This is the BEST Chocolate Mud Cake recipe. Perfectly moist with plenty of chocolate flavour, it’s a super easy cake to make and the milk chocolate frosting just puts it over-the-top.
Fudgy-licious cake right here 👆🏻
If you’re on the hunt for a deliciously rich chocolate mud cake with a fudgy chocolate-laden centre and a creamy milk chocolate frosting, I’ve got you covered.
This is the chocolate cake of your dreams.
I love chocolate cake. ❤️ And this year has been the year of chocolate cake for me. First I shared with you my recipe for a deliciously easy Dairy Free Chocolate Cake. Next came my all-time favourite Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Just last month, I shared with you my Chocolate Buttermilk Cake and now we’re moving on to deliciously rich Chocolate Mud Cake.
It took quite a bit of testing to get this cake just right, but I’m so happy with the result. This cake has just the right amount of cake and just the right amount of fudge. While I love a soft and fluffy chocolate cake, I wanted this one to be different.
I wanted a crumb that sticks to your fork. I wanted a cake that had almost a brownie-like texture in parts, but I didn’t want a brownie and I didn’t want a regular chocolate cake. I wanted something special. And I found it.
With real dark chocolate and cocoa powder in the cake batter, this cake is laden with chocolate flavour. To complement the rich fudgy centre, I added a smooth and creamy milk chocolate frosting made with real chocolate.
If you have a choco-holic in your family, you need to try this cake. Not only is it delicious, but it’s very easy to make. The cake comes together with a bowl and spoon – you don’t even need an electric mixer.
My only advice for that perfectly dense and fudgy centre is to make sure you don’t overcook the cake. The more it cooks, the less fudgy it will become. My Chocolate Mud Cake takes about 55 minutes to 1 hour to cook, but I recommend checking your cake from about 50 minutes onwards.
Every oven is different, so it’s important to work out what timing works before for you. If you make this cake, please take a photo and show me on Instagram! I think I’ll go have another slice right now x
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.
Let's Bake
Chocolate Mud Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Deliciously fudgy chocolate mud cake topped with milk chocolate frosting.
Ingredients
Chocolate mud cake
- 230 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 grams (1 and 1/3 cup) good quality dark chocolate (45-70% cocoa)
- 300 grams (2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 45 grams (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) whole or full fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk chocolate frosting
- 115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 250 grams (2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
- 100 grams (2/3 cup) milk chocolate, broken into pieces
- 2 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 C (340 F) standard / 150 C (300 F) fan-forced. Grease and line a 9-inch round springform cake tin with baking or parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add butter and dark chocolate. Melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Leave to cool slightly – just a minute or two.
- Add sugars to chocolate mixture and stir. Add eggs. Mix to combine. Add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt and mix gently. Add milk and vanilla. Stir until chocolate batter is combined and smooth. It will be quite thick – this is ok.
- Pour cake batter into prepared cake tin. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until cake no longer wobbles in the middle. Try not to over bake as you want the cake to be moist in the middle. Leave to cool completely in the cake tin.
- To make the frosting, place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring in between 20 second bursts, until just melted and set aside.
- Add half the sugar, cocoa powder and one tablespoon of milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add melted chocolate, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not warm. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through. If frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Generously frost the top of the cake using a spatula.
Notes
This cake is quite possibly even nicer the day after it’s made as it tends to go even fudgy-ier.
Lorie says
This recipe was simply the best mud cake recipe I’ve tried. I am wondering though how it would work with muffin trays instead of one large tin? Do you think it would work?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lorie, so glad to hear you loved this cake! You could bake it into mini cakes next time, the middle might not be quite so fudgy because they will cook faster but should still be tasty. Just keep an eye on them so you don’t over cook them.
KYLIE says
I’m sure it’s going to be amazing but unfortunately it took 2 hours to cook not the 50-60m in the recipe.
That was at 140c fan forced.
I used an 8 in round tin BUT also made a 10cm mini cake so height wise it’s the same as it would have been in a 9 in tin..
So if you choose a 8in it will be longer to cook than 60m.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kylie, thanks for the feedback. Every oven is different but I am surprised it took quite that long to cook! I would maybe do 150-160C for fan-forced next time.
Vigya says
Hi! Can I replace butter with oil
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I wouldn’t recommend it for this cake.
Ashley says
If I wanted to make this in an 8″ square pan, how long would you suggest baking? I’ve never made a mud cake. Should there be moist crumbs when testing for doneness for this type of cake? I see other have overbaked their cakes.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Ashley, baking in a square tin instead of a round one is fine – you can follow the same instructions. The cake will be ready when it not long wobbles in the middle (like wet cake batter does) and yes, when a skewer comes up fairly clean (it may have a few moist crumbs on it). If you’re worried, just check it 5 minutes earlier then recommended.
Maggie Genet says
Finally a chocolate mud cake that is perfect! It has such a rich taste ,fine texture and easy to make. It doesn’t have that doughy taste that chocolate cakes sometimes have. I made a round 20 cm cake that was 5 cm high when cooked. I think I overcooked it by 10 mins because it was still wobbly in the middle at the 60 min mark. Next time I will keep a closer eye on it. Love love love this cake. Thank you for the recipe!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Maggie, wow thank you so much for your lovely review. I’m so pleased you enjoyed this cake!
Jemma says
The end result was really quite crumby. The cake was still moist, no dry bits; but it didn’t turn out quite like a mud cake. More chocolate cake than anything.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jemma, did you make any changes to the recipe? If you didn’t and it wasn’t fudgy in the middle, you may have simply overcooked it.
Emma says
Am going to make this in loaf tins as using for construction of 3d cake. Have you split this recipe over two tins before and if so how did the cooking time differ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Emma, wow that sounds amazing! I haven’t split this cake before but you may lose some of the fudgyiness if you do it that way. It’d be quite easy to overcook it. My suggestion would be to bake it as one cake and half it with a knife if you can.
Yamun says
Can I add normal sugar instead of brown?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, yes you can but I do prefer brown for extra flavour!
Anjela says
I made this cake today and I’m definitely using this cake for my birthday cake. The middle is so gooey and fudgy. I definitely recommend this cake!!!
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Anjela!
Lisa says
Currently attempting to swirl your dark and white chocolate mud cakes, Heres hoping it turns out! I love your recipes 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Oh wow! Sounds amazing! Let me know how you go Lisa ☺️
Carol smithback says
No salt in cake batter? I added a healthy pinch of salt. Cake is in the oven now and can’t wait to try!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Carol, I have’t put any salt in the recipe but feel free to add as much as you want! Hope you love the cake! 🙂
Carol smithback says
It was delicious the first day and even better the next!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that!!
Tania says
Can this be converted to cupcakes and adjust the cooking time? It sounds delicious!!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Tania, I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would work fine – great idea!
Jennifer says
Made this cake twice as the first attempt I accidentally put 1/2 tablespoon of baking Soda and raw sugar instead of brown sugar, and it sunk dramatically!
I made it again as it was for my partners birthday with the correct ingredients and measurement. I was using it as a base to put MnM’s and kit Kat around the edges.
It did sink a little but not so much. A little goey in the middle but I’m hoping my attempt of creating a decorative cake will turn out well! The frosting is delicious as well! Not overly sweet.
Definitely worth giving this cake a go!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it Jennifer! Decorating with M&M’s and Kit Kat’s sounds amazing!
Leena says
What is milj choclate …its mentioned as the cake frosting ingredient .
Please help.Thanks !
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Leena, milk chocolate refers to sweetened chocolate – like the kind you would eat straight from the packet. You could also use dark chocolate (know as semi-sweet chocolate) if you prefer.
Amali says
Oh WOW!!! This is one amazing cake! Absolutely yum… thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Aww so glad you liked it Amali!! ☺️