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Every bite of this chocolate fudge cake serves intense, fudgy chocolate richness! An old-fashioned recipe so easy to follow that my friend’s 11 year old baked it by herself, including its smooth and creamy chocolate icing.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake slice with piece on fork.

The cake is moist and has the perfect amount of chocolate, topped with a decadent whipped chocolate icing. Its indulgent fudgy texture reminds me of the best old fashioned fudge I’ve ever had! This easy chocolate cake won over my chocolate-loving heart. There is more unsweetened baking chocolate in this whole recipe than in any other I have found in my extensive research on chocolate dessert recipes!

Keep digging into old fashioned baking wisdom with these chocolate halfway bars, cinnamon flop, and butterscotch brownies. Cut yourself a generous slice because it will be gone before you know it!

Why this is the best chocolate cake recipe:

  • Rich fudgy, chocolate flavor. Most recipes call for cocoa powder, but true old fashioned fudge and fudge cake are made with chocolate. It gives them a richer flavor and a slightly chewier texture.
  • Soft, moist crumb. Carefully creaming the butter and sugar and mixing until ingredients are only just combined, makes this cake soft, luscious, and unforgettable.
  • An old fashioned recipe with modern tips. This recipe was initially inspired by Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts! So this page contains her hard-earned wisdom paired with my professional insights.

Professional Tips

  • Sift your dry ingredients. Since we are using cake flour, this is one of those rare times when sifting is absolutely essential. Cake flour is fine and will clump easily otherwise.
  • Cool the cake layers on a wire rack. Remove the cooked cake immediately from the cake tins and cool on a wire rack. This will stop the cooking process and also keep it from getting soggy. You want your cake cooled properly so you can frost it!
  • Use parchment paper while frosting. Parchment is good for more than just lining the cake pans! If you use it as a “paper shield” for your cake stand or plate while frosting your cake.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake slice on cake server.
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Ingredients

  • Sugar: I use granulated sugar in this cake which aids in leavening, moisture, texture and stability.
  • Eggs: Whole eggs emulsify the batter. This results in a moist, tender cake. I even added some to the frosting for extra richness. Egg yolks are also what enrich my chocolate mousse recipe!
  • Cake Flour: I use cake flour because the lower gluten content and finer texture make a light, airy cake. If you don’t have cake flour, then substitute all purpose flour.
  • Milk: I use whole milk because it adds a richness and just the right amount of moisture to the final flavor and texture. 
  • Unsweetened Chocolate: Using unsweetened chocolate such as Baker’s unsweetened chocolate allows you to control the sugar in the recipe. It also has more cocoa solids (100%) than semi-sweet, which adds fat and contributes to the texture and flavor.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda
  • Kosher Salt
  • Unsalted Butter
  • White Vinegar: Since this recipe is inspired by an old-fashioned cookbook, white vinegar makes an appearance! It’s here to activate the leavening agents and make a beautiful, moist crumb. It also subtly tempers some of the sweetness.
  • Confectioners’ Sugar
  • Hot Water
  • Vanilla Extract

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations & Substitutions

  • Add some espresso powder: Add up to ½ teaspoon of espresso powder to the cake batter or 1 tablespoon to the frosting to amp up the chocolate flavor even more!
  • A bite-sized version: Bake this same cake into cupcakes, and fill them with an over-the-top chocolate ganache. You can use my Chocolate Cupcakes recipe as inspiration for that! Or, head down the cookie route like I do with my Fudgy Brownie Cookies.
  • Switch up the buttercream: The buttercream possibilities are endless! Why not try the strawberry cream cheese buttercream from my Best Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe? Or, get a little festive with the Bailey’s Buttercream from my Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes!

How to Make Chocolate Fudge Cake

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the cake:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (standard) or 325°F (convection). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.

To cut parchment paper to fit any pan, place the pan right-side-up on top of a sheet of parchment. Trace the outline with a pencil and then cut out the desired shape. Voilà!

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift & set aside.

If you’re using all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, you can probably skip sifting.

Step 3: Melt chocolate either in a bain-marie (in a bowl over a pot of simmering water) or in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Once melted, allow to cool slightly.

Step 4: With an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. 

Step 5: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vinegar in with the last egg. 

If the mixture looks curdled, don’t stress, it’s totally normal.

Step 6: Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.

Step 7: Reduce the mixer to low speed, and alternately add the flour mixture and milk. I find that it is best to begin and end with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. I did this in three additions. Stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour has incorporated.

Step 8: Portion the cake batter between the two prepared pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes. The center of the cake should spring back to the touch, and the edges will look set.

A cake tester or toothpick doesn’t really work here. I tried it and my cake was slightly overcooked. Still moist though!

Step 9: After 5 minutes in the pans, remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting. 

Cut around the edges to free the cake from the pan. Let the layers stand for 5 minutes in the pans. Cover each layer with a rack, invert, remove the pan, peel off the paper lining, cover with another rack and invert again. Cool right side up.

Make the icing & assemble:

Step 10: Place chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over moderate heat and cover until partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted.

Step 11: Place all remaining ingredients in a small metal bowl. Beat briefly just until mixed. Fill a larger bowl partially with ice water and nest the small bowl inside. Add the melted chocolate and butter and beat until the mixture thickens slightly. Keeping the small bowl on ice. Stir the chocolate icing with a rubber spatula until the icing thickens.

The original recipe called for stirring until the icing reached the consistency of “thick mayonnaise”.

Step 12: Spread a light coating on the bottom layer. Align the top layer on the bottom and continue icing the rest of the cake.

Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip

Temp your wet ingredients: Bringing your eggs, butter, and milk to room temperature before use will help them combine easier. This will produce the cake with the best crumb and a lump-free frosting.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake slice being served with icing swirls.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store chocolate fudge cake?

Store unfrosted chocolate fudge cake well-wrapped at room temperature or in the freezer. Unfrosted cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to two months! Store unused frosting in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Once frosted, the cake can be kept at room temperature for up to three days.

What’s the difference between chocolate cake and chocolate fudge cake?

Chocolate fudge cake is smoother, denser, and richer than a typical chocolate cake, much like its namesake (fudge). The melted chocolate and butter weigh down the crumb which gives it that characteristic fudgy texture. The addition of chocolate in place of cocoa powder also gives it a richer, more intense chocolate flavor.

Is fudge a type of cake?

Fudge is not a type of cake. Fudge is a candy made by heating sugar, butter, and milk to a soft-ball stage temperature (235°F) and then cooling and beating the mixture for smoothness. Fudge is typically a square or rectangle in shape. Cake is a baked good made from flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil. There are a lot of different types of cakes, ranging from light and fluffy (angel food cake) to heavier and dense (pound cake). Cakes can be round or rectangle, and layered with fillings and frostings. Both cakes and fudges can be a variety of flavors, and are typically sweet, but that’s where the similarities end!

If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake slice on cake server.
5 from 48 ratings

Chocolate Fudge Cake

An easy recipe for a fudgy, rich chocolate cake with a decadent chocolate icing!
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16 people

Ingredients 
 

For The Old Fashioned Fudge Cake

For the Whipped Chocolate Icing

Makes: 9inch round

Instructions 

Make the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (standard) or 325°F (convection). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift & set aside.
  • Melt chocolate either in a bain-marie (in a bowl over a pot of simmering water) or in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Once melted, allow to cool slightly.
  • With an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vinegar in with the last egg.
  • Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
  • Reduce the mixer to low speed, and alternately add the flour mixture and milk. I find that it is best to begin and end with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. I did this in three additions. Stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour has incorporated.
  • Portion the cake batter between the two prepared pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes. The center of the cake should spring back to the touch, and the edges will look set.
  • After 5 minutes in the pans, remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Make the icing & assemble:

  • Place chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over moderate heat and cover until partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted.
  • Place all remaining ingredients in a small metal bowl. Beat briefly just until mixed. Fill a larger bowl partially with ice water and nest the small bowl inside. Add the melted chocolate and butter and beat until the mixture thickens slightly. Keeping the small bowl on ice. Stir the chocolate icing with a rubber spatula until the icing thickens.
  • Spread a light coating on the bottom layer. Align the top layer on the bottom and continue icing the rest of the cake.

Notes

Yield: 8 or 9 inch, 2-layer cake
Adapted from: Maida Haetter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts ed. 1981
Technique – Be sure to allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes in their pans before turning out to cool completely, otherwise (even with properly prepared pans) the layers might not come out in one beautiful piece. Also consider popping the cake in the fridge between layers of frosting to get even layers.
Variation – Add up to ½ teaspoon of espresso powder to the cake batter or 1 tablespoon to the frosting to amp up the chocolate flavor even more!
Storage – Store unfrosted chocolate fudge cake cake well-wrapped at room temperature or in the freezer. Unfrosted cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to two months! Store unused frosting in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Once frosted, the cake can be kept at room temperature for up to three days.

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 395
Like this? Leave a comment below!

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed Cake Recipes.

Hi, I’m Chef Lindsey!

I am the baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Chef Lindsey Farr. I believe in delicious homemade food and the power of dessert!

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13 Comments

  1. How long does the frosting last on the cake and at room temperature considering the eggs would remain uncooked?

    1. I would not keep it unrefrigerated longer than 2 days. You can also use pasteurized eggs if that is a concern! Happy baking!

  2. So my mom and I have been making this recipe since I was a little girl. My mom has the original book… It’s so old the pages are brown! This cake is amazing and so worth the effort! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a really good chocolate cake.

    1. I have never tried, Amy, which is shocking considering how many cupcake recipes I have! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Just start checking them for doneness after 10 minutes. 8 if you want to play it safe! In my experience a typical cake recipe will make 24 cupcakes but that is a rough guess. Let me know if you try!

      1. Despite having zero culinary aptitude, my husband and I made cupcakes using this recipe. We started checking them at 9 minutes but wound up baking them closer to 12-15. DELICIOUS!

  3. I believe you forgot to mention the amount of sugar required for this recipe…I am looking forward to making this, sounds delicious!

    1. I absolutely did, Rosie. I am so sorry! It calls for 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. I’ll update the recipe right now and I’ll make it printable too 🙂

  4. Another beautiful cake and I’m sure it is delicious. I haven’t tried this one yet. So many recipes, so little time!

    1. I can see how you could have an entire blog devoted to Maida…she has so many amazing recipes. It was really hard to pick just one chocolate cake. You should really try this icing. It to die for!