Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake
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If you want the best chocolate dessert, try this Chocolate Fudge Cake. It’s rich, moist, and covered in a shiny fudge frosting that feels truly indulgent. This cake is great for birthdays, holidays, or whenever you’re craving more chocolate.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- In Photos: How To Make Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Tips For Success
- FAQ
- More Cake Recipes
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Mixer Needed: A simple chocolate fudge frosting comes together on the stovetop, no mixer required!
- Easy For Beginners: The cake is unbelievably simple to make.
- No Fancy Decorating Tools: The one-layer cake needs no fancy decorating!
- Decadent & Moist: Thanks to buttermilk, oil, and coffee.
- Rich Fudge Frosting: Made with real dark chocolate.
- Perfect for Celebrations: This cake may only have one layer, but it has big flavor.
Ingredients
For the Fudge Frosting
- Dark chocolate: Forms the base of the frosting. For the best flavor, use a good-quality bar.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and helps the chocolate melt smoothly.
- Unsalted butter: Don’t sub in salted butter for this recipe. Sometimes you can get away with it, but not here.
- Powdered sugar: Sifted in to avoid lumps and sweeten the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: Use the real stuff, please. No imitation vanilla allowed!
For the Chocolate Cake
- All-purpose flour: Cake flour will also work, but all-purpose is best.
- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder: Provides deep chocolate flavor. Don’t substitute Dutch process!
- Granulated sugar & brown sugar: Dark or light brown sugar is fine here. Use what you have or what you prefer.
- Baking soda & baking powder: Make sure it is fresh! If it is still in your pantry from last season, you probably need a new one.
- Kosher salt: Don’t sub in table salt here. It isn’t the same.
- Eggs: Use the best eggs you have access to.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a subtle tang.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cake soft and tender.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warm background flavor.
- Hot coffee: Intensifies the chocolate taste without making the cake taste like coffee.
In Photos: How To Make Chocolate Fudge Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch round baking pan by greasing it with butter or misting it with non-stick spray and lining it with a parchment paper round. Set aside.
Step 1: Make the Fudge Frosting
Combine the chopped chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla in a skillet. Sift the powdered sugar over the top to prevent lumps.
Heat over medium-low to medium, stirring constantly until smooth and glossy.
Pour into a shallow bowl, cover, and let it sit at room temperature while you make the cake.
Step 2: Make The cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.
Whisk in both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then pour in the hot coffee. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
Step 3: Assemble the Cake
Once the cake is completely cool, remove it from the pan and place it on your serving plate.
The fudge frosting should be thick but easy to spread. Generously cover the top and sides of the cake.
Tips For Success
- Use dark chocolate in the chocolate fudge frosting. The addition of powdered sugar gives it plenty of sweetness while keeping the flavor rich and decadent.
- Use a sifter for the powdered sugar in the frosting to have the silkiest, lump-free fudge frosting.
- Sift the cocoa powder into the dry ingredients to remove any clumps and achieve a smooth, even cake batter.
- Be careful not to over-bake the cake. It is done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- For extra fudginess, chill the frosting a bit before spreading it.
- If needed, use a serrated knife to level the cake before adding the frosting.
- This cake tastes best at room temperature, so avoid serving it cold.
FAQ
Yes, the hot coffee can be replaced with hot water. Coffee is used to bring out the chocolate’s flavor and adds extra moisture to this homemade cake.
Absolutely. Dissolve it in hot water and use the same amount called for in the recipe.
The chocolate fudge cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 – 2 days or refrigerated for up to one week.
The cake can also be frozen for up to two months.
Yes, you can bake the cake a day in advance and frost it the next day.
Mix 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
More Cake Recipes
- Devil’s Food Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Lemon Chiffon Cake
- Chocolate Tart
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Chocolate Muffins
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Fudge frosting
- 5.25 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (150g)
- ½ cup heavy cream, 116mL
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 76g
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, 60g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, 125g
- ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 48g
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 133g
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed (67g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk*, room temperature (120mL)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, 60mL
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot coffee, 60mL
Instructions
For the fudge frosting:
- Place the chopped dark chocolate, heavy cream, butter and vanilla in a skillet. Then sift the powdered sugar over the top (this helps eliminate lumps in the frosting). Place the pan over medium-low to medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter and chocolate have melted and you have a thin chocolate icing.
- Move the mixture to a wide and shallow bowl and cover. Let it set at room temperature while you bake the cake.
For the Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch round baking pan by greasing with butter or misting with non-stick spray and lining it with a parchment paper round. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Then whisk in the sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and then add the hot coffee. Whisk until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 22 – 27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack.
Assembling the cake:
- Remove the cake from the pan and place on your cake stand or serving plate.
- The fudge frosting should be a thick spreadable consistency. Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
