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}
Hello!
Is it possible to make this recipe without the cocoa powder and just use more cooking chocolate?? Or leave it out? Thanks!
Hi Foxy – I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that, I’m not sure what the affect would be 🙂 Probably ok but I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
I currently have this cake in the oven. It’s has been cooking for 2 hours and the skewer is still not coming out clean. Top is nice and crunchy (have covered in foil to stop it burning) but the inside just won’t finish cooking! I used gluten free flour but this isn’t usually an issue.
Hi L – I’m sorry to say I don’t know the affect of GF flour on this recipe. I hope it worked out ok! N xx
Hi I made this tasty and yummy chocolate cake as per the recipe provided here. I must say that this is the best chocolate fudge cake I’ve ever made . Thank you very much for sharing such a good recipe with the others.
What wonderful feedback Indeewari, I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you! N xx
Definitely going to make this. But can I substitute espresso powder for the coffee granules? If so, the same amount? Or less.
Same amount is fine Brenda! 🙂 N x
can we substitute chocolate with coca powder?
I’m sorry Liaya it requires some chocolate in this recipe 🙂
You didn’t add the oil in the video noh what to do with the oil and when to add it
Step # 3 🙂 N x
I think I died and went to chocolate cake heaven! So tasty! I baked this cake today, ganache came out awesome too. We are a slice with some strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream to cut through the richness. Question – any ideas on what do with the leftover ganache? I had a bit too much, can I make truffles with it?
So fantastic to hear that Teresa, thanks for letting me know! And YES you can make truffles, it will harden in the fridge then you can roll into balls. Messy but totally worth it! N xx
Heat ganache and dip fres fruit into it for a chocoalte fondue!
Hi Nagi
I made this cake this morning. My very first attempt at cake-making.
Everything turned out right, except the ganache. Tastes superb but doesn’t set well. Is it because I used Emborg whipping cream with 35.1% fat instead of thickened or double cream. Can’t find them in my local bakery shop and high end grocery store. Or could it be the hot climate?
Hi Yvonne! With 35% fat it should be fine. How long was it in the fridge for?
Hi
Hi Nagi
I just made this cake this morning. My very first attempt at cake-making!
Everything went well, except for the ganache. Tastes superb but doesn’t set well. Is it because I used Emborg whipping cream with 35% fat instead of thickened or double cream? I couldn’t find them in our local bakery shop and high end supermarket.
Hi, I just tried the cake and it turned out awesome! i need to use it just for a couple more days though, do you think it will hold for two days in the fridge and still be tasty and fudge like?
thank you so much!!
Definitely! It stays moist for a few days, just make sure you keep in in an airtight container, if not 100% airtight use cling wrap as well i.e. place over the container then put the lid on, that helps make it more airtight. 🙂
Okay, Thank you!!
Hi Nagi. Thanks for another excellent recipe. We like the detailed recipes and lots of pics. Have made several versions of this dessert. We find that the chocolate flavour needs to be strong enough to overpower the taste of the oil. Using 50 mls of Sunflower oil recently.
Regards Phil. (UK)
YES you are bang on. Which is why most of the chocolate baking recipes I make using oil have both real chocolate and cocoa powder. I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Phil!
Hi, I’m looking for a chocolate cake to use as the bottom layer of a wedding cake – do you think this would work if I made 3x the recipe and did a 3 layer cake for the base? Would it be able to hold another 2 tiers of sponge cake? (With Dowels etc)
Thanks 🙂
Hi Katie! YES because it’s a bit denser than normal sponges! (With dowels 🙂 )
What does it mean by coffee granules? Instant??
Yep! 🙂
Hi Nagi, how should I change the recipe to cater to a smaller group of people?
Hi Anabel! Use the recipe scaler – hover over the servings – and adjust the recipe. Please don’t go below 1/2 a batch and you’ll need to adjust the cook time too 🙂
Alright thank you!
i really love all the easy recipetineats and my kids love baking with me just as much as they love eating them they love most of the cakes xxx
Ohhh I love hearing that your kids love baking with you! ❤️
Hi,
This may sound daft but does it have a dark chocolate taste to it as my partner doesn’t like dark chocolate? If so could I use milk cooking chocolate instead?
Cheers!
Hi Wade! Totally not daft at all 🙂 I don’t think it tastes like dark chocolate because there’s so many other things in the batter, the overall amount of dark chocolate is relatively small. So it kind of “thins it out” to just taste like chocolate, does that make sense? 🙂
Yes that makes perfect sense! I thought that would probably be the case but I just wanted to make sure otherwise I’d be eating the entire cake by myself (not that I would complain, it looks delicious!) . Thank you for your help and very prompt response, I shall let you know how it goes!
Can I use full cream in place of whipped cream for the ganache? Am in Nigeria
Hi Christina! Any cream is fine as long as there’s 35% or more fat in it 🙂 (Check the nutrition label if the product label doesn’t specifically say, or if it says “heavy” or “thickened” cream, that’s fine too)
What is COOKING CHOCOLATE for the cake recipe? I’m in the USA. Would you use unsweet, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for the cake?
Hi Anne! It’s chocolate from the baking aisle, not eating chocolate 🙂 I specify that as some people make the mistake of using eating chocolate. I’ll update the recipe to specify. American semi-sweet is perfect. N xx
Excuse me, what hermetic container advises me for the cake?
Greetings,
Carmen