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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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}
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!
Can this recipe be put into cupcake cases instead to make cupcakes? Thanks
Sure can! Check at 20 minutes, think it will take closer to 25 🙂
Thank you Nagi! Have to make them for graduation and I am sure they will go down a treat🤗
would this cake work for a dome shaped pan?
First time baking made it this awesome masterpiece for all the other backpackers and evreyone loved it!!!! Thanks heeps 🙂
Could you warm this up in the microwave? my nephew loves hot choc fudge cake with ice cream.
ooh yes you certainly can! Without icing though 🙂
This is the best chocolate cake ever- I’ve made it about 6 times now and it comes out perfect every time. My friends took some home and even used the crumbs to add to ice cream so it all got eaten. Thanks so much for posting the recipe. Louise
So great to hear Louise!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
thanks for letting know, i had just decided to make it today and freeze no matter what! I will let you know if my group likes it next week..
thanks for all your recipes..I turn to yours the most….also for my dose of Dozer..:)
from Lee in Canada, will be using your recipes this season at my fishing lodge!
You’re so welcome Lee! 🙂 N xx
hi there! I am planing on making this cake for a birthday coming up and actually wondering if I can freeze it? or with the icing it is not suggested? I live in the middle of no where with whiping cream at the moment but it won’t make it till next week!
this cake looks delish!
Yes! This freezes great even WITH the icing! N xx
The recipe sounds great! Instead of using coffee crystals would half a cup of coffee work?
Hi Verna! Unfortunately for this one it needs to be powder because there’s no water in the recipe. Sorry! N xx
Why do you keep saying there’s no water when it calls for a cup of boiling water? Even the pictures show adding water. I’m confused.
Hi Ms. Nagi. I made this today for my sons recognition day and it turned out well . He loves it! Thank you so much.
Fantastic! So glad he enjoyed this Richel, and congratulations to him! N x
Thank you so much for this recipe Ms Nagi. My family and colleagues loved it too! Will be serving my first chocolate fudge cake order on Mother’s day. Thanks a lot!!!! 😉
Hi Ms Nagi! Can I opt out the coffee granules for this cake? would it still taste good?
Absolutely! 🙂 N x
I just want to say that I stupidly used a 23 cm cake pan without realising I should’ve used two. My cake is now threatening to swell outside the pan. I feel only shame, but if this does turn out ok, I’ll send pictures of the feat.
10/10 for instructions by the way (if I had taken the time to read them properly!) and really easy and nice cake to make otherwise.
I’ve done the same thing with the one tin…! Step 1 does refer to “a” tin, although I ee the notes say that 2 can be used, so I’m confused now…
Cake has been in for 1.5hrs now with little sign of a clear skewer, so I fear this may have gone horribly wrong… 😪
Ohhhhhh!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed there wasn’t a chocolate fudge cake explosion! 😩
Turned out reasonably well – had to cut it in half once it cooled down, to put a bit of icing inside, as well as put a bit of light sugar syrup in for good measure.
https://i.imgur.com/P3NTDlG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9YMolAS.jpg
(https://i.imgur.com/iJ97yAH.jpg
HI, I made this cake a few weeks ago and will be making it again tomorrow. Last time I actually subbed 1 cup of pumpkin puree for 1 cup of sugar and forgot to add some stevia to sweeten it up. None the less it was AMAZING! I also only had half a block of cooking choc so subbed in a bit more cocoa and actually made a chocolate buttercream frosting and everyone thought it was fantastic. I loved the not too sweet cake but a heavy sweet frosting, it balanced out perfectly. Using the pumpkin made it come out a bit more like a mud cake but it really is a foolproof recipe. It’s now become my go to chocolate cake 🙂 thanks so much
That’s so great to hear Emily ! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
Hi Nagi,
I really love the recepie as it sounds quite simple and doable. I will definitely give it a try for an office bake off day this week. I had a quick question, I know that usually cakes become very moist if we add water in the batter. However this one doesn’t require water. Will the end result be very moist? Thanks,
Lavi
Hi Lavi! I can assure you that this cake is VERY moist 🙂 Adding water into batter doesn’t actually add moistness, it’s things like oil and buttermilk that help with that 🙂 N xx
If I use 2 9″pans, how long do I bake it?
Around 30 minutes, I think. Check at 25 minutes 🙂
The icing was too hard for the chocolate fudge cake. I used dark chocolate instead of choc chips. How many slabs of chocolate should I use? The only choc I can find comes in 100g slabs. Please help.
Hi Erica – the icing should be very soft and creamy, as shown in the video!!! Use 2.5 slabs of 100g slabs as that = 250g of chocolate for the icing as required by the recipe 🙂
Hi there!! It’s my boyfriend birthday tomorrow and I’m going to use this recipe, however his while family will be trying it to! Could I double up on the recipe then make a double layered cake or would it be too rich?
Hi Dane! I think that will be a bit too rich! 🙂
Hi there…
Just want to say all the recipes of yours I have tried have been great!
Quick question about this cake… can I use a bundt cake pan instead?
I have made the Pumpkin cake as a bundt cake and it came out perfect.
Also, is there a big difference between reg butter vs unsalted?
Thank you for all the great food ideas!
Hi CC! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes! Bundt pan for this will be great 🙂 Regular butter is fine, it has salt in it but this recipe will be fine with a touch of salt. So that’s the difference – regular butter for bread has salt in it whereas unsalted does not and is usually used for cooking so you can control the amount of salt in a recipe. 🙂 N xx
Heey Nagi, i cook all your recipees and they always turn out good. Im a very picky person myself and tried this recipee along with your regular chocolate cake and they both turned out a bit dry in my opinion. The flavour was awesome but not very moist, any idea why ? I follow the recipee exactly and even weigh up all ingredients on a scale.
Hi!!! In all honesty no one has ever said that about this recipe! If both were a bit dry, I suspect your oven may be a bit strong? Start checking with skewer from 10 minutes before the stated baking time 🙂 N x
Yes im honestly not sure, i made the lemon blueberry cake which took 15 min longer than you suggested and the pumpkin one which was in the oven for almost 50 min before the toothpick came out clean ! Both turned out fabulous. I will re try the chocolate cake in a week or so and let you know if it turns out better, it does get pricey to get all that organic dark chocolate and such so will have to wait a little, thanks for getting back to me ! Your recipees rock, you should really do a montage of different pie fillings because i just love the way you direct recipees it makes it so easy !
Hi Nagi, this looks delicious and I’m looking forward to making it for a family birthday I have this week. Just wondering if it is best made on the day, or if it can be made the day before??
Thanks!
Hi Trish you can absolutely make it the day before! 🙂 N x