Chocolate is my weakness. Hard as I’ve tried to curb my sweet tooth over the years, my love for all things chocolate is as strong as ever. And a good chocolate cake might just be my achilles’ heel. I’ve made countless different cake recipes over the years and this Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cake is hands down the best. Yup, I said it. What’s the secret to this version? You’ll have to read on to find out!

Alright, it’s time to share the deets on this recipe name. I’d say it’s twofold: this cake has a very rich and dark flavor because there is coffee and rum in the batter, hence the “Deep Dark” part of the name, and the “Secret” is that it’s made with… cake mix. That’s right, the best cake I’ve ever tasted started with a box of devil’s food chocolate cake mix. Judge all you want, but once you taste it you’ll be singing a different tune.

For this recipe, you will disregard the instructions on the back of the box and mix in a number of different ingredients to elevate the texture and flavor of the cake. Coffee, rum, and sour cream add sophisticated notes that you’d never expect from a mix. Once the cake has baked and cooled, you’ll prepare a decadent chocolate ganache. Drizzle that over the top and you are in for a treat. Give this recipe a try and you’ll never make another.