I have been experimenting recently with a chocolate fudge cake recipe that my sister gave me years ago. I love the chocolate cake recipe that appears in many of my cake books but it does take a while to make and creates loads of washing up to do afterwards! The Chocolate mud cake recipe on this blog is also very popular with my family but it is a little on the heavy side and I’ve found isn’t ideal when I want to carve a cake! So I was looking for the ultimate, fast but tasty, not too heavy but very chocolately cake and I’ve found this old recipe seems to fit the bill perfectly.
I have been trailing the cake out at the Lindy’s Cakes workshops, and it’s been a huge hit taste and texture wise with my students, it also freezes well, it supports sugarpaste and can be carved, although I would say it’s not as easy to carve as a madeira but armed with a nice sharp knife you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.
Regards shelf life, I’ve not managed to keep this delicious cake for more than 5 days, it simply just gets eaten too quickly!! Jane, my workshop co-ordinator has also baked this recipe a few times and tells me she’s kept one for at least a week and it was still just as tasty as when it was first baked! This is easy to make and is perfect for covering in sugarpaste.
Delicious chocolate fudge cake recipe:
This makes a 20cm (8in) round cake 7.5cm (3in) deep – ideal for celebration cakes
-
- 225g (8oz) unsalted butter
- 225g (8oz) good quality chocolate
- 1 (15ml) tablespoon instant coffee granules
- 450g (1lb) caster sugar or soft brown sugar
- 150ml (5 fl oz) water
-
- 4 large eggs
- 35ml (1.1fl oz) vegetable oil
- 100ml (3.4 fl oz) sour cream or you can use natural yoghurt or Crème fraiche
-
- 125g (4 .5 oz) self raising flour
- 125g (4 .5 oz) plain flour
- 50g (2oz) cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
- Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C (315 degrees F, gas mark 2-3)
- Line the 20cm (8in) deep cake tin with baking parchment
- Slowly melt the butter, chocolate, coffee, sugar and water in a pan, once melted allow to cool.
- Add the eggs, oil and sour cream to the chocolate mix and stir well
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre
- Pour the chocolate mixture into well and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 1 hour 45mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin
Remember all ovens are different, so do check your cake towards the end of its cooking time
Chocolate Fudge Cake – Yum Yum!!!
Looking forward to all your feedback!
Happy Baking
Lindy
Update 5/3/11 – Since publishing this post I have found the same or virtually the same recipe in a number of places
A true reflection of a classic cake recipe!
Hi Maureen
I would use 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 times the quantities (depending on how deep you want the cake).
Here is a link to changing recipe quantities which may be of help to you.
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Hi Lindy
Iv made this cake a few times and its a delicious cake – everyone agrees. I made it last week as the top tier of an Angry Birds birthday cake for my grandson and covered it in chocolate ganache and then sugarpaste, needless to say it didnt last very long
Anyway what I wanted to ask is how I would up the recipe slightly to make it a bit deeper. I have been asked to make an Everton cake next week and wanted to make the 8″ cake but need a bit more depth to it. Thanks for your help.
Hi Shenaz
Chocolate Fudge Cake is fine for making a dinosaur cake, as it is quite solid and will stand up to being carved and having sugarpaste put on top. Not sure what size bowl you will need though as Lindy hasn’t made a dinosaur cake.
Good luck.
Lindy’s Team
Hi Lindy,
I’m due to bake a celebration cake this week. A little boys birthday cake in the shape of a dinosaur. I wanted to bake it in a Pyrex bowl..? I think its the 6″ bowl, Is it wise to use this recipe for that, as they wanted a chocolate fudge cake..?
Thanking you in advance x
Hi Sophie
To freeze the cake, wrap it in greaseproof paper, then tinfoil and lastly put in a plastic bag. To de-frost, take out a few hours before. If you are decorating it, you can do this while it is still slightly frozen.
This cake should still be ok a couple of weeks afterwards so if you make it during the week, you shouldn’t need to freeze it. Keep in airtight container until you want to decorate it and then store in a cake box.
The recipe says, castor sugar or soft brown sugar so it is really up to you. I am not sure it would change the taste much, but we usually use castor sugar.
Kind regards
Lindy’s team
Hi Lisa
Thanks for your query – hopefully you have had a successful cake as you said you were baking it at that time. Your question didn’t come through immediately though, which is why it wasn’t answered until today.
This cake does have a lot of sugar in it so you are probably right with your quantities. As regards baking time, I would start at about 2 hours and keep checking it with a skewer.
Good luck
Susie
Hi
I’m going to try and make this cake for a friends birthday coming up but it’s in a Friday night and I work in the week. How do I go about freezing and defrosting this cake? Also do you have a preference over castor sugar and brown sugar? Is there much difference in taste?
Hi Lisa,
Its great to hear that you are loving this recipe.
If swapping the dark/milk chocolate for white, the cake may turn out extremely sweet, so you may need to take this into account and reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe.
This is not something we have done, and therefore we cannot guide you any further.
If you do swap the chocolate, we would love to hear how it turns out.
Keep on baking!
Marina
hi there
i was wondering if i omit the cocoa powder and replace the dark/milk chocolate with white chocolate would the recipe still work the same? i have made the recipe to the t and it is absolutely fab the best by far and is now my fav choc cake that i will use again and again!
thanks
Hi – I’ve just started baking this cake (double quantity for a 10 inch square tin) for my son’s birthday. I’m suddenly worried that the sugar quantity is right – seems very large amount! Also, any clues as to baking time required for this size cake? Many thanks
Thank you very much that is really helpful to a novice like me!
Hi Karen
If you make your cake today (Tuesday) then it should be okay to keep in an airtight container in a cool room until you want to buttercream it. This can be done on the day or the day before.
Once it has been buttercreamed then it needs to be stored in a cake box.
Good luck with your cake.
Kind regards
Lindy’s Team
I am making this cake today (Tuesday) for my daughter’s birthday on Saturday. Is it best to freeze it or keep it in the fridge and when should I buttercream it?
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Sarah
You could try these recipes for chocolate cupcakes:-
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2011/08/16/chocolate-and-raspberry-cupcake-recipe/
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/06/22/chocolate-mud-cake-recipe/
Alternatively, Lindy has a chocolate cherry mud recipe in her “Bake Me I’m Yours Cupcake Celebration” book. Here is a link to it on our online shop:-
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/shop/-Bake-me-I-m-yours…..cupcake-celebration-by-Lindy-Smith.html
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Hi, I am making 7 tiers of cupcakes with a small cake at the top for a wedding. This is my favorite recipe for doing decorated cakes. But when I tried to use this recipe for cupcakes they were way too crusty on top. Usually I don’t mind cutting off the crusty top for a cake but I can’t really do this for cupcakes. I am wondering if you have any tips for avoiding this? Or can recommend a recipe to try instead?
Thanks
Sarah
Hi Ann-Marie
Yes this cake can be frozen.
Kind regards
Susie
Hi Joanne
As this recipe is for an 8″ tin, try baking for an hour and 15 mins for the 6″ tin and then keep checking with a skewer to see if it is cooked. It really does depend on your oven.
Good luck.
Susie
Hi Nikki
If you click on the link below which is in Lindy’s Blog FAQ, it will give you tips on how to change recipe quantities to fill certain sized tins.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/
Hope this helps you and good luck with your cake.
Kind regards
Susie
hi can the cake be put in the frezzer because in makeing in for a wedding thanks
I have a 12 x 10 cake tin I’d like to make this cake in ready for carving into the digger cake I want to make my sn for his 4 birthday can you possible tell me if the measurements you’ve listed here will fill this easily or what measurements of the ingredients I need if not please
Hi Lindy & Team
Im going to use your Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe for a celebration cake to sit at the top of a tower of cupcakes for a 21st this Saturday. I looked at your conversion chart and I was going to use half the recipe as recommended to make a 6inch round cake but then I read on and see that you recommended making the full mix and using leftover cake batter to make cupcakes – can you tell me if you have tried this with the Chocolate Fudge recipe and how the timings should be adjusted for a 6 Inch cake and cupcakes.
Thanks
Joanne
Hi Michelle
We think the cake will be ok. Let us know how you get on!
Zoe
My cake has been in the oven for just over an hour and I’ve just realised that I forgot to put the soured cream in. Will it still be ok? I wanted to be able to carve the cake and I know the soured cream helps. Am I gong o be left with a chocolate brownie?
Hi Kerrie
I would make the chocolate fudge cake as it is very moist and tastes delicious. They both make an approx 3″ deep cake.
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Hi Lindy
Im wanting to make an 8inch and 6inch for a 2 layer celebration cake – chocolate cake and Im unsure whether to make your chocolate fudge cake or the choclate cake in your cake decorating bible book -they are both different. which do you recommend out of the two with a good chocolate flavour, moist and that will give me a nice high sided cake.
Thanks
Hi Pam
Yes this recipe is just for one pan. It is quite a deep cake so could be sliced in half.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2011/02/02/lindys-chocolate-fudge-cake-recipe/
On Lindy’s Blog there is a recipe for Chocolate Fudge cake which uses 4 eggs for an 8″ round tin.
If you need to convert your cake quantities try clicking on the link below for some useful tips.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/
Good luck
Susie
Hi Mary
Thanks for that tip. Let’s hope Emma has seen your reply.
Thanks
Susie
I am confused a bit. Is this recipe just for 1 pan? I am also reading the chocolate cake recipe in Lindy’s cake decorating bible and it says for a 9 ” square tine that I would need 12 eggs. Is that right and for 1 tin only? I’d be making 2 pans , so that would be 2 dozen eggs? Help please with both of these situations would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Hi Lindy, you had a query from Emma about the Lakelnd topsy turvy tins for this cake. I baked it in the 8″ topsy turvy exactly to your recipe and it turned out perfect.
Hi Mercedes
This is 160 normal oven, but think it should be okay 160 for a fan oven as well. It depends on your oven, but we have all tried baking this cake at various temperatures and it seems to come out ok.
Good luck.
Susie
Hi Emma
Lindy always bakes a round cake and then carves it to the shape desired so we have no experience with the Lakeland tins.
Try going on their website and see if they have any tips to offer.
Kind regards and good luck.
Susie
Hi Natalie
Yes, Chocolate Fudge Cake should be strong enough to support another tier. Most of Lindy’s recipes are good for stacking.
Good luck.
Susie
Hi again,
I forgot to ask. The instructions say bake at 160 degrees C. Does that apply to a fan oven or in that case it would be 140 degrees C?
Thanks !
Hi Angela
Yes, you tie the newspaper around with string.
Lindy’s buttercream recipe uses:
110g unsalted butter, 350g icing sugar, 1-2tbsp milk or water, a few drops of vanilla extract or alternative flavouring.
If you are making a chocolate buttercream, you could add melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.
Good luck!
Zoe
Hi Mercedes
Yes this is correct!
Happy Baking
Zoe
Hi,
I love this chocolate cake and will use it for my friends wedding cake (my first wedding cake request). I’m finding this blog very useful for the hints and tips. I just wanted to clarify for the newspaper around the tin is this true you put newspaper actually around the outside of the tin in the oven doesn’t the paper burn? Sorry maybe a bit silly but i get a bit paranoid. Also i have been cheating on my trials using the Betty Crocker pots for the buttercream but for the actual day I’d like to do my own. do you have any recommendations on reciepe as the ones i have are not very strong in flavour as most just use cocoa powder.
Thanks!
Hi,
I am going to bake this cake but in a 30cm square tin instead of a 20cm round. I have multiplied every ingredient x 3, following the advice in Lindy’s website, but the amount of sugar seems too much, 1350 g of sugar! Is that correct?
Thanks for your advice!
Mercedes
Hi Lindy,
I’ve just bought the set of topsy turvy tins from Lakeland and need to do a chocolate wedding cake with them. Do you think your recipe will work with tins that are much deeper in one end than the other? I had a go with a different recipe at the weekend and it was dreadful! Cake not cooked in the middle, sank when I took it out and the top had overcooked so much it had split really badly! Hope you can help,
Emma
Hi Rebecca
This cake can be stored in an airtight container if it is not covered in sugarpaste. A cake with sugarpaste on should be stored in a cardboard box.
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Hi Lindy,
Can this chocolate cake be use for a topsy turvy cake? I want to do 2 tiers so is it solid enough to stack and carve? I am going to dowel and board the bottom layer so it should help support the top. Do you think this will work without sinking or collapsing?
Thanks,
Natalie
Hi, Is this cake OK to be stored in an airtight container, or should it be refrigerated if you use crème fraiche?? Thanks
Hi Maureen
Yes you can freeze the chocolate fudge cake.
Happy Baking!
Regards
Zoe
Hi Lindy
I made this cake last night and it has come out beautifully, just a little crumbly on the outside but nothing major. I just wanted to ask does this freeze well?
Hi Lauren
Chocolate Fudge cake always has a crusty top so you are not doing anything wrong. Just slice the top off if you don’t like the crust.
Kind regards
Susie
I made this cake last night but the edges have gone really crusty
it was still runny in the middle at 1hr 30 mins so gave it another 15. My skewer came out clean this time but the outside is hard. Is this normal? Or have I overbaked it? Maybe I should’ve split it & used 2 tins. Now my dilemma is do i bake it all over again? I’d hate to have an unhappy customer