Chocolate fudge cake is always ALWAYS a winner, right? Serve it simply as an understated slice of moist and decadent chocolate cake, with a beautiful fudgy chocolate icing. Or warmed up and gooey with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. My ultimate chocolate fudge cake is perfect for all times and all seasons.
Get your chocolate fix
Are you absolutely obsessed with chocolate too? I could literally drink the stuff like others drink coffee or water. And, let it be known, I am not fussy about which chocolate: white, milk or dark, they all get my vote!
Finding a chocolate cake, for me, that is moist and rich and remains this way after a day or two has been quite the journey! I am really fussy when it comes to my cakes, and so many let me down for being too dry or not chocolatey enough. And when it comes to a fudge icing for the chocolate cake, I love the smooth silkiness of a true chocolate fudge frosting. And let me tell you friends, this is it!
Why I love this fudge cake so much
- No unusual ingredients: using ingredients you are likely to have in your home makes this chocolate fudge cake recipe even better with its simplicity!
- Easy to make: this recipe is so so simple and yields perfect results every single time. Don’t believe me? Bake it for yourself and find out!
- Moist cake: using cocoa powder in bakes can often result in drier bakes. Not with my recipe, this one will give you perfectly moist fudgy chocolate cake results every time.
- Less is more: I actually make less icing for this chocolate fudge cake than a lot of other chocolate fudge cake recipes do. I find too much frosting can be overkill, detracting from the cake itself, so I have adapted my recipe to suit my preferences. If you like more frosting than me, feel free to double the amount of icing you make and use on your cake!
What are the ingredients chocolate fudge cake?
- Flour: I use plain/all purpose flour to make this moist chocolate cake. I prefer adding raising agents separately, as I do with salt, so I can control the rise of each of my bakes.
- Caster sugar: for sweetness in this easy chocolate fudge cake.
- Cocoa powder: gives a rich chocolate flavour to the choc fudge cake.
- Bicarbonate of soda & baking powder: the raising agents used in this beautiful bake.
- Salt: enhances the flavour of the bake, but it will not be so much that you taste it in the cake.
- Eggs: gives structure and stability to the moist chocolate fudge cake as it bakes.
- Buttermilk: I make my buttermilk using equal quantities of greek yogurt and whole milk for a wonderfully thick and creamy buttermilk. However, you could just as easily use milk curdled with a little lemon juice instead if you do not have yogurt to hand when making this chocolate cake.
- Oil: I use vegetable oil in this recipe to help keep the bake super moist and tender.
- Vanilla: gives a subtle additional flavour to the bake, complementing the chocolate flavour beautifully.
- Dark chocolate: gives a deep and rich chocolate flavour in the chocolate fudge filling for cake.
- Double cream: used when making the ganache to fill and cover this delicious cake.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt in the fudge frosting.
- Icing sugar: used to sweeten the silky smooth icing on this cake.
- Espresso: adding coffee to chocolate bakes and creations enhances the flavour of the chocolate. This one is an optional ingredient, but I would highly recommend using it for much improved flavour!
What equipment do I need to make this chocolate cake recipe?
- Cake tins*: to bake the cakes in. I use four tins to make this cake rather than one and cutting in four. This helps ensure each layer of the choc cake bakes up evenly all through.
- Parchment/baking paper: to line the tins before baking the delicious sponge cakes in them.
- Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
- Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
- Mixing bowl*: to mix all the ingredients together to make the cake.
- Sieve*: to sift the dry ingredients before mixing in for the moist chocolate sponge cake.
- Jug*: I use a jug to mix together my wet ingredients separately before adding them in with the dry ingredients.
- Handheld electric mixer*: a useful tool to make life easier in the kitchen! You can make this whole recipe entirely by hand. But it will be quite the workout for your arm!
- Spatula*: to scrape down the bowl with as ingredients are added, ensuring everything mixes together thoroughly when making this chocolate fudge cake.
- Saucepan*: used to make the heavenly icing for the cake. Seriously, I could eat the icing, on its own, with a spoon!
- Offset spatula*: I use this to level off each of the layers of icing as I assemble my cake. This tool makes this job so much easier than a regular spatula or knife due to the angle of it.
How to make easy chocolate fudge cake
First you will make the chocolate sponge cakes. Then, once the cakes are cool, they are filled and covered with the most gloriously decadent chocolate fudge filling and icing. For me, this perfectly understated and totally irresistible cake requires no decoration to make it any better!
For the cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Grease and line four 8″ cake tins, then set these aside whilst making the cake.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Give it a quick whisk, then set this bowl aside.
Step 3: Separately (I like to use a large jug, but another bowl will be perfect too), mix together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until totally combined.
Step 4: Tip the wet mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat it all together. The mixture will be quite thick. This is perfect, just make sure it is all really thoroughly mixed at this stage.
Step 5: In the same jug, mix the espresso powder (if using) with the boiling water. With the mixer running on a low setting, drizzle the boiling liquid in and mix it all in until the cake mixture is silky smooth and shiny.
Step 6: Divide the mixture between the four tins and bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until the cakes have shrunk from the sides slightly and are springy to touch. A wooden skewer inserted into the cakes will come out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs. Leave to cool for five minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate fudge icing
Step 1: To make the fudge frosting, put all the icing ingredients into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until the butter and chocolate have melted. Once it is combined and smooth, take the mixture off the heat and leave to cool.
Step 2: Once the cakes and icing are completely cool, use some of the chocolate fudge filling for cake layers together. Use the remaining chocolate fudge icing to cover the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy!
How do I line my cake tins?
Place the cake tin on some parchment paper and trace around the base of the tin. Cut out this shape (four times, for four cake layers) and set aside. Brush inside the base of the cake tin with a little oil. Place the cut out circle of parchment paper on the oiled base and use the brush to flatten and ease it into the corners. Brush a little more oil over the parchment circle and up the sides of the cake tin. The tins are now ready to be used.
How can I tell when my cakes are baked?
You will know when the cakes are done as they will be firm to touch and will have shrunk away from the sides of the pan slightly. Additionally, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cake will come out clean or with just a few crumbs.
How long does this chocolate fudge cake last? And how do I store the cake?
This fudge cake is best eaten within two days of being made because of the fresh cream used in making the ganache. It can be stored at cool room temperature, but if it is especially warm I would recommend storing it in the fridge.
If you do store the chocolate fudge cake in the fridge, leave the cake out for about 20-30 minutes before serving. This chocolate cake is best enjoyed at room temperature.
How to freeze cake
If you wish to make this cake ahead of time and freeze it, this is not a problem. For best results in the final cake, I would not recommend freezing the assembled chocolate sponge cake, but the individual cake layers instead. Then, when you are ready, you can defrost the layers, make the rich chocolate fudge ganache, and decorate the cake.
To freeze the cake layers, first make sure they are completely cool. Wrap each layer of cake tightly and securely in cling film, then a layer of tin foil and another tight layer of cling film. You do not want any moisture getting to the cakes, or they will turn out a soggy mess or risk freezer burn, hence thoroughness. Freeze the cakes on a flat surface until frozen before stacking in the freezer.
How to defrost your frozen cake layers
When you are ready to defrost and decorate the best chocolate fudge cake ever (!), simply remove the layers from the freezer and unwrap them. Place each cake in a single layer on a cooling rack, brushing off any remaining ice crystals, and leave to come to room temperature. The cakes are ready to be decorated once defrosted.
Expert baking tips for chocolate fudge cake
- Use ingredients at room temperature when making this recipe for chocolate fudge cake. The reason for this is simple: ingredients all at room temperature will combine better and make for a better bake!
- To make buttermilk, I like to use equal quantities of whole milk and a thick yogurt, such as Greek yogurt. You can also make buttermilk by adding 2-3 tsp of lemon juice to some milk and leaving it to sit for about 15 minutes.
- The coffee is an optional extra in this bake. Coffee enhances the flavour of chocolate, so in this moist chocolate fudge cake recipe it gives a much richer and deeper a flavour. Who can say no to even more chocolatey loveliness!
- The cake mixture is really thin and runny before baking. This is perfect, it will bake up to wonderful moist cakes in the oven, no need to worry!
- I would recommend making the ganache while the cakes are baking. This is to allow the ganache time to cool down and firm up before you use it to decorate the cake. The ganache can be left to cool and firm up at room temperature, but if you are in a hurry, you could pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
- You can, of course, make more of this chocolate fudge filling for cake if you prefer. I like a lesser amount of icing on my cakes, but if you prefer a more generous amount, go for it!
- If you prefer a lighter icing, do use a mix of milk chocolate in with the dark chocolate. Be warned though: using milk chocolate will result in a softer icing compared to using all dark chocolate.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this easy recipe for chocolate fudge cake, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe for a chocolate fudge cake, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!
Other cake cupcake recipes to try
Not much can follow on from this super easy chocolate fudge cake recipe, but here are a few suggestions!
Chocolate fudge cupcakes: These cupcakes are delicious light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with the most INCREDIBLE chocolate fudge icing and sprinkled with more chocolate to finish. Truly, a chocolate lover’s dream cupcake!
Chocolate orange cake: Three layers of moist orange and chocolate cake are filled and covered with a smooth dark chocolate orange ganache. Decorated with dehydrated orange slices for a simple and sophisticated look, this is one cake that is sure to impress!
Chocolate strawberry cheesecake: A deep cookies and cream crust, a silky smooth chocolate cheesecake filling and a hidden strawberry middle. I like to make them as mini no bake chocolate cheesecakes, but this could easily be made as one larger no bake chocolate cheesecake too!
Thanks for joining me today, my friends. Hope you enjoy this gorgeous super moist chocolate fudge cake recipe, and happy baking! x
Recommended equipment I used *
| Cake tins | Digital kitchen scales |
| Measuring spoons | Mixing bowl |
| Sieve | Jug |
| Handheld electric mixer | Spatula |
| Saucepan | Offset spatula |
Chocolate Fudge Cake
16
servings30
minutes25
minutes653
kcal55
minutesMy ultimate chocolate fudge cake recipe will satisfy even the most die-hard chocoholic!
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the cake
480 g (3 cups) plain flour
460 g (2 ¼ cups) caster sugar
140 g (1 ¼ cups) cocoa powder
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
4 large eggs
360 ml (1 ½ cups) buttermilk
120 ml (½ cup) oil (I use vegetable)
2 tsp vanilla extract
360 ml (1 ½ cup) boiling water + 2 tsp espresso (optional)
- For the chocolate fudge icing
390 g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) dark chocolate (see notes)
300 ml (1 ¼ cups) double cream
200 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
160 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) icing sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
0.25 tsp salt
Directions
- For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Grease and line four 8″ cake tins, then set these aside whilst making the cake.
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Give it a quick whisk, then set this bowl aside.
- Separately (I like to use a large jug, but another bowl will be perfect too), mix together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until totally combined.
- Tip the wet mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat it all together. The mixture will be quite thick. This is perfect, just make sure it is all really thoroughly mixed at this stage.
- In the same jug, mix the espresso powder (if using) with the boiling water. With the mixer running on a low setting, drizzle the boiling liquid in and mix it all in until the cake mixture is silky smooth and shiny.
- Divide the mixture between the four tins and bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until the cakes have shrunk from the sides slightly and are springy to touch. A wooden skewer inserted into the cakes will come out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs. Leave to cool for five minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the chocolate fudge icing
- To make the fudge frosting, put all the icing ingredients into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until the butter and chocolate have melted. Once it is combined and smooth, take the mixture off the heat and leave to cool.
- Once the cakes and icing are completely cool, use some of the chocolate fudge filling for cake layers together. Use the remaining chocolate fudge icing to cover the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Use ingredients at room temperature when making this recipe for chocolate fudge cake. The reason for this is simple: ingredients all at room temperature will combine better and make for a better bake!
- To make buttermilk, I like to use equal quantities of whole milk and a thick yogurt, such as Greek yogurt. You can also make buttermilk by adding 2-3 tsp of lemon juice to some milk and leaving it to sit for about 15 minutes.
- The coffee is an optional extra in this bake. Coffee enhances the flavour of chocolate, so in this moist chocolate fudge cake recipe it gives a much richer and deeper a flavour. Who can say no to even more chocolatey loveliness!
- The cake mixture is really thin and runny before baking. This is perfect, it will bake up to wonderful moist cakes in the oven, no need to worry!
- I would recommend making the ganache while the cakes are baking. This is to allow the ganache time to cool down and firm up before you use it to decorate the cake. The ganache can be left to cool and firm up at room temperature, but if you are in a hurry, you could pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
- You can, of course, make more of this chocolate fudge filling for cake if you prefer. I like a lesser amount of icing on my cakes, but if you prefer a more generous amount, go for it!
- If you prefer a lighter icing, do use a mix of milk chocolate in with the dark chocolate. Be warned though: using milk chocolate will result in a softer icing compared to using all dark chocolate.
Wow, this is the most wonderful chocolate fudge cake, so moist and rich, yet so easy to make – just love it!!!
Thank you so much Louise, I’m so glad you’ve made and enjoyed it! 💕
Absolutely loved this recipe. Perfect fudge cake. It was a rich, dense, delicious and flavourful cake. Made this for a party and everyone loved it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe😊❤️❤️❤️
Hi Anusha, I’m so glad you and everyone at the party enjoyed it! 😊 Thank you for such a wonderful review 🥰
Amazing cake!
I used a slightly smaller tin, so I was able to get 2 sandwich cake out of it!
It was a hit at home and at work!
I am so happy I found your blog and your insta ❤️❤️❤️
Love that you got two smaller cakes out of it and it was a hit all ’round! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and commenting too! 💕
Hey hi ..the recipe looks lovely ..may I know what size fake tins have to be used
Hi Afsha! I use four 8″ cake tins to make this cake. Please let me know how it turns out for you! 😊
Effortless recipe! my cake turn dense, moist, the top is shiny (I always store the cake in an airtight container to keep it moist) it taste so chocolaty but fancyyyyy. i lovee this recipe so much! after trying some recipe this is the one i looking for.. everything is balance here. Thank you Andrea for sharing this💕
Love this so much, I’m so utterly delighted you’ve enjoyed my cake so much! Thank YOU for trying and sharing your results! 💕
Se ve delicioso. Felicidades. Eres asombrosa.
Muchas gracias 😊
Hi! Did you use dutch or natural cocoa powder? Thanks!
Hi! I used natural cocoa powder 😊
I’ve always feared making chocolate fudge cake for years and have avoided it completely but not any more. When I tried this recipe, I never turned back. The cakes are so rich and fudgy. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. #From kenya.
you mentioned double cream for the frosting. I live in Canada, so out cream is either, half and half, table cream or whipping cream. Not sure which of these would be considered double cream?
Half and half is half milk and half cream, table cream is pouring cream (so would not whip to stiff peaks if you tried!). Whipping cream (or heavy cream if you find it) would be your best options. Hope you enjoy the cake! 😊
What kind of coffee did you use? The recipe states espresso rather than instant so I’m assuming that’s different? Thanks.
I used instant espresso powder, but you could absolutely use regular instant coffee too if you don’t have espresso.
Hi what dark chocolate do you use for this recipe? Thank you
I like to use 65-70% dark chocolate in this, but it totally does depend on your tastes for how dark you want your icing to be! If you prefer it a little lighter, you could mix some milk chocolate in instead of using just dark chocolate. Hope that helps!
Hello Andrea, I would like to make your chocolate fudge cake for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. I have a question for you: on the video you pour the cake batter into 2 – 8 inch baking pans. How come you have 4 layers of cake at the end? Thank you for your help!!!
Hi Natalia, I baked my cakes in two pans, and sliced each cake in half once baked to get my four layers. You absolutely don’t need to do this, I just like the layers! Hope this helps, and happy birthday to your husband tomorrow! 😊
Thank you so much for responding so quickly to my question!!!! I actually just baked it and didn’t slice the layers in half yet so I was thinking what to do with them and I saw your response. Thank you so much! I unfortunately used regular expresso coffee instead of instant… oups! I hope it’s still going to be “okay”….I will let you know how my cake turned out. Thanks so much for your recipe and your response!
It’s the little bit of coffee that enhances the chocolate flavour, so it will all be good I’m sure! Please do share the final results, and even share on instagram if you wish! 😊
Made this for my mum’s birthday and she said it was the best chocolate cake she’d ever had! I made it with three layers instead of four and it still worked beautifully with the same ingredient quantities 🙂
Hi Lara, I’m so glad you and your mum enjoyed this cake! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a rating and review 🙂
Hi I’ve made this before and absolutely loved it. I need to make again but I’m using a 9×13 inch pan do I need to up the ingredients to 2 9inch pans. Thank you in advance
Hi Lesley, to make this as a 9×13 inch cake, I would make 2.25 times the mixture to split for the cake layers. Hope this helps, please let me know how it turns out for you!
Hello, what is the depth of the 8” cake tins you’re using? I have 3” (7cm) deep tins in 8l diameter. Would I need 2 or 4 of this depth? Thanks x
Hello! My tin is 4″ deep and I have sandwich tins too. If you use the deep ones, you could try baking as two cakes, then splitting each cake to get four layers. Keep an eye on how full your tins are though, as this cake rises a lot when baking! Hope that helps! 🙂
This looks so amazing! I can’t wait to make this 🥰 thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes. I just wondered how long this will last if was to make it in advance of Christmas Day? ☺️ Xx
Hi Sam, thank you so much, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes! This cake should keep for 3-4 days stored at cool room temperature or in the fridge, but bring to room temp before serving. Great idea making it ahead of Christmas Day. What a fabulous dessert it will be too! Happy Christmas to you and yours! 😊
I did the cake it s amazing it s the best chocolate cake i ever made. Iwant to ask you if it s possible to use the same recipe for a white vanilla cake?
hello, I made this cake it was amazing this is the best ever chocolate cake. I want to ask you if you tried this recipe in white vanilla version.
hi, I usually use self raising flour (uk), should I drop the baking powder and salt?
Hi does the chocolate fudge melt when heated
Oh yes! Into a wonderful gooey saucey deliciousness that is totally irresistible!! 😋
Andrea’s recipe’s have done it again – knocked my expectations out of the park. This chocolate fudge cake is absolutely divine. Think dense and ultra chocolately, meets soft and fluffy. The ultimate combination, everything I wanted from a chocolate fudge cake! I made it over the weekend and everyone was thrilled – even the usual vanilla cake lovers came to the dark side with this chocolate cake, what a hit! Thank you for this recipe, one for the books for sure!
Hi Natalie, I am completely and utterly delighted you and yours enjoyed my recipe so much! Thank you for leaving such a fantastic review too! ❤️
Love this recipe! Just like the choc fudge cake Pizza Express used to do and everyone loved! I halved the whole recipe for a ‘standard’ sized British birthday cake and used two 8” tins and it was perfect! I’ll definitely be making this again 🙂 and it was equally good cold or warm with some cream!
hi. so am making the cake as I am typing. on you instructions they say to heat the oven to 320 and to bake for 20 25 minutes I did that and ilas I was putting it in the oven thinking myself. That is not gonna be enough time for these cakes but I’ll do that and when the time went off. I go to check on the cakes. They’re definitely not ready because they’re still rocking like they’re raw inside. So I’m emailing to find out. Is that a typo in your instructions? Cause I hope it is because you’re gonna have a lot of people upset with messed up cakes. So it is a type of what is the correct temperature to bake the cake at for twenty to twenty five minutes?
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry to hear your cakes are still underbaked after the time on the recipe. Can I check you divided the mixture into four to bake as four individual layers? This way it definitely works, I’ve made this cake several times myself, as have many others, all with great success. To answer your question: it is definitely 320F/160C for 20-25 minutes, baking the mixture between four tins to make four layers of cake. Hope that helps!