Description
This Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake is a rich, decadent dessert featuring a moist chocolate base baked to perfection and topped with a luscious dark chocolate ganache. Perfect for chocolate lovers, this recipe uses simple ingredients and straightforward steps to achieve a fudgy texture with a smooth, creamy frosting that’s sure to impress at any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 125g / 4 oz dark chocolate chips
- 100g / 7 tbsp salted butter (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar (caster/superfine recommended)
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp coffee granules (optional)
- 1 cup boiling hot water
Ganache Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream (30%+ fat)
- 250g / 8 oz dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F) for standard or 130°C (265°F) for fan ovens. Grease a 22 cm (9″) springform cake pan and line it with parchment or baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Melt butter and chocolate: Place the butter and 125g dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 3 intervals of 30 seconds on high, stirring between each until fully melted and combined.
- Add oil, vanilla, and sugar: Stir in the vegetable or canola oil, vanilla extract, and white sugar into the melted mixture. Mix well to combine and slightly cool the batter.
- Incorporate eggs: Add the eggs to the batter and mix until fully combined and smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift cocoa powder, baking powder, flour, and optional coffee granules directly into the batter. Stir gently until smooth, but a few small lumps are acceptable. The batter will be thin.
- Add hot water: Carefully pour in the boiling hot water and mix until fully incorporated, resulting in a loose batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly moist but clean. Start checking at 50 minutes. Expect the surface to crack; this will settle after cooling and ganache frosting.
- Cool the cake: Remove the sides of the springform pan and transfer the cake on its base to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before removing the cake base to avoid breaking.
- Prepare the ganache: Place 250g dark chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 3 intervals of 30 seconds on high, stirring well between each until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Avoid boiling the cream.
- Thicken ganache: Refrigerate the ganache for 1 to 2 hours until it thickens to a spreadable consistency similar to peanut butter.
- Frost the cake: Spread the thickened ganache evenly over the top and sides of the cooled cake. Use a teaspoon in swirling motions to create a textured, rustic finish.
Notes
- Use caster or superfine sugar for better blending and texture.
- Coffee granules enhance the chocolate flavor but are optional.
- Let the cake cool completely before removing from the base to maintain its shape.
- Be careful not to boil the cream when melting chocolate for ganache to avoid graininess.
- Surface cracks in the cake are normal and will be covered with ganache.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: chocolate cake,fudge cake,ganache,chocolate dessert,easy chocolate cake,fudgy cake
