Best Chocolate Fudge Cake

Introduction

Best Chocolate Fudge Cake is deeply rich, ultra-moist, and unapologetically indulgent—made for true chocolate lovers. With an intense cocoa flavor, tender crumb, and luscious fudge frosting, this cake delivers bakery-level decadence right from your kitchen. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or anytime chocolate cravings strike, it’s a timeless dessert that never disappoints.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Deep, intense chocolate flavor
• Moist, soft crumb every time
• Simple ingredients, big payoff
• Perfect for layering or sheet cake
• Crowd-pleasing classic dessert

Ingredients (serves 10–12)

Chocolate Cake

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee or hot water

Fudge Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or whisk
• 9×13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch round pans
• Saucepan
• Spatula

Step-by-step process (detailed)

1. Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line your baking pan(s) with parchment paper for easy removal.

2. Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Breaking up cocoa lumps ensures a smooth batter.

3. Add wet ingredients

Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated. The batter will be thick at this stage.

4. Add hot liquid

Slowly pour in hot coffee or water while mixing. The batter will become thin—this is normal and key for a moist cake and deep chocolate flavor.

5. Bake the cake

Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake 30–35 minutes for a 9×13 pan or 25–30 minutes for round pans, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.

6. Cool completely

Remove cake from oven and cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

7. Make the fudge frosting

In a saucepan over low heat, warm butter and cream until just beginning to steam. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until glossy and thick.

8. Frost the cake

Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake. For layered cakes, frost between layers and over the top.

Mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the hot liquid — drier cake
• Overbaking — crumbly texture
• Frosting warm cake — melted frosting
• Overmixing batter — dense cake
• Using low-quality cocoa — flat flavor

Variations of Best Chocolate Fudge Cake

• Double Chocolate — add chocolate chips to the batter
• Espresso Boost — add instant espresso powder
• Chocolate Orange — add orange zest
• Sheet Cake Style — bake thinner and frost generously
• Gluten-Free — use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend

Tips for storage & make-ahead

• Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days
• Refrigerate up to 5 days
• Freeze unfrosted cake layers up to 2 months
• Bring to room temperature before serving

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it taste like coffee?
No, coffee enhances chocolate without tasting like coffee.

Can I make this ahead?
Yes—cake layers freeze beautifully.

What cocoa powder is best?
Unsweetened natural or Dutch-process both work.

Can I use butter instead of oil?
Oil keeps the cake moister; butter adds flavor but dries faster.

Conclusion

Best Chocolate Fudge Cake is everything a chocolate dessert should be—rich, moist, and deeply satisfying. With its intense cocoa flavor and silky fudge frosting, it’s a dependable showstopper for any occasion. One slice is never enough.