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.
Justine says
I have made this cake twice now, it's very yummy, however I found that it sinks really low in the middle, making the middle of the cake really thin. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong! :)
Claire says
Hmm Justine I'm not sure. I have to say this has happened to me on occasion too. I read that if you over-mix the batter it can make it collapse? Also if the baking powder is past its prime?
Erin says
Also.... I only have 7 inch tins... I was thinking of making 1.5 times the batter for 2 cakes....how long do you think these will need in the oven ? Would you recommend making extra icing to sandwich the cakes together ? Thank you.
Claire says
Hi Erin. I'd start checking it after 40 minutes about every 5 minutes or so. Yes probably best to make a little extra icing. Enjoy!
Erin says
Hi, this cake has such great reviews I'm planning on making it for easter. I want to Beke the cake on Friday and plan to decorate and serve on Sunday. How would you recommend strong this cake ? Thank you.
Claire says
Hi Erin. Sorry for the delay getting back to you! I hope you still made the cake. I just keep it in an air tight container but it can also be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminium foil.
Michelle says
I made this cake for a birthday and threw it away as there was no way I could serve it. I made it in a 20cm pan not the recommended 25cm, perhaps this is why it would not set - I had to cook it too long and so the outside burned. But even so the cooked parts of the cake I did try did not have an impressive flavour or texture, I don't agree with so much water being in a cake - it's more like pudding. The icing was not a great flavour or texture for me either. Very disappointing and a very expensive cake to make. Made a plain old chocolate cake after that and it was great. I am by no means an inexperienced baker. To me if a recipe is so fussy that a different size pan throws it off, it's not a good recipe.
Claire says
Hi Michelle. Sorry you didn't have any luck with the cake. Could it have been the chocolate? I've tried it in a few different tins and made cupcakes with it. The chocolate is the only thing I can think of with regards to the flavour as it can make a big difference. Sorry again that it didn't work out for you!
Amy says
Hi Claire!
This is seriously the best ever chocolate mud cake I've ever had. I've made it twice now, once exactly how you've made it and the fudge icing is unbelievably good. And the other time was last week, I did a cake decorating course that required a 7inch square mud cake, I have to say this liquid like recipe doesn't lend itself to a square tin.... I ended up having to cut the sides off because they were burnt but it was definitely salvageable! It looked amazing after doing the cake decorating course and everyone at work said it was incredible and the most delicious cake they've had! So thank you for posting such an amazing recipe!
Claire says
Hi Amy. I'm so glad you liked it! I've never made it in a square tin but that's a very good tip thank you. Do you have any photos?
Sharon says
Thank you so much Claire! Husband & kids loved it
Claire says
You're welcome Sharon I'm glad!
Sharon says
Hi Claire :) sorry if I sound silly but am new to baking and want to try this out.. With step 2 in regards to the coffee, do I add coffee into 375ml of water or do I just add the coffee powder straight into the butter & chocolate mixture?
Claire says
Sharon there is no such thing as a silly question. The coffee needs to be dissolved in the water first. I've tried just adding it and I ended up with little lumps of coffee. Good luck!
Melissa says
Thanks Claire
I have it in the oven and it does smell superb. Just wondering, it seems to be cracking in a circle about an inch in from the edge if the tin. Is this expected or have I over mixed it (only mixed for a couple of minutes total in a kitchenaid stand muxer)?
Thanks so much.
Claire says
Oh yum Melissa I'm a bit jealous! Yes mine always cracks like that too but I cover it up with icing ;-)
Melissa says
Hi Claire
I was just wondering if I could use espresso instead of granules as I don't have any instant?
Also if I ice the cake the day before can it still be kept on the bench in a container?
Claire says
Hi Melissa. Yep no problem and the cake will be perfect iced in a container. Enjoy!
Velika Lovett says
Hello, I've just come across this recipe. I was wondering with the icing will it pipe ok onto cupcakes? Thanks :)
Claire says
Hi Velika. It would but it's very soft so not really that good for any sort of fancy piping.
Kylie says
I cooked this cake. Very tasty and moist. But it didn't cook right. The finished product was full of holes and all hollowed out.
Claire says
Hmm that doesn't sound good Kylie. I wonder what could have caused that?
Sarah_Meowiing says
great recipe = great cake as always
Renee says
Hi Claire,
I'm considering making this cake for my Aunt's 60th birthday next weekend, and I have a few questions. Firstly I am planning on making a sheet cake (probably going to cook 2 half sheets and lay side by side, and then do another layer on top - there's a lot of people at this 60th!) so my first question is how many batches of the above recipe would I need for one half sheet pan?
My second question is after laying out the cake and covering in ganache, do you think this recipe would be suitable to then be covered in fondant? Or is it too delicate?
Thanks,
Renee
Claire says
Hi Renee. It would be ok to cover in fondant no problem. Re the calculations... I'm not 100% sorry. What are the measurements of the tin?
Gina says
I just made this and what a flop it is! It didn't rise at all and has an overall very strong coffee taste!
Claire says
That's no good Gina. Sorry you didn't like it.
Gabrielle says
OH.MY.GOD!!! Followed to a T and best mud cake I have ever eaten!
Claire says
Yay! Glad you liked it Gabrielle!