Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake (Printable version)

Rich, squidgy chocolate cake with silky icing—perfect for celebrations or teatime indulgence.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the 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 cocoa powder
09 - 5 fl oz whole milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For the Chocolate Icing

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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (160°C fan). 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 saucepan 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 30–35 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 icing sugar and milk until the icing is smooth and glossy.
12 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread with a 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 Hints:

01 -
  • The texture is so fudgy and tender that it almost melts on your tongue, like the best brownie you've ever had in cake form.
  • It comes together quickly with no fussy steps, so even on a chaotic evening, you can pull off something truly impressive.
02 -
  • Don't overbake this cake, it's meant to be squidgy and fudgy, so a few moist crumbs on the skewer are exactly what you're looking for.
  • Let the icing cool slightly before spreading or it will slide right off the cake and pool on the plate.
03 -
  • Invest in good-quality dark chocolate, it's the star of this recipe and cheap chocolate will taste waxy and flat.
  • If your icing is too stiff, add a tiny splash more milk, if it's too runny, sift in a bit more icing sugar until it's just right.
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