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A moist chocolate fudge cake sponge, topped & filled with THE BEST chocolate frosting you will ever make!

So let me introduce to you the only chocolate fudge cake recipe that you are ever going to need. I realise saying that this contains the BEST chocolate frosting ever is quite a statement, but I honestly think it is – its so delicious! I also realised after my Facebook requests post that I hadn’t actually posted my go-to chocolate cake recipe!

This recipe is what I’d make a bruce cake out of to make a Matilda cake, it’s the cake I would use when I am craving chocolate, it’s the recipe I would use if you want something epic and indulgent – it is epic. 

A classic bake

When I posted my recipe for my Victoria sponge – celebration cake I knew you all loved the classics, so I hope this suits well too! However, this cake is so much more indulgent. You can easily make a chocolate version of my Victoria sponge, but this is definitely more dense, and more chocolatey. It’s basically heaven in a bite.

This is the sort of cake that you want to have a slice, and then shove it all in your face. Yes its gooey, and has many more ingredients then you think it probably should have, but it is WORTH IT. Honestly, worth it. It also does seem a little faffy, but again.. its worth it!

Layering it up with the best frosting on the planet, and you will want to devour every single crumb. Because of how it bakes however, it can often take a long time in the oven, and even sometimes less. It’s all down to the mixing!

The cake mix

This recipe will sound like a lot of ingredients, but it’s worth it. Melt the chocolate and butter, and then mix everything into one big bowl… you don’t need a mixer for this bit. 

  • Chocolate – when making this, you want to use dark chocolate in the mixture for best results. I always use 70%+
  • Butter – unsalted butter, or baking spread, will work for the sponges 
  • Coffee – this is mentioned below, but trust me… 
  • Flour – I use plain flour, as your raising agents come elsewhere so you don’t need self raising flour. It’ll make the sponge too delicate 
  • Cocoa – I like my cake super chocolatey, so I add this in as well as the chocolate 
  • Raising agents – baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda for this beauty of a cake 
  • Sugar – a mixture of brown sugar and caster sugar is wonderful – all of one, or all of the other works perfectly though 
  • Eggs – I use medium eggs in my baking, but 3 large would work instead of 4 medium 
  • Buttermilk – this is an important ingredient – you can make your own though with 1tsp of lemon juice mixed into 75ml milk 

Coffee

Chocolate cake is one of those classics that you don’t want to mess with, but sometimes they can be terrible, or not chocolatey enough, or just not moist enough. I have seen over the past few months that people use coffee or instant coffee in a chocolate cake of forms to make the cake more moist and chocolatey – so I tried this!

I personally cannot taste the coffee, and neither could my family – however, If you don’t like coffee, or never buy it then no worries – you can use just water, but the depth of flavour might not be the same!! Please please PLEASE trust in using the coffee though – I really am sure that you will love it! It just makes it basically the best sponge ever!!!

The BEST EVER frosting

The magical ingredient in the chocolate frosting is the evaporated milk – I discovered this after trawling through the internet for hours on end and found a couple of mentions that it might be better – and holy smokes it was.

  • Butter – for this frosting, you MUST use a block butter. You do not want to use any form of spread 
  • Sugar – icing sugar, as always
  • Cocoa – a nice rich cocoa powder is best, I use a 100% cocoa powder 
  • Vanilla – a little bit of vanilla, as always again 
  • Evaporated milk – this is so important. Condensed milk is not a substitute, if you can’t get evaporated milk, add double cream whipped in really well, but it’s still not quite the same 

Tips & tricks 

I do NOT use an electric mixer for this cake recipe, because it will most likely over do it. I just do each bit by hand, and then fold it all together to get a thick fudge cake that bakes to perfection. However, a mixer is good for the frosting side of things! 

It is very soft, so it can be difficult if you want to spread the cake in buttercream, so I find its easier just to make layers. If you do want to cover it, you’ll need to refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to firm it slightly first, and it’ll be easier

Chocolate Fudge Cake with the BEST Chocolate Frosting Ever!

A moist chocolate fudge cake sponge, topped & filled with THE BEST chocolate frosting you will ever make!
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Category: Cake
Type: Chocolate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cooling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 14 Slices
Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 225 g dark chocolate
  • 225 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 125 ml boiling water
  • 175 g plain flour
  • 25 g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200 g white/golden caster sugar
  • 200 g light brown sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 75 ml buttermilk

Chocolate Frosting

  • 250 g unsalted butter (not stork)
  • 500 g icing sugar
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100-125 ml evaporated milk

Decorations

  • Sprinkles
  • Anything!

Instructions

For the Cake!

  • Preheat the oven to 160ºc/140ºc fan and grease & line two 8″/20cm cake tins – leave to the side.
  • In a heatproof bowl, microwave the dark chocolate & butter until melted
  • Pour the coffee granules into the boiling water and mix – add the coffee to the chocolate/butter mix and stir well until smooth!
  • In a separate large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugars and mix well so the ingredients are all mixed with each other well
  • Mix the eggs with the buttermilk – and then add all the ingredients together and stir
  • Pour the mixture into the two tins and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes (can take a little longer in some ovens)
  • Once baked leave to cool in the tin and remove afterwards

For the Frosting!

  • With an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until its very smooth and supple (couple of minutes)
  • Gradually add the icing sugar & cocoa powder alternatively with the evaporated milk until all is incorporated and add the vanilla essence – beat for a couple of minutes so its extra smooth & creamy.
  • The more evaporated milk you add the more runny it’ll be, and I have found about 100ml-125ml is perfect for me! If it's a little hotter weather however, you may find you need less!

For the Decoration!

  • Decorate your cake how you like and ENJOY! I spread half my buttercream on the first cake, add the second sponge and repeat!
  • And then I sprinkle on all sorts of sprinkles!

Notes

ENJOY!

Find my other Cake Recipes on my Recipes Page!

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J x

© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.

607 Comments

  1. Zoe Thorley on March 21, 2021 at 8:44 pm

    Hi, would it be possible to pipe this butter cream? to have the same effect as some of your other cakes such as the mini egg chocolate one.

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 22, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      It can do, see my chocolate fudge cupcakes, but it won’t withstand much weight of another sponge on top so may not work brilliantly x



    • Fran on March 26, 2022 at 5:59 am

      Hi Jane. If using large eggs ,how many would I need please? Absolutely love your bakes, they’ve always turned out beautifully 😍 many thanks!



    • Jane's Patisserie on March 30, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      Hiya! 3 large eggs will be fine, enjoy! x



  2. Mairéad Traynor on March 21, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    Can I use coffee from my coffee machine instead of granules?

  3. Kiran on March 15, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    I really want to bake a bigger version of this cake. Can I double the recipe? I want to use the cake and buttercream then a chocolate drip.
    I really want a fudgey chocolate cake for a 40th cake
    Please help! Thank you

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 17, 2021 at 2:41 pm

      You can double and bake into four tins for a taller cake – but the frosting is quite soft and may not stand up well for a drip cake x



  4. Dorothy Marshall on March 14, 2021 at 11:46 am

    Made this in 8″ cake tins, didn’t even use the full amount of ingredients I used 3/4 mixture. The cake was everywhere in the oven. I need to buy deeper tins.
    I’ll have another go with new deeper cake tins.

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 14, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      That sounds like you used sandwich tins which you be too thin!



  5. Naima Hussain on March 11, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    Hi Jane. Always follow your recipes and they come out amazing everyone. If I wanted to split this into 3 8″ layers do u think this would..I guess with thinner layers? I don’t want to alter the recipie in any way I’m too scared! And with the decoration you advise that the butter cream is too limp and would would hold a choco drip either??

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 12, 2021 at 8:32 am

      It would work, but yes they would be thinner! But no, this frosting is too soft for a good drip cake in my opinion!



  6. Una on March 9, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    Could I double this recipe to make a multi tiered cake and then chill a lot to put buttercream on the outside for a drip cake style ?

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 10, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      I wouldn’t say this frosting is the best because its very soft so wont give a strong finish for a normal drip cake!



  7. Joanne on March 6, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and 100% you cannot taste the coffee (as I don’t like coffee) Can I just ask, how do you know how much milk to add if you alter the amounts? Is I 1 tbsp for every 100g of ingredients?

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 6, 2021 at 7:03 pm

      Do you mean for the frosting? Yes that should work! And so glad you like it!



  8. Lisa on March 6, 2021 at 10:38 am

    5 stars
    This cake was an absolute hit! You cannot taste the coffee at all my next cake will be the mini egg one for my lovely work friends in the nhs that have worked very hard for the last year thank you for sharing all these fab recipes 😘😘 I’ve already used a good few cheese cake recipes your fudge recipes and cookies all were fab xx

  9. Ellie on March 5, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Jane,

    I have one 20cm (small) tin and a 22cm tin, how would you recommend going about this?

    Thank you x

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 15, 2021 at 12:26 pm

      Hello! What is the depth of the 20cm tin!x



  10. Ellie on March 4, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Hi Jane!
    I just wondered what the toppings are on this cake? The white chocolate balls look yummy! I am planning on making this cake for my boyfriends birthday next week.
    Thank you 🙂

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 6, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      They were actually giant chocoball sprinkles! Any actual chocolate works well though!



  11. Katie Eyre on March 2, 2021 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jane! I’ve made this recipe before and love it. How could I alter it to make it for 3 6 inch cake tins? Thanks!!! Xx

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 3, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      I would use the recipe as it is but split between the 3 6″ tins! x



  12. heather on March 1, 2021 at 11:26 am

    How much buttercream does this make? Is there plenty for the middle and the top?

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 1, 2021 at 10:05 pm

      Yep it makes plenty! What you see in the photo is all the frosting used x



  13. Ly on February 26, 2021 at 9:53 pm

    I’m a Brit in America. We don’t have golden caster sugar. Any advice on what to substitute it with? Still haven’t managed to make the milkybar cheesecake as no decent white chocolate here 😞

    • Jane's Patisserie on February 27, 2021 at 9:13 am

      You can use regular caster, or light brown soft in place! And that sucks!!! xx



  14. Nicki on February 21, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    This was hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Absolutely delicious with the gorgeous icing. It took 1 hr 15 in my oven, but I think that says more about my oven than anything else! I managed to get the icing to stick around the outside and decorated it with chocolate fingers and loads of different treats on top – perfect for my daughter’s birthday. Thanks!

  15. Anjali on February 16, 2021 at 11:39 am

    Hi Jane, your cakes are amazing! I made this for my dad’s birthday and it was a real hit! I want to make it for my son’s birthday, but as a two tier cake using 2x 8’’ tins and 2x 6’’ tins, would that work? Thank you so much 🙂 x

    • Jane's Patisserie on February 16, 2021 at 8:19 pm

      So as the cake is much softer than a normal sponge you would need to dowel the cake and use a cake board in between the layers! For the 6″ sponges it would be about 2/3 of the recipe (but I am unsure of timings!) x



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