The perfect Chocolate Fudge Cake covered in a creamy real chocolate buttercream. Two layers of buttery chocolate cake that sticks to your fork, paired with the ultimate chocolate frosting – heaven!
Get ready to swoon 💕
Today, we’re talking all things chocolate. More specifically, Chocolate Fudge Cake with creamy real chocolate frosting. I’ve been eating this Chocolate Fudge Cake ALL week so I know firsthand just how butter-licious it really is.
Two layers of beautifully soft and moist chocolate cake with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream. Who’s with me?!
On Monday, I shared with you my favourite chocolate frosting. I pull it out on every special occasion because it’s THAT good. You can use it on almost any cake or cupcake, but paired with my favourite Chocolate Fudge Cake? H-E-A-V-E-N.
This is one of those cakes where you’re not quite sure what’s better – the cake or the frosting. And while the frosting literally melts-in-your-mouth, I’d say this chocolate cake gives it a real run for its money.
Just like my favourite Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake, this cake uses sour cream for its enviable texture. That paired with butter, cocoa powder and all the good things that every chocolate cake needs, means you end up with one special dessert.
It’s actually three days away from my birthday, so I’ve decided to give this cake to myself – Happy birthday to meeeee! Maybe that’s how I can justify eating three slices. But who I am kidding? Stick this cake in front of my face ANY day of the year, and I’m head over heels.
So if you have a birthday or dinner party or ANY kind of celebration at all coming up soon, please make this Chocolate Fudge Cake. If your guests are chocoholics like me, they will go mad for this fudgy temptation.
Just two layers of perfect chocolate cake covered in perfect chocolate buttercream. No fancy decorations (although you know I love that) or candy or fancy frosting. Just a good old-fashioned chocolate cake that’ll make you swoon – promise!
TIPS FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
- I have made chocolate cakes with both oil and butter. Both work just fine but I do think butter gives this cake a beautiful, rich flavour.
- The recipe begins by creaming the butter and sugar together, so you will need an electric mixer. Just make sure your butter is at room temperature and not too cold.
- Sour cream takes this cake over the top. Use full fat sour cream – we’re not on diets when it comes to chocolate cake.
- When you add the dry ingredients, use a wooden spoon or spatula so you don’t over mix the cake batter. This will ensure your cake is soft and tender.
- The hot water is important – don’t skip it! Your batter will still be quite thick – this is ok.
- The cakes will be ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely before stacking and frosting.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT BUTTERCREAM
- I recently shared my recipe for the Best Chocolate Frosting. That’s what I used for this Chocolate Fudge Cake.
- It’s perfect because it’s thick, creamy and so tasty that you don’t need to decorate the cake with anything else – this frosting is everything 💕
- I’ve written a whole stack of tips for making perfect buttercream HERE.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
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PinDescription
A beautiful chocolate fudge cake covered in chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
Chocolate fudge cake
- 230 gram (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar
- 135 grams (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour
- 60 grams (3/4 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) hot water
- 240 ml (1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
Chocolate fudge frosting
Instructions
- Grease two 8 inch cake pans well with butter and line the bottom with baking or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180 C (360 F).
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugars and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
- Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat until mixture is combined and creamy. Boil the kettle and pour out 1/2 cup water and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and lightly whisk.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet, along with the hot water and gently fold with a spatula. Finally, add the sour cream and fold until the mixture is completely combined and smooth. It will be quite thick – this is fine.
- Divide chocolate batter into prepared cake pans and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make a batch of real chocolate buttercream and cover the middle, top and sides of the chocolate cakes.
Keywords: Chocolate, Fudge, Cake
So, after your advice when I asked about using butter instead of oil in your mint chocolate cake, I used this recipe for my sons birthday cake last week. He changed his mind on the frosting though so I made your peanut butter cream to go on it. OH MY GOODNESS! Both were absolutely delicious! We all loved it with sliced Snickers and Peanut Butter Cups on the top. I scaled down the recipe to suit 7 inch tins and used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.
Now to choose a recipe for my birthday cake next week… 🙂
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Tricia! What a lovely comment to receive! Thank you so much for the kind feedback. I’m so glad you and your son loved this cake! ❤️
Hi,
Can i substitute sour cream with plain yogurt? Will the taste remain the same?
Yes! Use a thick Greek or natural yogurt that’s not sweetened – it will taste exactly the same ☺️
Hiya! This cake looks lovely – planning on making it for our Christmas dessert! I was wondering if it works well as a hot chocolate fudge cake? Wasn’t sure how the frosting would be after being in the microwave! (We’re a fussy family – we need a cake that works hot and cold)
Hi Claire, excited you are thinking about trying this cake. I’m not 100% sure what you mean about a hot cake. This cake could be warmed in the microwave but the frosting would definitely melt. You could pour over a ganache or something warm instead of you liked.
Hi Jess,
This is my favourite cake to make (& eat) & has been an absolute hit amongst friends!
Do you think I could make it as a 4 layered cake instead of two? I have my engagement party coming up and I think it might be a good alternative to a very traditional cake instead!
Thanks Jess 🙂
Hi Susannah, so glad you love this cake! It’s one of my all-time faves. And absolutely, it would make an amazing 4 layer cake!
Would you suggest natural cocoa powder for it or the Dutch processed?
Btw I wrote down your chocolate bundt cake in my notebook as the ULTIMATE chocolate bundt cake , did a mirror glaze for that too , was phenomenal!!
Thanks
Hi Osama, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Chocolate Bundt Cake – it’s definitely one of my favourites! For this cake, I recommend natural cocoa powder. I hope you love it!
Hi 👋 Jessica
Very tempting and surely trying this over the weekend. Love all your recipes. Yummy 😋 especially your hummingbird cake is an on demand cake at my party.
Wow thank you so much Saira! I hope you love this recipe too!
Hey Jessica, Thanks for such a mouth watering cake recipe. I will be baking this cake on the coming weekend and will share the images with you.
★★★★★
Awesome! Can’t wait to see it!
does the cake need to be in 2 deep 8inch tins (like the loose bottom ones) or will it work in the shallow ones?
Thanks 😊
Hi Rebecca, the cake tins I use are about 2 inches deep – I hope that helps!
Bursting Flavors! Super delish!!!Thank you Jessica! 🥰
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So glad you liked it Mercedes!
I tried this cake few time
But this time it’s bit dry
How can make it moist
Even baked cake
should l sprinkle sugar water on it to make it soft ?
Hi Haleema, the cake shouldn’t be dry, perhaps you over baked it? Did you change anything when you made it again? You could add a ‘soak’ of some sort, like a sugar syrup as you mentioned. Make sure that it’s always covered well, as exposure to air will also make a cake dry – as will storing it in the fridge.
Hi jess
Just wondering if this cake freezes well?
Hi Maria, yes it does!
This cake was absolutely delicious. Such a hit for a birthday cake. The only issue I had was I used lindt dark chocolate for the icing and it’s flavour didn’t hold, so I had to add milk chocolate to fix it. Honestly delicious I found it hard to stop at 1 piece
★★★★★
Hi Grace! So glad you enjoyed the cake ❤️ And I’m glad you were able to fix the frosting – I usually use a block of Nestle dark chocolate. But I’ve also made this frosting with milk chocolate or half dark and half milk like you did – all delicious! Thank you for the lovely feedback!
is this cake like a muidcake?
It’s not made with chocolate in the batter like a mud cake usually is! Try this recipe – https://www.sweetestmenu.com/chocolate-mud-cake-with-milk-chocolate-frosting/
Love this cake! Where is the best place to store leftovers?
Hi Steph! So glad you liked it! I would store leftovers in an airtight container on the bench at a cool room temp. You can store in the fridge but sometimes that can dry cake out a bit so I try not to.
Is the sponge suitable for making a 2 tierd cake? Will it hold?
Hi Aish, I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would be ok!
Does it matter if the sour cream is in it or not?
Hi Heather! Yes the sour cream makes the cake lovely and moist. You could substitute for natural/Greek yogurt if you like.
Amazing
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This looks like the ultimate chocolate cake! So rich and indulgent!
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Thanks Natalie!
Delicious!
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