A very chocolatey, moist Chocolate Fudge Cake that is similar to chocolate mud cake, but not as dense. Made with both melted chocolate and cocoa, AND topped with chocolate ganache, this one is sure to satisfying your chocolate cravings!
Super easy to make, very forgiving, no stand mixer or beater. Just one bowl and a wooden spoon!
Chocolate Fudge Cake
I may be disowned as an Australian for saying this, but I’m not the hugest fan of classic Chocolate Mud Cake. I find it too dense and doughy, and it gets stuck to the roof of my mouth. It’s very……erm…..mud-like.
Duh.
Creative writing isn’t my forte, is it?? Hey – I’m a food blogger. Not a writer! 😂
So this isn’t a classic Chocolate Mud Cake because it has a bit of lift in it, but it is still way fudgier and mud-cake like than 99% of other chocolate cakes, including my own everyday Chocolate Cake. Call it a Chocolate Fudge MUD CAKE if you want!! (Bit too much of a mouthful for me…. 🙂 )
Why I love this fudge cake so much
I know there are a LOT of chocolate cake recipes “out there”. But here’s why I love this Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake so much:
It’s intensely chocolatey – thanks to the use of both melted chocolate AND cocoa powder.
Beautifully moist and fudgy – hence the name!
Terrific flavour. It truly tastes of chocolate which, as odd as it sounds, is actually rarer than you might think.
You just need a wooden spoon. No stand mixer, no electric beater.
It’s virtually foolproof. I’ve cooked it on high for shorter periods of time, and low for longer. I’ve had to dash out of the house before it was fully cooked and left it in the oven (turned off) to finish cooking. And it always works out. Why? Because it’s so fudgey, it is actually hard to overcook so it becomes dry and it is not meant to rise very much so you don’t have to worry about that part either!
The Chocolate Ganache Frosting is crazy easy too. Cream + chocolate, melt, mix, cool. No beating!
Everyone goes mad over this. Chocolate on chocolate. Enough said!
How to make this fudgy moist cake
You would be forgiven for thinking you’re making a brownie when you start making this Chocolate Fudge Cake. Because that is in fact where the roots of this cake recipe is drawn from.
Did you know… The reason you see hot water in chocolate cake recipes is because it makes the cocoa “bloom”, making the cake taste more like chocolate!
↑↑↑ Crackage is normal! It’s kind of like that crinkly top of brownies – because this cake has lift in it from baking powder, it “bursts” through the crinkly top. But don’t worry, the cracks are less prominent once it cools (because it sinks a bit) and it’s completely hidden under Chocolate Ganache!
Difference between chocolate fudge cake and mud cake
I had someone on Instagram asking me what the difference is between Fudge Cake and Mud Cake so I thought I’d explain!! Chocolate mud cake is so dense that it cuts cleanly with perfect edges and virtually no crumbs.
In contrast, fudge cakes have more of a cake-like texture, like what you see in the close up of the slice at the top of this post.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
I’m of the opinion that if we’re going to make a Fudgy Chocolate Cake, let’s really drive home the decadence and chocolate flavour by frosting it with chocolate ganache.
If you’re new to Chocolate Ganche, you’re going to really love this. Rather than beating icing sugar and butter for ages and ages like we do with Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate Ganache is made simply with cream and chocolate that’s heated until the chocolate melts.
When hot, it’s a chocolate sauce you want to pour over everything.
When it cools, it has the consistency of peanut butter. Easy to spread and swirl on your cakes or cupcakes, and everything in between.
My everyday Chocolate Cake is beautifully moist and it’s the one I make most often.
But I figure we all need a blow out Chocolate Cake in our repertoire too. And this Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake is my blow-out Chocolate Cake recipe. It is rich. It is chocolatey. It is moist and fudgy. And I absolutely love it.
I hope you consider trying it! – Nagi x
Get your chocolate fix!
Everyday Chocolate Cake – try it decorated with Mirror Glaze!
Chocolate Cream Pie (outrageous!!!)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
- 125g / 4 oz dark chocolate chips (Note 1)
- 100g / 7 tbsp butter , salted (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar , caster / superfine best (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup oil (vegetable, canola)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (Note 3)
- 1 cup flour , plain / all purpose (Note 4)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup boiling hot water
- 1 tbsp coffee granules , optional (Note 5)
Ganache
- 1 cup heavy / thickened cream , 30%+ fat (Note 6)
- 250g / 8 oz dark chocolate chips (Note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150C/300F (standard) or 130C/265F (fan). Grease a 22 cm / 9″ springform cake pan and line with parchment / baking paper.
- Melt butter and chocolate: Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 3 x 30 seconds on high, mix in between, until melted. Mix.
- Oil, vanilla & Sugar: Add oil, vanilla and sugar, mix to combine (this brings down batter temp).
- Eggs: Add eggs and mix until combined.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift cocoa, baking powder and flour (and coffee, if using) directly into the bowl. Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Some small lumps is ok.
- Hot water: Add hot water. Mix until incorporated.
- Bake: Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out moist but clean. Check at 50 minutes. The surface will crack (sometimes badly!) but sill subside when it cools and gets covered with frosting so don’t stress!
- Cool: Remove sides from the cake pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Cool completely before carefully handling to remove base (Note 7).
Ganache (Note 8)
- Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 3 x 30 seconds, mixing in between, until chocolate melts. DO NOT let cream come to boil.
- Stir chocolate until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until thickened to a spreadable consistency like peanut butter.
- Spread over the cake – tops and sides. Use a teaspoon in a swirling motion to achieve the textured surface you see in the photos.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe published May 2016. Recipe slightly updated November 2018 with improved cake texture and a more streamlined process. New photos, new video, new words!
Let them eat cake! 10 classic cake recipes
LIFE OF DOZER
I shooed him outside thinking that brown smear on his head was 💩
Turns out it was ganache 😂 It was driving him crazy trying to figure out a way to get to it! {PS No I never give him chocolate! I have no idea how it got there}
Hi Nagi,
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and everyone loves it, so I’d like to use it for the next birthday cake.
However… This will have to be two layers, each one about 10 cm high and 15 cm wide. I know I’ll have to adjust baking time, I’ll also wrap the cake pan with a wet tea towel and possibly use a flower nail to get the heat all the way to the centre of the cake. I would also use two or three thick straws and a cardboard circle to support the top layer.
But before I even try any that, I really really want your opinion, pretty please?! Do you think the structure of this cake can stand all this??
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Hi Nagi
Your site has become my go to place for cooking – every single recipe I’ve tried has turned out great.
Can I add pieces of Fry’s Turkish delight to the cake batter? MIA 70th birthday cake 🙂
Hi B – not really, they will sink and affect the texture and cook time here sorry! N x
This turned out more like a mud cake than fudge cake… where did I go wrong?
Hi San, yes this cake has a fudgey texture like a mud cake – did your consistency resemble the pictures of the inside of the cake? N x
Hey
What cup size did you use for this recipe?
Hi Kimmy, I use a 250ml cup but if you click the “metric” toggle above the ingredients, everything will be listed in ml/grams (which is the same no matter where you are located) – N x
This was super easy and SO DELICIOUS! So unexpected considering I’ve only ever made dry, mediocre chocolate cakes.
I made it for my daughters 4th birthday and was disappointed we are currently in stage 4 lockdown (thanks Coronavirus!) so I couldn’t show off to anyone.
This actually got better after day 1 too. Can’t recommend more!
Amazing, my 8 year old daughter made this cake, by god it is so good!!!, hubby tried some and said it was better then you can get in a restaurant. Looking forward to making it again. Currently on day 3 it’s not in a tub just on a plate kept in microwave and it is still lovely and moist. Only downside it’s do s rummy I had 3 pieces yesterday. 👍🏻👍🏻
Woah that’s amazing Sarah! I don’t know how you managed to hold out 3 days 😂 N x
Amazing, my 8 year old daughter made this cake, by god it is so good!!!, hubby tried some and said it was better then you can get in a restaurant. Looking forward to making it again. Currently on day 3 it’s not in a tub just on a plate kept in microwave and it is still lovely and moist. Only downside it’s do s rummy I had 3 pieces yesterday. 👍🏻👍🏻
Hi Nagi, can you make this cake 2 days in advance?
Hi Lipi, if you do, I would freeze it, then thaw and frost the day of consumption – just to make sure it stays fresh 🙂 N x
Awesome recipe. I’m a sucker for a bit of caramel also so I split the batter into 2 tins and added a thick caramel sauce in the middle and covered the whole cake with the ganache.
Yum! I love this idea Kimberly! N x
This is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever tried, thanks for posting!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Erin! N x
This recipe makes fabulous cup cakes. I filled the cupcake liners to 1/3 and baked for about 35 mins, let them cool and piped the ganache on top with a maraschino cherry ! First time I’ve ever baked cake without a packet mix !
Thank you Nagi, you’ve literally changed my life. I’ve made 3 batches of Byron Bay cookies, roasted pumpkin soup twice, and 5 other recipes from your collection and it’s given me amazing confidence to finally spend some quality time in my kitchen. Thank you !!!
Woah, that’s great to hear Michelle, thanks so much for the awesome feedback! N x
Hi nagi,
I made this cake today but it rose to the brim of the cake pan and sunk in once it is fully baked. I want to try this again but please advice what went wrong. Please reply
Fantastic result! A must have for a special desert, thanks Nagi for yet another easy peasy recipe.
Hi! Can this be whipped after? 🙂
Hi Ma, sorry I don’t understand quite what you mean here! N x
I baked this cake last night and it came out moist and fudgy, like brownies. Is that how it’s meant to be? The skewer came our clean so I’m not sure if it’s raw or not. Thanks!
How long will the cake keep with frosting?
Hi May, up to 4 days – if it lasts that long! N x
Hi,
I’m obsessed with the song for this chocolate cake video.. could you tell me who sings it. I’m making the cake as well.
Sugar by Katrina Stone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBQemFCE99A
Could I use this exact recipe for cupcakes instead of a full cake?
Hi Aisha, I have heard this works well as cupcakes but I haven’t tried just yet sorry! N x
Hi Nagi! I love your recipes. Just wondering if anyone had the batter dripping out of the bottom of the springform tin? I had to quickly transfer the batter to a normal pan and then it worked fine. Looking forward to tasting it!
Hi. Can I use half cup curd in place of 2 eggs and follow the same procedure for this recipe?
Hi Resham, I haven’t tried to be honest! N x