This chocolate fudge cake is made with two impossibly rich 6 inch layers and a swoon-worthy chocolate ganache fit for any special occasion.
You know I perfected the vanilla cake awhile back, and now I have finally created the chocolate counterpart! This ultimate chocolate fudge cake is the perfect chocolate cake in my eyes.
It checks off all of the boxes: pronounced chocolate flavor in the actual cake layers (not just the frosting!), made with a butter-oil combination so it stays moist for dayyyys without sacrificing flavor, smooth truffle-like ganache that's so rich, it's hard to take another bite, yet so smooth & chocolatey, it's hard not to eat the whole thing!
For more rich chocolate recipes, try Fudgy Mocha Brownie Cookies, Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake, Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Olive Oil Brownies.
Jump to Recipe
Why you'll love this chocolate fudge cake
- Rich, Decadent Flavor: The combination of fudgy chocolate ganache with rich cake makes this dessert feel extra special.
- Fudgy, Moist Texture: Unlike most chocolate cake recipes, this recipe bakes up incredibly fudgy & moist with a pronounced chocolate flavor, an even, tight crumb, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is utterly irresistible.
- Small 6-inch Size: The small size of this cake makes it perfect for a small crowd! It serves about 8 small pieces.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake Flour: Cake flour makes this cake extra soft, but you can absolutely use regular all-purpose flour, or even GF 1:1 flour.
- Cocoa Powder: I used a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders for an extra rich chocolate experience.
- Baking Powder: Be sure your baking powder is fresh by testing it some water.
- Butter: Use high-quality butter, such as European-style butter for best flavor.
- Sugar: I know there is A LOT of sugar in this cake, but do be tempted to reduce it. Sugar is used not only to sweeten the cake, but also for the structure and texture of the cake.
- Eggs: Be sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the batter.
- Sour Cream: You can also use plain whole milk greek yogurt.
- Oil: I recommend using light-tasting extra virgin olive oil, but any neutral oil will work.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
STEP 2: Cream butter & sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light & fluffy.
STEP 3: Mix in eggs & vanilla. Mixing on low speed, add the eggs one a time. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the vanilla.
STEP 4: Alternate dry & wet ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the sour cream and oil. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
STEP 5: Bake. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and smooth out the tops with an offset spatula. Bake the cakes for about 35-40 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away form the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
STEP 6: Allow the cakes to cool. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 7: Make the ganache. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat and bring to a simmer or about 190 degrees F. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate, place a plate on top of the bowl, and allow to sit for a couple minutes. Remove the plate and gently stir with a rubber spatula until the ganache is smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for 1 hour (but no longer!) at room temperature to thicken.
STEP 8: Assemble. Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to add 3 scoops of ganache to the first layer. Use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Place in the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes. Place the second cake layer on top upside down. Add a few large dollops of ganache to the top of the cake, and use the offset spatula to smooth out the top, and spread the excess all over the sides. Continue decorating the cake as desired, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Black cocoa powder substitute: If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder, making it a total of 63g or ¾ cup.
- Make the cake layers ahead of time. This cake stays moist for dayyyys, so you can make ahead of time. Store at room temperature wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, be sure to leave the cake layers out a room temperature overnight, then decorate the next day.
- Use an immersion blender to mix the ganache. It can be easy to over-mix ganache, resulting in a split, grainy texture. I recommend using an immersion blender, as it will mix it efficiently without aggravating it to the point that the milk solids separate.
- Allow the ganache to sit for one hour, but no longer! The ganache needs one hour to thicken up into a spreadable consistency, but any longer and it may be too thick to spread or even split and appear grainy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can swap an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour or even gluten free 1:1 flour for the cake flour.
Dutch process cocoa powder is THE best cocoa powder for baking. Because it's neutralized with an alkalizing agent, it has a smoother flavor and creates the most fudgy and chocolatey baked goods! Black cocoa powder is similar to dutch process, but richer in flavor and darker in color. It is typically used in small amounts alongside another cocoa powder to enhance the color and flavor of the baked good. It smells like actual chocolate cake and is just magical to bake with!
Be wary of over-heating or over-mixing or the ganache might split. When ganache splits, the fat solids separate and it appears grainy. If this happens, sometimes it can be fixed by adding a splash of cold heavy cream or small amount of butter.
I highly recommend mixing the ganache with an immersion blender, as it mixes more efficiently without aggravating it to the point that the milk solids separate.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Press parchment or plastic wrap up against the exposed end of the cake, and cover with a cake dome or large bowl for 3-5 days.
Freezer: Cut the cake into individual slices, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other cake & cupcake recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 120 g (1 cup) cake flour
- 42 g (½ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
- 21 g (¼ cup) black cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 198 g (14 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 250 g (1 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 113 g (½ cup) sour cream, room temp
- 100 g (½ cup) extra light tasting olive oil
For the chocolate ganache:
- 340 g (12 oz) bittersweet chocolate
- 340 g (1 ½ cups) heavy cream
Instructions
For the chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease & line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light & fluffy.
- Mixing on low speed, add the eggs one a time. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the vanilla.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Mix in the sour cream and oil.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and smooth out the tops with an offset spatula.
- Bake the cakes for about 35-40 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away form the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate ganache:
- Chop the chocolate and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat and bring to a simmer or about 190 degrees F.
- Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate, place a plate on top of the bowl, and allow to sit for a couple minutes.
- Remove the plate and gently stir with a rubber spatula until the ganache is smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender.
- Cover the bowl and allow to sit for 1 hour (but no longer!) at room temperature to thicken.
For assembly:
- Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to add 3 scoops of ganache to the first layer. Use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Place in the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes.
- Place the second cake layer on top upside down. Add a few large dollops of ganache to the top of the cake, and use the offset spatula to smooth out the top, and spread the excess all over the sides. Continue decorating the cake as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Black cocoa powder substitute: If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder, making it a total of 63g or ¾ cup.
- Make the cake layers ahead of time. This cake stays moist for dayyyys, so you can make ahead of time. Store at room temperature wrapped tightly and stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, be sure to leave the cake layers out a room temperature overnight, then decorate the next day.
- Use an immersion blender to mix the ganache. It can be easy to over-mix ganache, resulting in a split, grainy texture. I recommend using an immersion blender, as it will mix it efficiently without aggravating it to the point that the milk solids separate.
- Allow the ganache to sit for one hour, but no longer! The ganache needs one hour to thicken up into a spreadable consistency, but any longer and it may be too thick to spread or even split and appear grainy.
Alfie Warburton says
Hi Sloane
How deep are your pans?
Sloane says
They're 2 inches deep!
Shamistha says
Hi is olive oil the best oil to use or any neutral oil would be the same ?
Sloane says
You can use any neutral oil!
Nini says
Can this be made in 2x 9 inch cake pans? If so, should I lower the bake time due to more surface area being baked more quickly?
Bee says
Hi Sloane, just a quick question about the ganache. when frosted in between the layers and refrigerated, will the ganache filling set very firm and solid in the cake? I'd like to make this milk chocolate.
Jacqui Lim says
Hi hi
Is it possible to replace the butter with oil?
If yes, would I need to bake it longer?
Thanks.
Can’t wait to try this recipe
Sloane says
No, the butter cannot be replaced in this recipe. If you'd like an all oil cake, I would recommend making my Dairy Free Chocolate Cake, Dark Chocolate Malt Snack Cake, or Chocolate Orange Cake.
Jae says
Hi, Sloane.
How would you compare this cake’s texture to your Chocolate Malt snack cake? I tried that recipe and it wasn’t my favorite — I prefer a looser, more open crumb rather than a brownie-like texture. [Though I must say that the frosting that went with it was incredible! 11/10!] I usually find that all-oil recipes suit my palate most but I always want to keep giving butter-oil hybrids a try because the flavor of butter is so good.
Thanks!
Sloane says
Hi Jae,
I'm sorry the chocolate malt snack cake didn't turn out as we're hoping. But I'm so glad you liked the frosting! That cake is not meant to have a brownie-like texture (none of my cakes should, except my flourless chocolate cake) so I'm not sure what happened there. I will say that malted milk powder does make it slightly more dense compared to my dairy free chocolate cake (which is a similar oil cake). This chocolate fudge cake is pound-cake inspired, so it's on the denser side but still very moist from the oil. In my opinion, butter-oil cakes will always have the best flavor and they'll maintain a soft and moist crumb. Oil cakes, on the other hand, may have the lightest and softest texture, but they usually lack flavor unless they have a strong-flavored ingredient, such as pumpkin. If you prefer oil cakes, you should definitely try my dairy free chocolate cake! If you don't need it to be dairy free, you can use regular whole milk 🙂
Jae says
Hi Sloane,
Thanks as always for your detailed reply! Now that you mention it, maybe something did go wrong with the bake on that Malt Cake. "Brownie-like texture" wasn't maybe the best choice of words. I described it that way because I have a recipe for cake-like brownies from King Arthur that's very similar to the tight, dense crumb that this one turned out with. Toasting the malted milk powder gave me some trouble. After oven-toasting it sat for maybe 10 minutes and when I went to go use it, it had hardened like a rock. I had to blitz it to break it up back into powder. Any guesses what happened? Did I maybe over-toast it? I have an oven thermometer so I know it didn't get too hot and I followed your directions carefully.
I agree with you that oil-only cakes have less flavor. In the case of one of my favorites it has reduced Guinness beer, coffee, and espresso powder to compensate.
But I do like pound cake so I'm going to give this one a go!
Sloane says
If the milk powder is over-heated it will stick together like that, which is why it's important to stir it frequently. All ovens are different, so you might need to stir it every 5 minutes rather than 10.
But let me know how this recipe goes for you!
Ana says
Hi Sloane!
May I ask what brand of cake flour you prefer? I always weigh my ingredients for cakes. I've noticed that Swans Down cake flour calls for 112g. per cup of flour (vs. the 120g. that most other brands call for). Using the amount called for in most recipes has lead to many of my cake recipes turning out dry. How much would I scale this recipe up in order to make two 10in (2in tall) round cake layers?
Sloane says
Hi Ana,
I do use Swans Down! My recipes are developed in grams, so you can definitely trust the weight measurements. To scale this recipe for a 2 layer 10" cake, I would go with 1.5x. I have not made this recipe with 10" cake pans, so I'm not 100% sure!
Ana says
Thank you so much, can't wait to try your recipe!!
jk says
Hello, I just found your website. I love making small cakes and will try this one, however, is the calorie count really 3671?
Also, I tried to sign up for your recipes, but nothing has after I checked the robot box and hit subscribe...
Sloane says
Hi! Those calories were for the entire cake, but I just fixed the serving size. As for subscribing, this has happened a few times so I will look into and hopefully get it fixed soon. Thank you for bringing these things to my attention!
lf says
It's been baking at 325 for 40 minutes, it's still very gooey. Any suggestions for next time?
Sloane says
Hi! Your oven's calibration might be off, so I'd recommend getting an internal oven thermometer if you don't already have one. Also, be sure to bake the cake layers on the center rack. If your oven has a convection setting, use that for more even heating. Hope that helps!
gg says
Can you use a bundt cake tin with this recipe?
Sloane says
Yes! This Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake (https://atsloanestable.com/chocolate-espresso-cake/) is the same recipe but scaled up to fill up a bundt pan. You can leave the espresso powder out if you'd like!
Kp says
hi. this sounds delicious! Can the cake be made eggless?
Sloane says
Hi! I'm sorry, but the eggs are essential to the structure and texture of this cake.
Kara says
where has this cake been all my life?! seriously the best chocolate cake I've ever made from scratch. will be making this recipe again and again
Jean Clement says
I want to make this in an 8 inch layer cake. would I double the recipe?
Sloane says
Since these 6 inch layers are fairly thick, you can leave the recipe as is and bake in two 8 inch pans!
Ole says
I've tried baking this for a couple of times now, but haven't managed to nail it. I'm sure I'm the one doing something wrong though. The flavour of the cake is just amazing, probably the best tasting chocolate cake I've ever had. This is rich, fudgy, chocolatey heaven.
However, both times I've made it, the cake has come out very fragile, to the point where it just cracks and falls apart when I carefully try to flip it out of the cake tin, or just when gently pushing it from the cutting board to a serving plate. It also has a tendency to collapse in the middle when I take it out of the oven, altough it rises quite evenly while baking.
I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, just not sure what. Would another egg help make the cake come out less fragile?
Sloane says
Hi! I'm sorry the cake didn't turn out quite right, but I'm so glad you like the flavor! This cake is not meant to be fragile. It should have an almost brownie-like crust. So it should feel sturdy on the outside, but moist on the inside.
Did the cake fall apart because it was too dry or too moist? Either outcome could be caused by not weighing out the ingredients properly. Is your baking powder fresh? Or did you add more than what was called for? Adding too much leavener can cause baked goods to collapse, but it could also just be that the cakes needed a few more minutes in the oven. If you don't have one already, I highly recommend an internal oven thermometer!
Let me know how it turns out if you try this recipe again! I also have this recipe in cupcake form, if you'd prefer. Just swap the gluten free flour for all-purpose flour 🙂 https://atsloanestable.com/gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/
Sam says
how much table salt can I use if I don't have kosher salt?
Sloane says
Hi Sam,
I would cut it in half, so 1/2 tsp table salt!