Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake

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Our new go-to chocolate cake recipe, rich and moist Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake! Delicious, easy to make, and extra decadent. It’s the perfect cake for any chocolate lover. Picture a dense, but still fluffy, moist, chocolate cake with a rich and intense chocolate flavor! Though, the goodness doesn’t stop there…After baking, the cake is frosted with the easiest and most delicious chocolate fudge frosting. Every bite is intensely chocolate-y, ultra rich, and oh-so decadent! Truly the perfect dessert for any chocolate lover.

About The Recipe

Monday’s are for chocolate! We are so excited to finally be sharing this recipe with all of you. This is one of those recipes that gave us SO much trouble to get it just the way we wanted.

But, after lots of troubleshooting and re-writing the recipe, we finally arrived at the richest, fudgiest, and most decadent chocolate cake. I am honestly OBSESSED!

So, what makes this cake so darn good? Well, it’s all about the perfect blend of ingredients!

This was a real challenge for us to get right. We tried EVERYTHING to get this cake to come out just the way we wanted. We thought a thicker batter would result in a denser, fugdier cake…right?

Well, every cake we baked turned out SO light and fluffy. It was like eating a cloud! So, we tried baking a little less time. This one came out like a lava cake. We lowered the temp and added a bake-even strip. Still not right.

We went back to the recipe and started tweaking. We went from butter to oil, added more milk and some water to loosen the batter, adjusted our dry ingredients ratios.

Essentially, we changed the recipe COMPLETELY!

Thankfully, it paid off. This cake worked and came out beautifully.

Then, came the frosting. We originally thought about a ganache, but we felt that it may be too similar to our Ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe.

Our next thought was a chocolate buttercream. The only issue was that we wanted to keep the fudgy-theme for the frosting as well.

Which is where we got the idea to add melted chocolate to our buttercream. So, the frosting is technically DOUBLE chocolate, as it also has cocoa powder.

But, by adding the melted chocolate, it created a fudge-like texture and an intensely rich chocolate flavor. I honestly could just eat the frosting by the spoonful!

All together, it creates a cake that’s intensely chocolatey, rich, moist, and SO. DELICIOUS. Honestly, this is going to be our new go-to chocolate cake recipe!

What is a Fudge Cake?

So, what exactly IS a fudge cake? Well, imagine if a mud cake and a brownie got combined to create the best-ever chocolate cake. The texture is rich, moist, and fudgy. Which is why it is typically only one layer, as it is very rich.

Reasons You Will Love This Chocolate Fudge Cake

• SUPER easy to make.
• Perfect for any chocolate lover.
• Can be made ANY time of year.
• Oh-so impressive and delicious!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• 8×3 Inch Cake Pan
• Cake Tester
• Hand Mixer
• Offset Spatula

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour – We opted to use all-purpose flour rather than cake flour for this recipe to keep things as simple as possible. Though, don’t worry! The cake has almost no structural difference and is truly melt-in-your-mouth tender.
• Natural Process Cocoa Powder – Be sure that you are using a natural process cocoa powder and not dutch cocoa o hot chocolate mix!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
• Baking Powder – Leavening is essential in baking! This provides the perfect rise in the cake to give is a light, tender, and delicious texture.
• Baking Soda – For this recipe, we add a dash of baking soda to ensure the rise of this cake, as it does have an acidic ingredient!
• Salt – Cuts the sweetness and helps enhance the flavor.
• Bittersweet Chocolate – This is what adds a rich chocolate-y flavor to the cake.
• Large Eggs – Remember to set our your eggs ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature before mixing.
• Vegetable Oil – Makes this cake extra moist and oh-so tender.
• Whole Milk – Using whole milk in a cake does SO MUCH! From creating a lighter, stronger crumb, to activating the leavening, and even making the cake itself a little richer.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds a depth of flavor to this cake.
• Water – Creates a richer chocolate flavor while also creating a smoother and thinner batter.

For The Frosting:

• Salted Butter – Remember to set the butter out ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar – For the smoothest buttercream, sift your powdered sugar!
• Cocoa Powder – Adds just the right amount of chocolate flavor while also naturally making this icing a chocolate brown color.
• Whole Milk – A splash of milk loosens the frosting to make it spreadable, but also keeps it light and fluffy.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds flavor to the frosting.
• Melted Chocolate – Not only does this add flavor to the frosting, but adding the melted chocolate makes an ultra rich and fudge-like frosting.

How To Make Chocolate Fudge Cake

Step 1: Prepare batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Place bittersweet chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and water.

Mix in melted chocolate.

Add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth.

Step 2: Bake

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Step 3: Make frosting

In a medium bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa together.

Add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

Mix in melted chocolate.

Spread on top of cooled cake.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

Decorating Ideas

I think one of my favorite things about this fudge cake is how much fun it is to decorate! It’s so simple and always effortlessly gorgeous. Here are a few ways you can decorate this cake!

• Pipe or spread frosting on top of cake!
• Add chocolate curls, chocolate sprinkles, or even fresh berries on top.
• Pipe a message with a vanilla buttercream. Feel free to color it!
• Edible flowers would add a pretty pop of color.
• Top with chopped nuts.

How To Store

Once this cake is made, it can be kept in a covered container and stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. It can also be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week!

This cake can also be frozen, if desired. Place sliced cake in a freezer safe zip-top bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.

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Expert Tips

• Be careful to not over-mix the cake batter! If it’s mixed too much, the cake may become tough and not rise properly.
• If you’re unsure the cake is baked after the time listed below, you can use a cake tester or tooth pick. If it comes clean, the cake is baked through!
• Let the cake cool COMPLETELY before frosting it.
• Make sure the butter and milk are room temperature before mixing the frosting.
• Remember to sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar!
• If frosting is too thick, you can add a little more milk.
• You can divide this cake into 2 layers. If you do, double the frosting for middle filled and top covered. Triple the frosting if you want to frost the whole cake.

When you make this Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake, leave a comment down below and/or give this recipe a rating! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

– Still Hungry? –

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