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Home Sweet

Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake

By:Nagi
Published:23 Nov '18Updated:21 Sep '21
941 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake being cut

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…. 🙂 )

Close up of slice of Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake, ready to be eaten

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!

How to make easy Chocolate Fudge Cake

↑↑↑ 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.

How to make Chocolate Ganache

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!

  • Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart

  • Everyday Chocolate Cake – try it decorated with Mirror Glaze!

  • Chocolate Mousse

  • Chocolate Cream Pie (outrageous!!!)

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  • Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • Chocolate Brownies and Outrageous Nutella Brownies

Overhead photo of Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake with Chocolate Ganache frosting

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Close up of Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake

Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Cake
Western
4.98 from 200 votes
Servings12 - 16
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 1088
Recipe video above. This cake is rich, very chocolatey and super moist! It's based on a brownie / mud cake recipe - but with a bit of extra rise so it's not as dense and gooey. This recipe is easy and it's virtually foolproof - it is VERY forgiving! It's not very tall because it's so rich and it's a single layer 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:

1. Chocolate - use any dark or semi-sweet chocolate for best results - flavour, texture, colour. I use chips or melts for everyday purposes, but for company I use good quality block chocolate and chop it myself into fine little pieces (see Chocolate Ganache recipe for directions).
Milk chocolate and white chocolate will not set firmly enough because they are softer chocolates. Follow the Chocolate Ganache recipe to make milk or white chocolate ganache for this cake. 
Don't use eating chocolate - it doesn't melt properly and is too thick for batter.
2. Sugar - Normal white / granulated sugar works ok too. Even brown sugar works
3. Cocoa - Ordinary, unsweetened cocoa powder is what I usually use. To give it an even deeper chocolate flavour, use good quality Dutch processed cocoa powder.
4. Self raising flour can be substituted in place of plain flour + baking powder.
5. Coffee - a touch of coffee brings out the chocolate flavour but doesn't make the cake taste like coffee. Because I don't use coffee granules for day to day purposes, I usually do not have it on hand so I don't use it most of the time. The other option is to use a hot cup of coffee in place of the water - same quantity (1 cup / 250 ml).
6. Cream - you must use cream with 30%+ fat in order for the ganache to set. Heavy / thickened cream is ideal. Low fat will not work. Some pouring creams (ie not whippable) are lower fat and also will not work.
7. Handling: Because the cake is so fudgy, it's delicate so handle gently. The cake is more delicate when warm (as all cakes are) so don't try to remove the base until it's completely cool. If you don't have a springform pan, just cool the cake in the pan.
8. Ganache -  pourable when warm, thickens to a spreadable consistency when cooled (which is what you want to frost this cake) and when refrigerated for a few hours, hardens to a chocolate truffle consistency. If you leave it in the fridge for slightly too long i.e. too hard to spread, just microwave for 10 seconds to soften then mix.
9. Different Measures in Different Countries: Measuring cups and teaspoons differ slightly between America, Canada and most of the rest of the world. For most recipes, the difference is not enough to affect the outcome. However, for baking recipes it can mean the difference between success and an epic fail.
Every baking recipe on my site is cooked using each Imperial and US measurements, and this one is no exception. It works as written regardless of what country you are in (except Japan, see note below). As noted in post, it is  actually quite forgiving because it's so moist and fudgey. 
Japan: If you are in Japan, please ensure you weigh the flour, sugar etc. Do not use Japanese measuring cups, they are too small.
10. Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake Nutrition per slice assuming this serves 12. This is a VERY big slice!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 473cal (24%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 18g (113%)Cholesterol: 72mg (24%)Sodium: 53mg (2%)Potassium: 318mg (9%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 31g (34%)Vitamin A: 540IU (11%)Vitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 136mg (14%)Iron: 1.3mg (7%)
Keywords: Chocolate Fudge Cake
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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!

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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}

Dozer golden retriever dog chocolate ganache on head

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941 Comments

  1. CARLA says

    August 16, 2023 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Nagi, Please HELP! I would like to make your recipe for EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE for Will’s 21 Birthday cake will be held in Geelong next week-end. I wish to make a large square three layered cake in a 27..5cm square tin which I have. Please let me know how much batter/how many times the quantity for each tin – (which I will make 3 separate times) to assemble with Choc frosting & ganache & would like to finish with Mirror Glaze. Look forward to your reply Dear Nagi!

    Reply
  2. Rochelle says

    August 12, 2023 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you, Nagi. This is my new favourite chocolate cake recipe. This cake has made me a fan of chocolate cake again!

    Reply
  3. Jay says

    August 9, 2023 at 3:53 am

    Hey Nagi, I am so glad I came across your Chocolate Fudge cake recipe, but I do have a question. I am making a cake for my friends birthday and she loves fudgy brownie textures and tastes. In fact, I make a chocolate crinkle cookie for xmas each year and she thinks it’s the best cookie. Anyhow, looking at all the chocolate cake recipes online, they appear to produce a lighter crumb which I know she wouldn’t like, so I then came across yours, which looks perfect. The question is that when I bake, I always use weights for dry measures as I know scooping has too much variability. For the sugar, you have 1.25 cups or 275g. However, my sugar nutrition label would equate to 250 gram for 1.25 cup. Likewise, for the flour you list 1 cup or 150g, yet my flour bag shows 1 cup equaling 120g. So, why the variation and which gram measurement should I use? Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Debbie W. says

    July 31, 2023 at 5:43 am

    5 stars
    Nagi,
    You are right. What an easy and delicious cake! I made it for my friend’s 85th birthday and we celebrated at church. It was a huge hit and I will be bringing the recipe for friends next week.

    Reply
  5. Ariane says

    July 20, 2023 at 8:33 pm

    I am not a huge fan of chocolate cake recipes with oil. No matter how little there is and how neutral the oil is, I can taste it. In terms of swaps, how much butter should you use please? Would about 100g of butter, melted, work the same?

    Reply
  6. Lindsey Teller says

    July 17, 2023 at 11:20 am

    5 stars
    Does anyone know if this has to be refrigerated after baking and icing or can it sit on the counter? I tripled the recipe to make a layer cake with a chocolate buttercream in between and I used the ganache to frost the exterior. It turned out so good! Warning, this is a super super rich cake.

    Reply
    • Susan Rooney MA GGCP says

      August 8, 2023 at 8:14 am

      Thanks so much Lindsey for the comment about making it a layer cake. That is what I was hoping to do and I don’t see any info about it.

      Reply
  7. Rebecca says

    July 8, 2023 at 11:27 am

    We finished off the cake and my daughter said, “You HAVE to make that cake again…NOW”. Thinking of trying it in a 20cm tin to make the cake a little higher, as it was quite thin. ALthough with this level of richness, maybe it was just right. Agree with comments re ganache – so much left over

    Reply
  8. Bronwen K says

    June 18, 2023 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    I made this cake for hubby’s birthday and it was delicious. Very moist, full of flavour and easy to make. Everyone loved it so it will definitely become part of my go to cake favourites. Thank you! ❤️

    Reply
  9. Vicki says

    May 28, 2023 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    I made this cake for a dinner with friends and everyone raved about. Quick & easy to make & perfectly chocolatey. I was a bit concerned I’d undercooked it but it was pretty much perfect. It did come out a bit flat. I might try it in a slightly smaller tin next time to give it a bit more height.

    Reply
  10. Judith Henry says

    April 19, 2023 at 8:32 am

    Can you freeze this cake once iced please.

    Reply
  11. Limmy says

    April 12, 2023 at 8:55 pm

    I make and remake this awesome cake. We love it, Thanks, Nagi, for all the great recipes and detail.

    Reply
  12. Lee-Anne McMurray says

    March 25, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    NAGI NB: next time you stay in a hotel grab some coffee sachets to add the coffee granules.
    I loved this cake.
    Amazing flavour and texture.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 1, 2023 at 12:39 pm

      #genius!

      Reply
  13. Kate says

    March 25, 2023 at 10:50 am

    5 stars
    This is the best cake I have made in forever and I bake quite a lot. Was slightly concerned when it came out of the oven as it was cracked and seemed a bit hard on top, so definitely needs icing to hide that. But it was delicious and so easy to make.

    Reply
  14. Nikki Wilkinson says

    March 14, 2023 at 5:29 am

    5 stars
    amazing. my new go to choc cake recipe

    Reply
  15. Talar says

    March 12, 2023 at 1:08 am

    I am not great at baking but after baking this cake I think I am a fabulous baker haha
    Delicious 😋 quick and easy.
    Another favourite 😍
    Thank you Nagi 😊 💓

    Reply
  16. CV says

    March 5, 2023 at 9:25 am

    Okay so I have made it twice, first time I used baking powder that was passed it’s used by date and the cake turned iut flat and dense similar to a flourless choclate cake. It was still delish. 2nd time was great but i think you only need half or a little over half of the ganache as it was too sweet and overpiwering when i used most of the ganache on the 2nd cake.

    Reply
  17. Carol Vo says

    February 23, 2023 at 11:12 am

    Sorry if i missed it but how do we store the cake if we want to make it in advance and how long can we store it for. Living in Melbourne 23.02.2023. Thank you in advance

    Reply
    • Monica says

      April 20, 2023 at 8:02 pm

      I’d like to know this too! Can it be made ahead of time?

      Reply
  18. Limmy says

    February 2, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    5 stars
    This cake is the chocoholic’s dream come true, We baked it as written and it’s perfection. Thank you Nagi for all the wonderful recipes and the precise instructions. So glad I found your website.

    Reply
  19. deb says

    January 14, 2023 at 9:42 pm

    Hello! Sounds a fab recipe and I know it’s going to be a hit! Just a quickie question – can the cake be frozen (without ganache of course….) has anyone tried to freeze it? thanks in advance xx

    Reply
    • Ruchi R says

      July 22, 2023 at 4:03 am

      I made it last time no used a loaf pan , after it cooled completely I wrapped it in press n seal wrap twice n then in foil and froze it . Thawed it on counter (wrapped )when I needed and it was perfect . No condemnation or any other issue .

      Reply
    • Jessica Jo says

      March 29, 2023 at 8:41 pm

      I would say yes, it would freeze quite well.

      Reply
  20. Debbie Mangeri says

    January 13, 2023 at 10:37 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, I made your recipe for my grandson’s birthday. My family went wild over it. It was so moist and flavorful. The ganache was a perfect addition. This is a new family favorite. Thank you

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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