you get your hands on instant chocolate pudding next time, you might find that it helps you achieve an even better texture. The instant pudding is formulated to thicken up quickly and is fantastic for achieving that perfect consistency.
Thanks for sharing your take on this! It’s always wonderful that you were able to tweak the recipe to suit your dietary needs.
Does this need to be refrigerated if used as a filling (transporting cake 2 hours away)?
It does need to be kept in the fridge but it will do fine if it isn’t refrigerated for 2 hours.
I must bake the cake in advance. Can I fill my layers with this filling, crumb coat it and then freeze it. Or can I do the frosting as well and what is the correct way to defrost is before use,.
Yes, you can assemble the cake in advance and freeze it. You can even frost it and decorate the cake prior to freezing, however it all depends on the type of frosting and cake you have as to how long it needs to defrost. The best way to defrost the cake is to place it in the fridge. It can take anywhere from 8 hours to defrost in the fridge to as long as a couple of days for a larger wedding cake. Typically, I will need about 8 hours for a standard, double layer cake to defrost in the fridge. The larger your cake and the more layers it has, the longer it will need to defrost.
Can I use this as a topping /icing ,as well? With chocolate spears to decorate or is it too soft?
Yes, you can use this to cover the cake. It isn’t too soft for that. You may even want to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to make it more spreadable.
Can I add Peanut Butter to the Filling to make a chocolate/peanut butter filling?
I have not tried it but I am sure it would work. I would suggest reducing the cream cheese to 4 or 6 ounces and adding 1/3 cup of peanut butter. If you add too much peanut butter it will probably get too soft. You might be able to add additional peanut butter after you mix everything but I would mix it up well with 1/3 cup then add a little more if it isn’t too soft. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it.
@Dahn Boquist, just a thought but what if you used powered peanut butter?
That might work as well. 🙂
Can you use this recipe with different flavored instant pudding?
Yes, but since this has some additional cocoa powder, our vanilla cake filling will make a better ‘base’ recipe to use with different flavors.
I had to add a little extra whipping cream to loosen it up a bit. My family are big fans. It’s light and creamy and delicious. The chocolate flzvor develops as it sits. A keeper
Thanks for the comment Janet. I’m glad to hear everyone enjoys it