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.
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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.
Nutrition Information
Molly says
Thank you for the lovely recipe! I made this with half chilli/ginger chocolate and half 85% dark, then cooked it in the rice cooker on the cake setting, and it turned out beautifully! I love trying your recipes because you test them so thoroughly I know they’re going to turn out well. Thanks so much!
Jessica Holmes says
Oh wow! So glad it turned out well for you Molly!
Natalie Davies says
Hi again 🙂 could you bake in a 9inch and cut in half to add an icing layer? Or would you recommend cooking two separate cakes for an icing layer?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Natalie, yes I think you could! One big one would be the way to go so you get that fudgy middle (more middle and less crust and edges). Let us know how you go!
Elizabeth King says
I might not have cooked it enough, but the middle was completely raw after 50 minutes and the top crust was completely solid. I tried to turn it out and the middle fell out the top. Was a good self saucing pudding though.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Elizabeth, it does sound like your cake was underbaked. Baking times can vary depending on your oven. Also, because mud cakes are quite fragile in the centre, I recommend leaving the cake to cool completely in the cake pan (see step 4). But I’m so glad you were able to enjoy it regardless!
Elizabeth King says
Thanks Jessica, I realized what I did was I used a 7 inch cake pan and didn’t change the temp or time.
Jessica Holmes says
Ah yes, that would be the problem!
Susan says
This cake sounds wonderful! Is the cocoa used in the cake natural or dutch processed? Will either work? I only have dutch processed.
Thanks, Susan
Jessica Holmes says
Yes Susan, you can use either in this recipe! Hope you enjoy it.
Susan says
This cake sounds wonderful! Is the cocoa used in the cake natural or dutch processed? Will either work? I only have dutch processed.
Thanks, Susan
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Susan, yes either will work in this recipe! I hope you enjoy it!
Dakshee says
Hi! If I’m baking this a night in advance, then do I add the ganache on the top the same night I bake it (and then keep the whole cake in the fridge) or do I keep the cake and ganache separately and then assemble it all together when I have to serve?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Dakshee, you can do either! You can frost this cake ahead of time if that’s easier.
lola says
i just made this cake, its very good!! however it didnt quite come out like the picture, it came out more as a brownie than a mud cake.. still very good though
Jessica Holmes says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It is meant to be quite dense and fudgy.
maria says
Hi Jessica,
just wondering if this cake can be made in advance like a mud cake, so 2 weeks in advance? or is it better to freeze?
thanks in advance
Maria
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Maria, yes definitely freeze this cake if you want to make it in advance. It will freeze well!
Chelsie says
I was originally going to make this cake for a friends wedding ( lost the gig ) but it did mean I made this countless times to practise and was always a hit! Follow the directions and it’s a great result and my go to cake for celebrating!
Jessica Holmes says
Hooray! So glad to hear you enjoyed it Chelsie!
Katherine Reed says
How do you think this would go layered with your white chocolate mud cake recipe, and the buttercream from that cake? Your white choc mud cake is my go to special occasion cake, but I was considering how to best change it up as a mixed layer, this or making the other recipe with dark choc instead of white… thanks!!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Katherine, I think that would be amazing!! Great idea!
Bonita says
Hi Sweetest,
Can this recipe do 2 8 inch tins ? I usually use this recipe but I’ve never done it in 8 inch tins.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I haven’t tried myself but it should be fine. I’d just be very careful not to over bake it as the layers will be thinner and therefore cook faster – and you don’t want to lose the fudgy middle.