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!
Why You'll Love Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Sure to satisfy that craving! - Chocolate fudge cake has everything you want in one bite. Cakey, creamy, and fudgy!
- Great for sharing - Id be happy if you brought this delicious cake over for a dinner party
- Easy to customize- Not feeling a milk chocolate bar? Try a bar of dark chocolate or hazelnut chocolate bar in this recipe!
- Great Birthday cake - Perfect chocolate cake to serve at your next birthday party.
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
- 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 smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes.
- Cool completely.
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake Frosting
- Chop your chocolate bars, about 5 of them, and set them aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- 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.
- 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!
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.
Storing and Freezing Chocolate Fudge Cake
Storing: You can store this homemade chocolate fudge cake for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: For freezing the chocolate cake unfrosted, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.
For freezing a frosted chocolate cake, place it in the fridge for 15 minutes or until the frosting sets enough to wrap it. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months.
When ready to eat, allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Making a Dry Cake Moist: This is a very moist cake recipe, but if you have trouble with it, check out this post for How To Make A Dry Cake Moist
FAQ for Chocolate Fudge Cake
A chocolate fudge cake is denser and rich in flavor, while a chocolate cake is still rich in flavor it has a lighter texture.
The combination of Canola Oil, Eggs, and Baking Powder will make a cake more moist and fluffy.
Chocolate contains cocoa butter, while fudge only contains butter.
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
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.
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