Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake (Printable Version)

Rich, squidgy chocolate cake with smooth chocolate icing—perfect for celebrations or indulgent teatime treats.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 7 oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
02 - 7 oz dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa solids), chopped
03 - 8.8 oz light brown sugar
04 - 3 large eggs
05 - 7 oz all-purpose flour
06 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
07 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
08 - 1.8 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 5 fl oz whole milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Chocolate Icing

11 - 5.3 oz dark chocolate, chopped
12 - 3.5 oz unsalted butter
13 - 7 oz powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 3 tablespoons whole milk

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins with baking paper.
02 - In a heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until pale and thick.
04 - Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, followed by the vanilla extract.
05 - In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
06 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, until just combined and smooth.
07 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Cool the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat.
11 - Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and milk until the icing is smooth and glossy.
12 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread with one-third of the icing. Top with the second cake and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing. Smooth with a palette knife.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between brownie and cake, ridiculously moist without being underbaked.
  • You don't need a stand mixer or any fancy equipment, just a bowl and a whisk.
  • It tastes like something from a bakery window but costs a fraction of the price.
  • The icing sets into this glossy, fudgy layer that doesn't crack when you slice it.
02 -
  • Don't let the chocolate mixture get too hot or it will cook the eggs when you mix them, leaving you with sweet scrambled eggs instead of cake batter.
  • The cakes will look slightly underdone when you take them out, but they firm up as they cool, so resist the urge to overbake.
  • If your icing seems too thick to spread, add a tiny splash more milk, and if it's too thin, let it cool for a few minutes to thicken up.
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients instead of using cups if you can, because precision really matters in cakes and keeps the texture consistent every time.
  • If your cake layers dome in the middle, slice off the tops with a serrated knife before stacking so the layers sit flat and even.
  • Let the icing cool slightly before spreading it, because if it's too warm it will slide right off the cake, and if it's too cool it won't spread smoothly.
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