Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe from Scratch

This Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe is so easy to make! Decadent chocolate cake is topped with a homemade fudge frosting for the perfect treat!

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I love chocolate more than any other type of dessert so I am always looking for new ways to satisfy my chocolate cravings.

These Dark Chocolate Brownies and Double Chocolate Cookies are two of my favorites, but this Chocolate Fudge Cake is just as delicious!

This chocolate cake is fudgy, rich and moist. It has a creamy chocolate frosting on top that is so delicious - a true chocolate lover's dream!

Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe Ingredients

To make chocolate fudge cake you'll need:

• white sugar & brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• cocoa powder
• all purpose flour
• baking powder & baking soda
• salt
• milk
• canola oil
• eggs
• salted butter
• Heavy cream
• Chopped milk chocolate bars 
• Powdered sugar

How to Make Chocolate Fudge Cake

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugars, vanilla extract, and eggs, until all incorporated.
2. Add cocoa powder and oil. Mix well. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture alternating with milk.
5. When all combined, add the boiling water. Mix until smooth.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes.
7. Cool completely.

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake Frosting

1. Chop your chocolate bars, about 5 of them, and set them aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until all blended.
4. Add cream and chopped chocolate. Whisk until all melted.
5. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until you have a smooth texture.
6. Take off the heat and pour into a bowl and fridge for 1 hour, mixing every 20 minutes.
7. Once your cake is cooled and the frosting is cool and thick, spread the frosting over the cake and Enjoy!

Tips for this Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe from Scratch

• Make sure to whisk the frosting: When making the chocolate frosting, constantly whisk to make sure it blends all perfectly and creates a smooth texture.
• Don't over heat the frosting: I also don’t go above medium heat so it melts perfectly without overcooking the chocolate.
• Whisk Constantly: When adding my ingredients, I keep on the heat, whisking constantly.
• Don't over mix: Like with most batters, be sure not to over mix. Mixing the ingredients just enough to combine them is well enough.

Substitutions & Variations for Chocolate Cake

Granulated sugar - Coconut sugar or even brown sugar will both work as a substitute. If not using sugar a monk fruit sweetener blend tastes just like regular white granulated sugar, and can be substituted 1:1.

Brown sugar  - White sugar, molasses, and maple syrup are all good replacements if you find yourself without brown sugar. If you have white sugar and molasses, you can make your own brown sugar.

Vanilla extract -A great substitute for vanilla is pure maple syrup. Other flavor enhancers that would work great in a chocolate cake are coffee extract and almond extract.

Cocoa powder - f you don't have cocoa powder, you can use 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate for every 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

All-purpose flour - There are many different flours you can substitute for white flour in chocolate cake. Note that not all of these flours can be substituted 1:1.

Baking powder - Use ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar for each teaspoon of baking powder required.

Baking soda - Baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda. Use a 1:3 ratio for this replacement.

Milk - While whole milk is recommended, any variation of milk will work. Nut milk, soy milk, dairy-free, or lactose-free kinds of milk.

Canola oil - Canola oil can be replaced 1:1 with applesauce. I would not recommend using applesauce here if also using applesauce as an egg replacement.

Eggs: For each egg, you can substitute using a variety of different ingredients:

• ½ a medium banana
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup apple sauce

Chopped milk chocolate bars - A Hershey's milk chocolate bar is ideal, the next best thing would be a Hershey's dark chocolate bar.

FAQ for Chocolate Fudge Cake

More Chocolate Recipes You'll Love

• Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Edible Brownie Batter
• Better Than Anything Cake
• Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
• Mint Chocolate Donut Recipe
• Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

Chocolate Fudge Cake

This Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe is so easy to make! Decadent chocolate cake is topped with a homemade fudge frosting for the perfect treat!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate fudge cake, classic chocolate cake, classic chocolate fudge cake, fudge cake, fudgy chocolate cake, ultimate chocolate fudge cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 12 slices (1 9x13 cake)

Calories: 631kcal

Ingredients

CAKE

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup boiling water

CHOCOLATE FROSTING FUDGE

• 9 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 ½ cup chopped milk chocolate bars about 5 bars, 1.55 oz
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• For the Cake:
• Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix sugars, vanilla extract, and eggs, until all incorporated.
• Add cocoa powder and oil. Mix well. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture alternating with milk.
• When all combined, add the boiling water. Mix until you have a nice, smooth liquid batter.
• Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes. Until the center is set and when you insert a toothpick it comes out clean.
• Cool completely.
• For the Frosting:
• Chopped your chocolate bars, about 5 of them, set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter (2 minutes)
• Add the cocoa powder and whisk until all blended.
• Add cream and chopped chocolate. Whisk until all melted.
• Add the powdered sugar and whisk until you have a smooth texture. ( 2 minutes)
• Take off the heat and pour into a bowl and fridge for 1 hour, mixing every 20 minutes.
• Once your cake is cooled and the frosting is cool and thick, spread the frosting over the cake and Enjoy!

Notes

INGREDIENTS SUBSTITUTION

• Unbleached all-purpose flour can be replaced by bleached all-purpose flour
• Hershey chocolate bars can be replaced by dark chocolate Hershey.

SKILLS

• When doing the frosting, I whisk constantly to make sure it blends all perfectly and makes a smooth texture.
• I also don’t go above medium heat so it melts perfectly without overcooking the chocolate.
• When adding my ingredients, I keep on the heat, whisking constantly.
• You can mix the batter with a whisk, but I would suggest a dough whisk or a hand mixer. Just make sure not to overmix.

CHEF’S TOOLS

• Mixing bowls: Anchor and Hockings glassware
• Large Mixing Bowl: Mason Cash 12 cups
• Dough whisk: Tobepico Danish Dough Whisk.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice of cake | Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 554IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg