Chocolate Fudge Cake

This cake is fit for a celebration. With an indulgent and intense cocoa flavor the cake is fantastic as it is but the fudge frosting turns it from day to night celebration in no time. With a frosting that is very simple and easy to make. Perfect bake for Easter coming up.

I would like to start by saying, I completely understand that making a chocolate cake for an easter celebration sounds a little left of center. But this cake is everything far from an ordinary chocolate cake. Apart from the fact that is it easy to make it is a very forgiving recipe that looks elegant and tastes absolutely delicious. I made this for Easter 3 years ago and this cake has been made over many occasions since. I like decorating the cake with a few creme eggs to adorn the occasion but you can add gems, gummy bears, salted caramel, etc.

The cake itself is very easy to put together and you don’t need any fancy equipment to make it. There are a ton of substitutes that work for this recipe which we will look at a little later but one of the main points is the baking, do bot over bake the cake as you will loose the fudge texture. In reference to the frosting, it is not your conventional buttercream frosting which you could totally use here, don’t get me wrong but this fudge frosting tastes like a brownie and it is decadent ensuring a rich bite in every slice of cake. You can serve this cake with Vanilla ice cream for an added element of flavor and texture but I love having it with a cup of black tea.

This recipe uses an 8inch loaf tin however you could get away with a 9inch as well. You could use a 7inch/8inch/9inch round tin. I have also baked the batter in a cupcake tray and a 1/2 liter bundt tin. When you change the baking tin you change the cooking time hence be mindful about your oven temperature and you must not entirely depend on the time but on the doneness of the cake. A tooth pick inserted into the center must come out clean, also the cake should’ve risen and cracked on the top. Whatever cake tin you use, line it with butter/oil and baking paper, this helps release it once cooled and avoids the bottom getting over baked. If you are using a bundt tin brush the tin with softened butter and dust with cocoa powder before pouring the batter into the tin and baking.

What sets this cake apart from others is the simplicity of how the batter comes together. And once it is baked the whole house smells of chocolate making it a scented candle as well. But jokes aside, it rises beautifully in the oven once baked and has that authentic bakery style crack on the top making it look pretty as it is but since it is easter and we want to be a little extra this fudge frosting will turn this cake from day to night very fast making for a perfect occasion cake. You could just dust the top with icing sugar and cocoa powder if you don’t want to make the frosting but believe me it is worth it. As the recipe is very straight forward there aren’t many substitutes but you could get away with a few.

A few substitutes that work well in the this recipe are, butter can be substituted for margarine or a vegan butter spread (coconut butter). I use unsweetened cocoa powder as you should as you need that dark intense chocolate flavor. Light brown sugar works best in this recipe and gives that fudge texture, you could use dark brown sugar instead – the flavor will be more intense but I wouldn’t recommend using white sugar or granulated sugar for this recipe. The yogurt can be substituted for buttermilk or cream. The eggs can be substituted for flaxseed eggs or egg replacer powder or 35gm yogurt per egg. As for the frosting you need all the ingredients as suggested in order for it to have the right consistency for piping. Also let us quickly discuss creme eggs, ever since I was acquainted with them I have been obsessed with using them in my recipes. Since the cake and the frosting are dark chocolate intense the creme eggs are sweeter and add for a lovely balance. Not to mention a chunky textural element. However if you don’t have access to them, use gems/maltesers.

This cake actually tastes and feels better on the palate the next day hence it is a great recipe to make ahead of time. The cake itself without the frosting can be stored in the freezer whole for up to 2 weeks, wrapped in cling film and then foil, ensuring that it is wrapped well. With the frosting, I would recommend slicing the cake into individual portions and wrapping in cling film, then wrap in foil as mentioned earlier. They will last in the freezer for up to a 1 week. It can stay at room temperature for the day however I would consider transferring it to a fridge so the frosting doesn’t loose its texture too much.

So with no further time to waste, let us get into the kitchen. Happy Baking and Happy Easter!