Chocolate Fudge Cake + Video
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Chocolate Fudge Cake is the best ever chocolate cake, that you will lose your mind over!
Recipes like Chocolate Fudge Cake
If you love chocolate cake as much as I do, I have a few more chocolate recipes you’ll need to try soon. Check out this Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake.
It starts with a chocolate cake and ends with decadent peanut butter whipped cream. Or, my go-to chocolate cake is a simple chocolate cake that’s made with just one bowl.
If you love copycat recipes, you will want to try this Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake. Your whole family will want seconds.
Chocolate Fudge Cake – Recipe Notes
- You can substitute 1/2 cup of buttermilk for 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar.
- You can add pecans or another type of chopped nuts to the frosting if you like.
- You can add a layer of peanut butter to the cake before you add the frosting.
What’s the difference between chocolate cake and chocolate fudge cake?
Chocolate cake will typically be light and fluffy. But, this chocolate fudge cake is denser and a bit more moist than traditional chocolate cake.
It’s somewhere between a piece of chocolate cake and a piece of chocolate fudge. Hence the name chocolate fudge cake is otherwise known as ooey-gooey chocolate cake.
What type of chocolate makes the best chocolate cake?
This chocolate fudge cake uses sweetened cocoa. But, if you cannot find sweetened cocoa where you are, you can use unsweetened. You will also need to add semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Semi-sweet chocolate adds the best flavor to your chocolate cake and melts more evenly than dark.
If you want a triple chocolate cake, you can always add in dark chocolate chips along with the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
What should you serve with this?
This chocolate cake recipe is delicious on its own. But, if you want to serve something with it, you can top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Try my Best Ever Vanilla Ice Cream recipe if you’d like to make your own. Or, why not try adding a scoop of whipped cream to the top? You will love my homemade whipped cream.
You won’t believe how easy it is to make. And, it tastes so good on this chocolate cake.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, when you are done making this ooey gooey chocolate cake recipe, you will need to let it come to room temperature. Then, you can refrigerate the chocolate fudge cake until the icing is set.
After that, you can wrap it in plastic and refrigerate leftovers for two days. I don’t find that our leftovers last anywhere near as long as that.
Can you freeze fudge cake?
Yes, if you have cake leftover that you won’t eat within two days, you can freeze it. You will want to freeze each piece separately. Just cut it into serving-size pieces. Then, wrap each piece in two layers of plastic wrap. Then, wrap it in aluminum foil.
Freeze the pieces on a single layer on a baking sheet. Then you can place more than one piece on top of another in a freezer-proof container. Take out one piece and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.
You can put the chocolate fudge cake in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up if you like. Or, you can enjoy it at room temperature. It will be more gooey if it is warm.
FAQ
- Help my icing didn’t thicken up! – The icing will thicken as it cools.
- What type of vinegar should I use? – You should use white vinegar in this recipe.
- Do I have to add the icing? – No, if you don’t want icing, the cake is sweet enough on its own.
Chocolate Fudge Cake + Video
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda, divided
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder, I used Ghirardelli ground chocolate
- 1 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
For icing
- 1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder, I used Ghirardelli ground chocolate
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9×12 cake pan by buttering and flouring. Set aside.
- In a small cup add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon vinegar. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, salt and baking powder, stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan combine butter, cocoa and water. Bring to a boil, then add to flour mixture. Beat well.
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to milk mixture. Set aside. In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
- Add eggs to flour butter mixture. Then add milk mixture and vanilla. Beat well to combine. Add chocolate chips to mixture and fold in.
- Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- 5 minutes before cake is done, prepare icing.
For icing
- Bring cocoa, butter and milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, salt and vanilla, beat well with mixer. Spread over hot cake. Serve!
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2013, updated and republished July 2020.
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We call this cake Texas Sheet Cake.DELICIOUS!
to make it right now…im using normal coco. and no ising….too sweet, will still be good????
If you are still using the sugar in the batter recipe, it will be fine. Where I live we have only normal cocoa powder (unsweetened). And I often skip the icing for any cakes that I bake. My hubs prefers it that way. Hope this helps!
reply again
do you really need that much icing sugar? all sounds good, but I made an almond icing to drizzle on Cranberry Almond cake and it was sooooo sweet but drizzling it on cake gave it just the right touch
After 20 minutes, my 9 x 13 cake is not done!!
I cooked mine for 35 minutes. It was still soup at 20 minutes. I used unsweetened cocoa powder and added 3 tbs sugar and it turned out great.
Our family makes this and a jelly roll pan works best
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog!
does this chocolate cake recipe appear in your book, The Simple Kitchen?
Cooked up great!! I'm not good at icing, but tjis spread okay, m
Would this cake work as rounds for a layer cake? If it would, would this icing also work for icing a layer cake if I let it cool a bit so it wasn’t runny before icing the cake? My husband wants a layer cake for his birthday!
This cake was so soft, and rich. I’ll be making my own cakes for my birthdays now.
Looks good but when does the salt go in?