If you’re looking for the best ever chocolate mud cake then look no further because you will not find a rich chocolate mud cake recipe better than this one.
It’s the most moist chocolate cake, decadently rich, delicious, not too sweet and easy to make.
You pick up your cake fork and raise it to touch the top of the glossy icing.
As you press gently you meet no resistance from the thick layer of chocolate fudge icing goodness.
You can smell the richness and can’t wait to get it to your mouth.
As you reach the cake layer you press a little harder and the cake crumbles and squishes a little onto the fork.
You raise it to your mouth and get another whiff of intoxicating chocolate.
In case you’re looking for the best ever chocolate mud cake in a gluten-free version, here you go – best ever flourless chocolate cake.
It hits your lips and then the icing coats your teeth and lips like lipstick.
As soon as the flavour hits your tongue you want more of the tender crumb and smooth as silk icing. You’re in chocolate mud cake cake heaven.
Ok back you come. I so wish that there was a way you could smell this cake through the computer because I guarantee you’d be diving into your screen to get a taste.
This is my go-to mudcake recipe! I have used it for years and ALWAYS get rave reviews. I make it with either a white chocolate or dark chocolate ganache. It’s yummmmmmmm!Kate (mud cake recipe lover)
Yesterday, a friend emailed me asking for the best chocolate cake recipe.
‘I know you have a lot on the blog, but which would you say is best?’
Her question couldn’t have come at a better time because this is quite possibly the best ever chocolate mud cake.
I know there are a lot of different recipes out there but this one really is the perfect chocolate mud cake.
It's our go-to for any special occasions.
It’s the best that I’ve made that’s for sure.
I know it’s a big call but I can confidently say that (edit: and if you read the comments you’ll see others agree!).
Ingredients
To make the perfect cake you will need:
- Butter - good quality butter that comes in a foil-wrapped block
- Dark chocolate - the best quality you can get. If dark chocolate is a little too rich you can substitute ¼ of it with milk chocolate.
- Strong coffee - you can use instant espresso powder mixed with boiling water. Don't be put off if you don't like coffee. You can't taste it in the final cake but it adds a lovely depth to it.
- Caster sugar - also called superfine sugar
- Plain flour - or you can use spelt flour
- Baking powder
- Cocoa powder - adds extra chocolate flavor
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract - we like to use homemade vanilla extract
Of course that is just my opinion, feel free to make it just to prove me wrong (or back me up), any excuse to bake it will do.
Like a little mint with your chocolate? Then you might enjoy our choc-peppermint mud cake.
The recipe is quite similar to one I was given by my mum’s friend. It’s a secret recipe that I’m not allowed to blog, but this one, well this one I’m allowed to share and share it I will.
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan-forced and grease and line a 25cm springform cake tin with parchment paper. Alternatively, line 2 x 20cm round cake pan to make a double layer cake.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter, chocolate and hot coffee over low heat, stirring, until the chocolate has dissolved.
- Add the sugar to the pot and stir it in until it has dissolved too.
- Pour the wet chocolate mixture into a heat-proof bowl.
- Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder over the top of the wet ingredients and whisk them into the liquid then whisk in the eggs then the vanilla.
- Once everything is combined, pour the cake batter into the tin.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
- Ice the cooled cake with chocolate fudge icing.
The cake is even better the next day.
I often make the cake at least a day in advance and ice on the day of serving.
The rich chocolate icing
I do love ganache but sometimes it can be a bit rich even to me.
I don’t know why.
Maybe it’s made with super duper rich chocolate?
My most favourite chocolate icing is chocolate fudge icing made with real chocolate.
It has no cream but a lot of butter, chocolate and brown sugar instead of icing sugar and it is just so light and fluffy and sweet and chocolatey and smooth and … do you get the picture?
You could also use a chocolate buttercream.
I posted this photo on Facebook the day I made the cake with the caption ‘I may have eaten a great deal of this icing as I iced the cake. Like if you’d have done the same.’
I got a few likes that day.
Sadly I wasn’t lying.
I really did eat quite a lot of icing and since then I’ve made it many many times and every time I end up eating copious amounts of icing from the dish.
The first time there was a bit left over and it would have been a shame to let it go to waste right?
The first time I made the best ever chocolate mud cake I served it for Valentine's Day dessert with some little raspberry hearts in cream (because I forgot to whip the cream and I was too lazy to do it after dinner - bad wife!).
Isn't that cake to icing ratio wonderful?
FAQs
Absolutely not, it's a good thing. The key to a fudgy chocolate cake is a nice runny chocolatey cake batter.
I’m not a fan of coffee and I have to say you can’t taste it at all. It just adds a nice richness to the cake. I will say though, make sure you’re using a good-quality vanilla extract rather than a vanilla essence.
Yes indeed you could make it in two loaf tins. I’d strongly advise lining them as well as greasing them.
I have used this recipe to bake cupcakes and other shapes in smaller sizes. You’ll just need to start checking on them a lot sooner so you don’t burn them.
I have made it up to 3 days in advance but I usually ice it at the earliest the day before serving. You can also make the cake up to 3 months in advance and freeze it.
To freeze wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminium foil. Make sure it is fully thawed to room temperature before icing.
Mississippi mud cake is essentially a mudcake that you top with marshmallows while it is still warm from the oven and then ice with chocolate icing. You could definitely use this classic mud cake recipe to make it.
If I still haven’t convinced you, the year I discovered it I made my own Birthday cake instead of asking for my most favourite cake in the world from Jocelyn’s Provisions.
Actually – funny story about that.
I made my cake and we went out to dinner with some family.
When we arrived we delivered the cake to the kitchen (in a cake box because I was a bit fancy).
It was one of those restaurants with an open kitchen and where I was seated, I could see straight into the kitchen.
We ate a delicious dinner and were having a great time and then I saw them preparing my cake.
I saw the guy take the cake out of the box then… promptly drop it upside down on the bench.
I thought it was pretty hilarious. But it got funnier.
They didn’t say anything to us. Not a word.
They redecorated it and served it to us like we wouldn’t notice (it looked completely different!).
We may have mentioned it when they added a cakeage charge to the bill.
Needless to say they took that charge off!
What about you? Do you make your own Birthday cake?
You might also like our red velvet cake with buttercream icing.
Recipe
Recipe
The best ever chocolate mud cake
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 250 g 2 sticks butter
- 200 g 7oz dark chocolate
- 375 ml 1½ cups strong coffee (ie 375ml water with coffee dissolved - about 1 tablespoon if you use instant coffee granules)
- 450 g 16oz caster sugar
- 175 g 6oz plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 free-range eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ICING
- 125 ml ½ cup water
- 30 g 1oz dark brown sugar
- 175 g 6oz unsalted butter, cubed
- 300 g 10oz good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan-forced and grease and line a 25cm springform tin.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate and coffee over low heat, stirring, until the chocolate has dissolved.
- Add the sugar to the pot and stir it in until it has dissolved too.
- Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl.
- Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder over the top and whisk them into the liquid then whisk in the eggs then the vanilla.
- Once everything is combined, pour the batter into the tin.
- Bake the cake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
Icing
- Put the water, 30g dark sugar and 175g butter in a pan over a low heat to melt.
- When the mixture begins to bubble, take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirling the pan so all the chocolate is heated.
- Leave it for a minute or two and then whisk until the icing turns smooth and glossy.
- Leave it for 1-3 hours and whisk every 20-30 minutes until it is thick.
- When the cake has cooled spread it with the fudge icing.
Lyndsy Moll says
A- m- a-z-i-n-g!
Claire says
Yay! Glad you liked it!
Lyndsy Moll says
OMG! Saw your blog, cake is in the oven smells divine. Can't wait until its done. My mouth is watering so bad.
Claire says
Hope you like it Lyndsy!
Sasha says
Hi there,
I was wanting to make a choc mud cake for one of my friends for his birthday and was wondering if i double the batter if it needs extra cooking time? Its going in a 10" square tin. I was also wondering if peppermint flavour would work instead of the coffee? if so would i need extra o actually have it affect the taste?
Claire says
Hi Sasha,
Yes you will need to increase the baking time for a bigger tin. I'd start checking on it at the usual time and then every 5-10 minutes. If it starts to look a bit brown on top cover it with foil.
With the coffee - you can't actually taste it (trust me I don't like coffee!) but it's more to bring out the chocolate flavour. You could definitely add peppermint to it. Another idea might be to add some peppermint essence to the icing instead?
Hope that helps!
Sarah says
This is the first time I have ever bothered to comment on a recipe but just had to add that this truly is the best ever mud cake! I made two big cakes in the shape of a 3 and an 0 for my fiancé's 30th last night and they were a hit! I made the cakes the day before and just covered them in a tea towel over night (they were big cakes with double the batter in each and I didn't have big enough Tupperware) - they were so moist and rich and everyone loved them! I have never seen cake at a party be such a hit! Plus it's so easy to cut :) thanks so much for this recipe!
Claire says
You are very welcome Sarah. I'm so glad you liked them. Happy 30th to your fiance!
jem says
H Claire, im about to go shopping for these yummy ingredients- when you say add coffee do you mean just the granuales or like a ready made black coffee?
cant wait to make this !- aso is it crumbly or easy to calve???? TIA!! JEM
Claire says
I Jem. Just regular instant coffee powder granules. It's sort of a cross between... I probably wouldn't use it to carve anything fancy but it's not too crumbly. I hope you like it!
Iliana says
What is the cocoa powder?
Claire says
Hi Liliana. You'll find cocoa in the baking aisle near the flour. It's a chocolate powder I guess would be the best description.
Andrew Smith says
This cake is fabulous! Best chocolate cake ever and so easy to make. Doubled the recipe and cooked in two loaf pans, took a bit longer then recommended time on recipe. Tasted just like a proper mud cake. I used the cake to make a dump truck for birthday and it cut up really well, no crumbling (cooked cake the day before cutting and icing it). Will definitely be making this again!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Andrew! If you have any pics I'd love it if you'd share them on the Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ClaireKCreations?ref=hl.
It really is a delicious cake isn't it? Lasts quite a while too. Well it would if it didn't all get gobbled up!
Lisa Still says
Hi Claire,
I had to post here as I recently made this cake (I followed the recipe down to a tee - only diff in a non fan forced oven it took about an 1.2hrs) - and it is the BEST CAKE I have ever made or eaten! And I am not usually a favourite of Chocolate Mud Cake. Thanks for the recipe - I made it as a birthday cake for one of my friends and they have all asked for the recipe. Thanks :-)
Claire says
So glad you liked it Lisa!
Andrea says
Hi Claire
This cake looks AMAZING, I am just wondering do you have quantity amounts and cooking times for larger pans? I have an 8" round cake tin and a 12" round cake tin and would love to bake this in there but being a novice baker am really unsure on how to increase the quantities and cooking time. Thank you in advance :)
Claire says
Hi Andrea. Funny you should comment I just made this cake again tonight! You can make the recipe times 1.5 or double it and I'd still bake it for 1h and then test and test every 10 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Michelle says
Hello Claire,
The recipe and the photos look delicious!
I am beginner to baking and I am wondering for the Dark Chocolates, should they be unsweetened or semi-sweetened. Do they have to be chocolate for baking? Or can they just be any old dark chocolate block like Cadbury?
Thank you so much!
Claire says
Hi Michelle, Thank you! I just use regular good-quality dark eating chocolate from the supermarket so yep Cadbury would be perfect. Good luck!
biancka says
Well, not long after I made it for a second time :) It was that good !! I did make a few changes. Instead of coffee I used milk and I added a layer of strawberry jam between the cake and ganache layer. Oh boy.....you have to try that !! It now is pretty much exactly like my fave dessert from my favorite restaurant :) I am a happy girl indeed !
Claire says
Oh wow that sounds amazing. I've had so many comments on this lately I really think I'll have to make it again for myself.
Erika says
Hi there!
I was in the supermarket this arvo and decided to make a mud cake! I googled and found this recipe. Hours later it is now in my belly! I'm definitely not a baker and not patient! So it wasn't particularly easy for me and it definitely didn't turn out perfect.... it sort of came out like a brownie!! It still tasted delicious! I found your recipe easy to follow, I think the faults that I had were that of my own!
Better luck next time- as least I will go to sleep sugared and happy :)
Claire says
Yay! So glad you liked it Erika. Doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it tastes good!
Foodzeit says
Claire, would be honored. Find my version on my blog. (http://foodzeit.blogspot.com/2013/08/double-chocolate-mud-sourc-ream-ganash.html). The result was awesome :)
Claire says
So glad you liked it and thank you for sharing!
Stacey says
I am definitely going to make this, and I will report back on my attempt (I have been known to have some cracker failures)
However, I was wondering with the frosting, if you're on a time limit, could you put the frosting in the fridge between whisking it to speed up the thickening process?
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Claire says
I'd say you could Stacey. Sounds like a good idea actually!
Foodzeit says
The very best chocolate mud cake recipe I have been seeing around. I think you had me at "you meet no resistance from the thick layer of chocolate goodness".. :). I will take your recipe with as an inspiration for my own version of this chocolaty delicacy.
Claire says
Haha I had myself at that sentence! It's a seriously good cake! Would love to see your version.