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Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

A moist cocoa and dark-chocolate layer cake with a glossy ganache-style fudge frosting that remains sliceable at room temperature.

BakingCakeChocolateVegetarianCelebration
Total time2 hours 15 minutes, including cooling and decorating
DifficultyConfident
Community ratingNew recipe
Per serving6.5g protein
Stock food photograph for Chocolate Fudge Cake
OK
Structure checkedAdaptive recipe data
Serves
12

Scaled live

Ingredients

12 slices

Cake

  • 200 gplain flour
  • 75 gcocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tspbicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tspbaking powder
  • 1/2 tspfine salt
  • 250 glight soft brown sugar
  • 3large eggs, at room temperature
  • 150 mlvegetable oil
  • 250 mlbuttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • 150 mlfreshly boiled water
  • 2 tspinstant espresso powder (optional)

Fudge frosting

  • 250 gdark chocolate, 54-70% cocoa, finely chopped
  • 250 mldouble cream
  • 75 gunsalted butter, cubed
  • 75 gicing sugar, sifted
  • a pinchfine salt
  • 1 tspvanilla extract

Per serving

564 kcal6.5g protein57g carbs36g fat

Nutrition calculated from 18 of 18 ingredients

Approximately 535 kcal, 7g protein, 64g carbohydrate and 29g fat per slice.

Clear and checked

Method

  1. 01

    Heat the oven to 160°C fan

    3 min

    Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Grease both tins and line bases and sides with parchment.

  2. 02

    Sift flour

    3 min

    Sift flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, breaking up any lumps.

  3. 03

    In another bowl whisk eggs

    3 min

    In another bowl whisk eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk only until combined.

  4. 04

    Dissolve optional espresso

    3 min

    Dissolve optional espresso in the boiling water. Add the hot liquid gradually while whisking. The batter will be thin; divide it evenly between the tins.

  5. 05

    Bake for 28-32 minutes

    30 min

    Bake for 28-32 minutes until the centres spring back and a skewer has a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack and cool completely.

  6. 06

    For the frosting

    2 min

    For the frosting, put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling, pour over chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir from the centre until glossy, then mix in icing sugar, salt and vanilla.

  7. 07

    Leave the frosting at room temperature

    45 min

    Leave the frosting at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread. Do not refrigerate until hard.

  8. 08

    Place one cake

    3 min

    Place one cake on a plate and spread with one-third of the frosting. Add the second cake and cover the top and sides with the remainder.

  9. 09

    Let the finished cake stand

    30 min

    Let the finished cake stand for 30 minutes before slicing. Store covered at cool room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate in warm weather, bringing slices back to room temperature before eating.

Equipment check

8 items required

  • Two 20cm round cake tins, at least 5cm deep
  • Baking parchment
  • Digital scales
  • Two mixing bowls
  • Electric hand mixer or whisk
  • Medium saucepan
  • Wire rack
  • Palette knife

Dietary and allergen note: Vegetarian. Contains gluten, egg, dairy and soya if present in the chocolate.

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Recipe diagnostics

Checked before you cook.

Structurally checked

Metric quantities and serving yield are explicit

Method includes timing and doneness cues

Nutrition is identified as a calculated estimate

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