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}
How long do you bake is you are using two 9 inch pans?? Because I see 2 mentioned in the notes but I don’t see the time. I don’t have a 10 inch pan.
I made this last week and it was delicious. I made it for my birthday to take to work and made it into the shape of a building (I’m an architect). It went down really well.
Love the slider to work out the ingredients, I sent it for 24 servings! I used a tray to bake it flat which didn’t take as long to bake. I also found a chocolate butter cream icing for sticking the layers together.
Thanks you for this!
John
Terrific to hear John!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback – and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! – N x
Hi, this sounds amazing and so would like to try for a dinner party. My question… can you warm through before serving as a dessert with say ice cream? If so how long would you recommend warming (in a microwave?)? Thanks!
OMG Nagi, I made your delicious recipe last week for a party-and got compliments the whole night!!
Thank you so much dear for another fantastic recipe, you are the best!
Chitra x
Hi, absolutely gorgeous cake, just the best, so moist, it’s the only one I will make when I want a chocolate cake, thanks again 😘
I really want to make this amazing recipe. I need to make individual servings. Would this work in ramekins or cupcake tins?
It will be terrific in ramekins and cupcakes! Cupcakes will take about 25 minutes 🙂 N x
Hi can i use white chocolate in the ganache. The cake is Fab I made it several times already
Yes! The white would look amazing against the cake! 🙂
Hi Nagi, your recipe sounds great – is it suitable to make the cake ahead of time and freeze it?
Absolutely Jan! This freezes very well!
Hi slightly confused with what size cake tin to use. I previously made it all in one 24cm tin and it seemed fine. About to make again and noticed note 4 should I be using 2 cake tins?
HI Nagi wanting to make this tonight for my son’s birthday as it looks fantastic! Wondering as I dont have any cream, could i jut smother this in buttercream or would it possibly not suit ? Thankyou!!
Buttercream works great! I have a recipe on why site 🙂 Just search it! N xx
I love how this recipe is so forgiving! I don’t measure things very carefully in the kitchen—in my opinion this is best saved for lab work and I have plenty of those already :p And this cake simply looks delicious!
This recipe definitely is forgiving!! I’ve had to eye ball it a few times when I was camping 🙂 N x
Hello,
My son’s 3rd birthday is on Saturday and all he keeps saying is that he wants a “lots of chocolate on chocolate cake with donuts and ice cream on top” lol. Hey, at least he knows what he likes. I have a recipe I use generally for chocolate cakes that is awesome, however, I am looking for something a bit different and your recipe look phenomenal. I am looking to make a layer cake; with this cake being so moist, would this hold up well as a base?
Hi Kathryn! It will hold up well, it’s moist but it’s denser than most chocolate cakes so it can hold up to weight. 🙂 Happy birthday to your son!! N x
Hi Nagi , I would like to make this amazing recipe but I wanted to ask you if I can replace the coffee granules for American black coffee because I don’t like instant coffee thank you .
Hi Majida! Yes replace the hot water in the recipe with there American black coffee 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi or Majida,
Just wondering after reading the comments…noticed yours and would also like to replace with real coffee, I just don’t see hot water in the original recipe..? How much hot coffee would you add? Thanks!
Hi Kathy! I must’ve lost the plot, there is no water in this! Reduce the milk to 1 cup and use 1/4 cup of really REALLY strong coffee 🙂
Hello Nagi !
Good day!
this is just great recipe! I just made it now and the taste is amazing,my husband love it too much..tho i made some changes like the chocolate one, i used galaxy milk chocolate like 3pcs of 36gms and just added more of 3tbsp of cocoa powder..and as well ur ganache, i dont have whipping cream or even dark melting chocolate so i made my own topping and it just perfect with the cake recipe u have..
on the part that u said the part will crack badly? it really crack but i love the outcome coz it taste like cookies but very soft inside..my cake baked exactly for 1hr and 10mins.. (well i just followed how u made)
everyone will love this one for sure later ( its 2:44am here already,thats why) lol
Nagi Nagi Nagi 🙂 this is such a great read! I actually enjoyed reading of the recipe. Can’t wait to try it! Your instructions are so clear and simple.
Lovely recipe.
Well done! And thank you for your generosity.
You’re so welcome Lani! Hope you do get a chance to try it!
Made this today, cake was delicious but as I cannot buy thickened cream here the ganache didn’t work out! Slid off the cake…..🤪
Oh dear Jane! What did you use??
I used whipping cream 38% but it’s too thin (obviously from the outcome of the ganache!) We have a cream here called ‘madlavnings’ cream which has cornflour in it (I think) so might try that next time. Cake was delicious though!
whipping cream is thickened cream I think the proportions are off I believe it should only be half a cup of cream
Hi,
Could you please tell me if this recipe is suitable for milk chocolate.
I would like to make this cake tomorrow for friend’s birthday (he loves milk chocolate)
and your recipe appealed to me the most.
Cheers
Margaret
Hi Margaret! It’s find as long as it’s the chocolate for cooking, not normal eating chocolate 🙂 N x
I made it today with my two boys (2 & 4). So much fun! It’s cooling down now. We will taste it when daddy gets home. The boys can’t wait! Me…I’m all patience (not 🙂 ).
Thanks for the recipe!
Greetings form the Nederlands!
Ps. We put leftover chocolate in the middle of the cake. We first put one half of the mixture in. Than the leftover chocolate and than the rest of the mixture. I’m curious how this will turn out 😀
I have utterly failed at my chocolate cake baking attempts in the past. Would you recommend this yummy-sounding recipe or one of your other delightful postings?
HI Roxanne! Either this or the normal Chocolate Cake are both real easy! Have faith, you GOT THIS! 🙂 N x
Dear Nagi,
Can the ‘dark melting chocolate chips’ be substituted for something like Cadbury’s chocolate? Does it have to have a certain percentage of cocoa? Thanks
Hi Joseph! The problem with eating chocolate is that it doesn’t melt smoothly 🙂 Baking chocolate please!