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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. Charlotte on June 9, 2020 at 6:18 am

    Oh this cake looks amazing!!

    My mum wants me to make a mini cake for my brother’s birthday…can I use half the quantity to make a mini cake? What would be the baking time? (sorry if I sound crazy ….awkward smilie face)

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 9, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      Hey! Half should make a 6″ cake I think, and the baking time would decrease by maybe a 1/3? I’m not 100% sure however as I don’t often bake 6″ cakes!



  2. Emily on June 7, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    Made this yesterday for my sisters 30th birthday… Everyone commented on how delish it was and I’ve now been appointed as the official family birthday cake maker 😂… Sooo good!

    • Vicki on June 8, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Jane, loving the recipes as a newbie baker! Surprising myself with how good the cakes are coming out (I am know for my bad cooking!). Can I just ask two questions: how do you get the colour of the buttercream in the pictures? Mine is much darker and I prefer the look of the more fudge colour you have achieved. Also, does adding less evaporated milk make the buttercream less ‘wet’ or should I keep the 100ml and add slightly more icing sugar? When cutting the cake, it does tumble as it’s very soft (no complaints) but if I put in the fridge as suggested would this stop this?



    • Jane's Patisserie on June 8, 2020 at 7:32 pm

      Hey! So my photos are obviously in good lighting, and edited slightly to make them look good, so the colour is probably not exact! But, I do actually use 100% cocoa/cacao powder which is a solid brown, slightly dark colour. It may be that the colour of your cocoa powder is slightly darker than mine?! And yes – as long as you are using real butter (not a spread), you just need to add a bit less evaporated milk to have it firmer! And yes, the fridge will firm it up nicely! xx



  3. SC on June 7, 2020 at 12:46 pm

    Hi Jane , how deep are your 8inch cake tins? Thanks!

  4. Jarred on June 6, 2020 at 11:13 am

    Hey, would you mind telling what coco powder you use? I’ve currently got the Dr.Oetker dark coco powder, however I was just wondering what one you use. Thanks

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 6, 2020 at 11:59 am

      I tend to use Cacao Barry – it’s 100% cocoa/cacao (I buy a large 1kg bag as I go through it so quick!)



    • Jarred on June 6, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Ahh thank you! Would you mind linking me it to amazon maybe, there are so many to choose room I just want to make sure it’s the correct one. Thanks again



    • Jane's Patisserie on June 6, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      It’s called Cacao Barry Extra Brute Amber Cocoa powder! x



    • Jarred Evans on June 7, 2020 at 10:29 am

      Thank you:), i’m going to attempt this recipe soon x



  5. Amy on June 4, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    Can you use slightly salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 4, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      You can – however that will make it taste slightly salty. And it needs to be block butter for the buttercream!



  6. SC on June 2, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    Hey Jane! Can I make this recipe using a 6×4 inch round cake tin? I suspect I will have batter left over but I was hoping to cut the cake in half and it’s quite a deep tin. Thanks!

  7. Tash on June 2, 2020 at 11:36 am

    Is the evaporated milk supposed to be cold?

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 2, 2020 at 11:39 am

      No it doesn’t have to be – I just use it straight from the tin!



  8. SC on June 1, 2020 at 10:27 pm

    Hey Jane! I’m Hoping to make this however only have 1 6 inch round and 4 inch deep cake tin. I suspect I may have some batter left over however would I be able to to cut the cake in half if I use this tin? Thanks!

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 2, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      Yes, I would use probably about 2/3 of the mixture in the tin – and bake for quite a long time!



  9. jess on June 1, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    Hi! Can you tell me how I would do this in x2 6 inch tins please? Thanks in advance ☺

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 2, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      The cakes aren’t too deep, so you could bake the entire mix into two 6″ tins, and bake for a longer time! Or, you can reduce the recipe by about a 1/3, but as this has quite a few ingredients it may be easier just to make the full batch (and maybe have a few cupcakes with leftover mix)



  10. Maryam on June 1, 2020 at 3:05 pm

    Hi,
    Can I bake it in one 8” cake tin and then cut into two?I dont have spare 8” cake tin.
    Thanks in advance

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 1, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      Hey! You can, although I haven’t baked this into one tin in a while – it could take probably up to an hour or a little bit longer!



  11. Emma on June 1, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    Hi Jane 🙂

    First of all your NYC Cookies are TO DIE FOR!!! I think my sister and I have made about 3 batches in the last two weeks 🙂
    I just wanted to ask about your evaporated milk buttercream. Would condensed milk also work? I know evaporated milk has a little less sugar? But it’s pretty difficult to get ahold of (I live in Switzerland). Any advice for a substitute if not? Xx

    Thanks!

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 1, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      Hey! Ahh amazing! And no, they’re not a straight swap – as mentioned in the post I would recommend adding a liquid cream instead! x



  12. Christine on May 27, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    Hi Jane

    I’m struggling to get hold of cocoa powder at the moment, would melted chocolate work in the icing instead or do you think it would make it too runny?

    • Jane's Patisserie on May 27, 2020 at 6:30 pm

      I would imagine that would make it too runny – the cocoa powder is effectively quite drying which is how it works! You can certainly give it a go, but add much less evaporated milk to begin with as it wouldn’t need much at all!



  13. Celine Hetherington on May 25, 2020 at 3:43 am

    Hello! I’m wanting to make this into a 3 layer cake. Would I add half of each ingredient to do this e.g. 262g plain flour etc? Can’t wait to try! 🙂

    • Jane's Patisserie on May 25, 2020 at 9:36 am

      Hey! Yes basically – you can round things up a little bit though to like 270g if it makes it easier! x



  14. Millie on May 23, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    Hi! Would golden granulated sugar or Demerara sugar work with this recipe as I’m struggling to get hold of light brown sugar!

    • Jane's Patisserie on May 23, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      Either should work, but I’d choose golden granulated/caster! X



  15. Miss Chloe J J Riggs on May 13, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Hello,
    Would this cake freeze okay?
    Thanks
    Chloe

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