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}
I tried this recipe for my daughter’s 13th birthday, she is a chocolate lover. I baked in two separate pans for a layered cake. I didn’t have time to make the ganache, so I melted with butter and chocolate, mixed and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, which turned into a soft chocolate cream to spread on top and middle. My family loved it!
I wanted to thank you, Nagi, because your recipes and site content are excellent. The love you put into it really shows!
How do I store this cake? I notice the ganache gets hard when kept in the fridge, and its too hot right now to keep at room temperature.
Hi Ann, keep it in the fridge and bring to room temp before serving 🙂 N x
Not sure what happened with the topping. I used 35% fat heavy cream and cooking chocolate, yet it wouldn’t set. I left it in the fridge for 2 days just to see what happens and it’s still like a thick runny sauce ? 3 x 30 in microwave and perfectly blended.. The sponge was fine and moist.
Hi Rachel, sorry you had issues here, it definitely should have set if you used the ration of 250ml cream to 250g chocolate! N x
The measures are not changing when I click on metric – would like the cup measures metric pls
Hi Shirley, they are changing for me. What browser are you using to view the recipe? N x
Thanks – they changed in chrome!
Hi,
Great recipe! I was wondering if you can make the batter in advance and refrigerate it, or alternatively re-heat it post-decoration? I am making it for guests and would love to serve it hot, though I am unable to make it whilst they are here. Thanks for your help.
Hi Emilia, you need to bake the mixture once you’ve activated the raising agent. You can’t really heat this one up after decorating it as the ganache will melt. Give this one a go – https://promotown.info/flourless-chocolate-cake/%3C/a%3E you can reheat this before serving and a big blob of thickened or double cream on the side will be perfect! N x
Hi Nagi! I’m thinking of slicing the cake into two layers in order to have a layer of ganache in between them (if that’s possible), so do you think the amount of ganache in this recipe be enough for that, or should I make a bit more? Excited to it! 😁
Hi Caroline, I’d increase the amount of ganache by another half just to make sure! N x
Made the cake this past weekend and it was lovely! Totally satisfied my chocolate craving! Thanks for this simple, yet delicious recipe, Nagi!
Hi, another awesome recipe, thank you! I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze this cake (undecorated)?
Sure can Qasim! N x
I made your sponge with strawberry and it was a hit. it was for my husbands birthday and I baked this cake first in my life. Thank you so much. I will try to make this as well, just for fun.
Hi Nagi, I tried it! Using a 9 inch springform pan, it rises about 2 inches higher and when cooled shrunk down to initial batter height. It was super super delicious, moist, dense but not in a bad way, sweetness was just right too. Oh and you don’t really need the chocolate ganache because on it’s own, it is already a star! Thank you again for this easy super yummy recipe 🙂
This cake is FAHHH BU LOUS!
Made it for Father’s Day and it definitely finished off our dinner on a very fine note. I do have another ganache recipe (from my previous Favourite chocolate cake .. .from a 1980 women’s day magazine … where you boil the whipping cream and melt the chocolate in it, then you leave it in the fridge until it is chilled and then you whip it up. It’s a bit lighter but very delicious!
Hi Nagi, Your chocolate cake looks divine. I want to make it for my Son, but he is gluten free. Can I substitute 1-1 with a GF flour blend. Also, have you used Lakanto Monk fruit in place of the sugar, also 1 to 1. Thank you in advance for your response!
Hi Jackie, I haven’t tried to be honest! Would love to know if it works (I also have a flourless chocolate cake that might be better suited for you – https://promotown.info/flourless-chocolate-cake/%3C/a%3E%29 N x
Hi Nagi, another awesome recipe, thank you! I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze this cake (undecorated)?
Thank you so much, Nagi, for this amazing recipe! My hubby is Very particular about his chocolate and this was a Father’s Day success! What is the best way to store this cake?
Hi Candice, I store mine at room temp but you can also store in the fridge. N x
Hii, how many pounds it is when fudge cake is finally ready ( without ganache)???
Also can I frost it with Buttercream? And With this quantity of cake how many cups of buttercream will I need?
Hi Amna, I’m not entirely sure to be honest, I’ve never weighed the final cake! You can definitely use buttercream – you’ll need one serve of my buttercream frosting recipe. N x
This cake is the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need. It is THAT good! I baked this for my husbands birthday celebration (during isolation) and it brought so much chocolate happiness that we ate it all in one sitting (with cream and ice cream on the side)! Yum!
I love you Nagi and Dozer!!!!🥰
You 2 always make me laugh!!!
The best medicine!!
I noticed in the recipe for easy chocolate cake that you listed 1 cup of flour weight as 150 grams. I believe that weight is inaccurate. According to King Arthur Company, one cup of unbleached all purpose flour weighs 120 grams. I weigh flour, sugar etc when I bake. Using 150 grams /cup of flour will affect the outcome. Please check recipe.
Thank you.
Easy and awesome recipe. I have made it 3 times and always a winner. Thinking of making cupcakes with this recipe. I just love baking that you dont need to bring out the mixer😊
Hi Linda, 1 cup equals 150g here – if you’re ever unsure – use the weight I have listed as it’s accurate. N x
Thank you for your reply.
I added the exact measurements and followed the exact steps and my cake was cooked from the top and sooo wet in the middle I thought it was cooked and took it out tipped it over on a cooling rack and it all came crumbling out! I added 1 cup boiling water like the recipe said.guess it was too moist. So disappointed!
Always poke in middle to check if cooked. Mine took 1hour 15 to bake.
You may have needed to keep it in the oven longer. Mine was in for around an hour and 20 and was perfect. You need to check in the middle before taking it out.
Hi Nimra, sorry you had issues here – sounds like you’ve miss measured along the way – this cake has been tested many MANY times and the ingredients are all correct. N x
Hi, instead of using the microwave could I use the stove top?
I did this instead of a microwave and it came out perfectly. (I put a heat proof bowl over simmering water on the stove and melted).
I reduced the sugar to 190gms since Im not too fond of very sweet cakes, But this has led to the cake drying out a bit. How do I adjust the water/oil quanitities to fix this? Will yogurt help? if so, how much?
Hi Monique, sorry I haven’t tried adjusting the recipe as it will change everything (I think it’s perfect as is 🙂 )