Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
A decadent Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe boasts a rich cocoa flavor and a moist, tender crumb, all crowned with a luscious chocolate fudge frosting.
Chocolate fudge cake recipe
Unlike my Basic Chocolate Cake, this isn’t just any ordinary cake.
As a chocolate lover’s dream come true, this easy chocolate fudge cake promises a wonderfully moist and fluffy crumb with a luxurious fudge frosting.
If you love moist chocolate cakes, you might also love to try my delightful Walnut Chocolate Cake which has a creamy ganache frosting!
What makes this decadent chocolate cake fudgy and moist is the addition of oil and brown sugar.
In contrast to butter, oil remains in a liquid state at room temperature, which makes it an ideal choice for achieving a moist and tender cake crumb.
Which is why I love it in my One Bowl Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.
What is a chocolate fudge cake?
A chocolate fudge cake is a rich, dense cake that is notably moist and packed with chocolate flavor. It typically features a high ratio of chocolate and fudgy consistency, often complemented with a chocolate ganache or similar creamy frosting.
Ingredients to make chocolate fudge cake
A comprehensive recipe card featuring all the ingredients can be found at the end of this post.
How to make chocolate fudge cake
There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step one: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, both sugars and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Step two: In a separate large mixing bowl, sift in cocoa powder and whisk through the coffee powder.
Step three: Pour in the boiling water and whisk until the cocoa dissolves.
Let it cool for 10 minutes. If it’s still warm, wait 5 more minutes. This prevents eggs from curdling when added.
Step four: Pour in the olive oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk for 40 seconds until well combined.
Step five: Add half of the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Add remaining flour and beat until incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be thin.
Step six: Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Cool in the tin for 10 mins then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Step seven: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Pour in melted butter and boiling water. Whisk until well combined and smooth, it will turn thick.
Step eight: Let it rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken to a spreadable consistency.
Spoon it onto the cooled cake and using a rubber spatula or butter knife, spread it out evenly, adding a few swirls if desired.
Let the cake sit for 10-15 minutes. The frosting will retain its softness while gradually developing a slightly firmer texture over time.
💭 Expert Tips
- Measure your baking ingredients accurately: to achieve the best results. Check out my helpful guide on how to measure basic ingredients.
- Room temperature eggs: Using room temperature eggs prevents curdling when adding them to the warm cocoa mixture. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes before use.
- Sifting: For the cake batter and frosting, sift the cocoa and powdered sugar. Sifting removes lumps commonly found in these two ingredients. This will give you a smoother cake crumb and frosting.
- How to check the cake is baked: Test the cake’s doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake is ready.
- Let the frosting rest for just 5 minutes: After preparation, before spreading it onto the cake. This short resting period allows the frosting to thicken slightly, making it a breeze to spread smoothly and evenly.
- Patience is Key: Allow the cake to cool completely before applying the fudge frosting. This will prevent the frosting from melting and running off the cake.
What’s the difference between chocolate cake and chocolate fudge cake?
The key differences between a regular chocolate cake and a chocolate fudge cake lie in texture and chocolate intensity. Regular chocolate cake is light and airy with a moderate chocolate flavor, ideal for various toppings. In contrast, chocolate fudge cake is denser, richer, and features a deep chocolate taste, often accompanied by a thick fudgy frosting.
How to store chocolate fudge cake
Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. For longer storage, refrigerate, although the ganache will harden.
Freezing: Freeze the completely cooled chocolate ganache cake by wrapping it tightly or storing in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature before serving for optimal flavor and texture.
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour, scooped & leveled
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup golden granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, how to pack
- 1/2 tsp fine salt, or Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
- 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fudge Frosting
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder, or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp boiling water
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF) fan-forced. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside. NOTE: Alternatively, if you have a non-stick pan, liberally grease it with melted butter and dust it with a light layer of cocoa powder. This will leave your finished cake with smooth sides.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, both sugars and salt. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, sift in cocoa powder.
- Whisk through coffee powder.
- Pour in boiling water and whisk until cocoa dissolves. Let it cool for 10 minutes. If it's still warm, wait 5 more minutes. This prevents eggs from curdling when added.
- Pour in olive oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk for 40 seconds until well combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Add remaining flour and beat until incorporated, ensuring not to over-mix, just until no streaks of flour remain. Batter will be thin.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Fudge Frosting
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder.
- Pour in melted butter and boiling water. Whisk until well combined and smooth, it will turn thick.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken to a spreadable consistency.
- Spoon it onto the cooled cake and using a rubber spatula or butter knife, spread it out evenly, adding a few swirls if desired.
- Let the cake sit for 10-15 minutes. The frosting will retain its softness while gradually developing a slightly firmer texture over time.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Room temperature eggs: Using room temperature eggs prevents curdling when adding them to the warm cocoa mixture. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes before use.
- Let the frosting rest for just 5 minutes: After preparation, before spreading it onto the cake. This short resting period allows the frosting to thicken slightly, making it a breeze to spread smoothly and evenly.
- Store: Once cooled and frosted, store your cake in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 2-3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator after a few days, for a further 1-2 days, if needed to keep it fresh from humid temperatures.
- Freeze the cake by cooling it completely after baking and omitting the fudge frosting. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and tinfoil, label with the date and store for up to 3 months in the freezer. Please refer to above blog post for detailed storing and freezing instructions.
- Thaw the frozen cake by choosing either refrigerator thawing (slow, several hours) or room temperature thawing (quick, a few hours).
Made this for my daughter’s birthday this year. Very easy to put together with kitchen staples (which I appreciate). It was chocolatey, great crumb, delicious and the perfect size for our little birthday gathering. Thank you.
Hi Maria, thank you for sharing your feedback! It’s wonderful to hear that the recipe was a success for your daughter’s birthday and that you found it straightforward to make with ingredients you had on hand. I’m delighted it was the perfect addition to your celebration! Kindest, Sam 🙂