Double Fudge Cake
Make Double Fudge Cake for an ultra-moist, glossy chocolate cake that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (273 g) milk chocolate chips
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (88.5 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 large eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (163.5 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, (softened)
- 6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 325°F and spray a 9x13-inch metal baking dish thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray so the finished cake will lift cleanly. This is your first physical move—get the rectangular pan ready on the painted pine surface and have it waiting while you handle the wet and dry components.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate chips
Place the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe glass bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between intervals, until completely melted and glossy. Set the bowl aside to cool slightly on the white painted pine surface so the chocolate retains a fluid, syrupy sheen but won’t scramble the eggs when mixed.
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium matte ceramic bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until uniform and aerated; the cocoa should look deep and velvety and the flour cloud should be light—this gives the batter an even structure once folded in.
Step 4: Beat eggs and sugar until airy
In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle, beat the room-temperature eggs with the granulated sugar until the mixture is pale, voluminous and slightly ribboning—about five minutes. The egg foam should feel light and slightly glossy, a buoyant base for the dense chocolate that follows.
Step 5: Incorporate melted chocolate, oil, and water
With the mixer on low, stream in the slightly cooled melted chocolate, then add the vegetable oil and water. Mix until silky and homogeneous—your resulting wet base should be a glossy, flowing dark chocolate mass with a satin surface that hints at both richness and moisture.
Step 6: Combine dry into wet and pour into pan
Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding or mixing until no dry streaks remain and the batter is smooth with tiny entrained air bubbles. Pour the thick, glossy batter into the prepared 9x13 metal baking dish, scrape the sides with a rubber spatula, and smooth the top so the surface is even and shows small, uniform bubbles.
Step 7: Bake and begin the frosting while warm
Bake the filled 9x13 pan for 46–48 minutes, or until a toothpick yields a few moist crumbs but no wet batter; remove the pan and let it sit briefly so the top settles. While the cake is still warm on the painted pine surface, prepare the frosting: combine softened unsalted butter, Dutch-processed cocoa, honey, vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar in the mixer and start on low for about 30 seconds to blend into a dense chocolate paste.
Step 8: Thin the frosting and finish the cake
Add whole milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a glossy, spreadable consistency—silky but able to hold swirls. Spread the warm frosting over the still-warm cake in gentle, artistic swirls so it clings and sinks slightly into the crumb. The chocolate top should be glossy, slightly rippled, and inviting.
Notes
- Use room-temperature eggs to achieve better volume when whipping.
- Don’t overbake; remove when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs.
- Melt chocolate gently to keep it glossy and avoid scorching.
- Warm frosting spreads more smoothly; spread while cake is still warm for a sink-in effect.
- For a deeper chocolate flavor, add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to the melted chocolate.