Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

It only took me six months to try out another recipe, but I think this one was worth the wait. 

This recipe was featured in The Oklahoman in the Melba’s Swap Shop column, but I’m not sure when it was originally printed. A reader named Leslie Meloo requested a “good Chocolate Cake recipe” and Melba delivered this Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake. 

Like other readers from that era, I was a little concerned that the recipe has you making the icing and cake at the same time. I think of baking as an exact science, and I wasn’t sure how much room for error there would be. 

Grandma Jones wrote a quick note at the bottom of the clipping, so I know she at least attempted it. 

Here is the original recipe:

Dear Melba:

Leslie Meloo asked for a good Chocolate Cake recipe. Here is an excellent one that works out good every time. If the recipe confuses you at the very start, you’re mixing the icing and cake at the same time. Just follow directions exactly, and it’ll work out. 

1 (8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ c. margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
7 c. sifted powdered sugar
½ c. milk, room temperature
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
4 Tbsp. margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ c. milk

Cream together cream cheese, 1/2 -cup margarine and vanilla.
Alternatively beat in sugar and 1/3 -cup milk. Blend in chocolate.
Remove 2 cups; cover and refrigerate for frosting.
To remaining mixture, add eggs; beat well.
Stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture alternately with 1 ¼ -cups milk.
Turn into 3 greased and floured round cake pans. 
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Cool in pans 10 minutes.
Remove; cool on racks.
Remove frosting from refrigerator and frost cake. 

Grandma Jones’s note: Refrigerate 15 minutes before frosting. 

The Final Verdict: The cake surprisingly turned out well and was pretty easy. It’s not the richest chocolate cake, but I’m honestly not mad about it. I didn’t have enough icing to frost the sides of the cake, but more icing would’ve been too much for this cake.  

Make this recipe at home and let me know what you think.

Your friend,

Laci