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.
Sue says
Oh! I just expected you to be in the US! Lol!
Claire says
Haha nope Aussie!
John says
I made it exactly as your recipe states. Where the *&^% does it say to mix the coffee with water?? Too late for me. Maybe explain things better for us retarded fathers trying to make their kids something to eat.
Thanks.
Claire says
Oh no John! I've updated it to say (ie coffee dissolved in water) so I hope that's clear. Sorry it wasn't clear for you! I hope you give it another go.
Sue says
That was meant to say splash of oil! Lol!
I'd send you one but coming from Australia I can't guarantee the condition it might be in...mind you they say a mud cake gets better with age, but maybe not that long! Lol!
Claire says
Haha I'm in Australia too! Express post! :-p
Sue says
WOW! It's all I really need to say! I've been searching for a good mud cake for ages! I made a square one and it was a huge hit for my sons 9th birthday yesterday and today I've also made 22 cupcakes from the same recipe..yum yum yum! I did put in a splace of oil as I didn't quite have enough butter but it hasn't made a difference at all!
Thanks Claire for your wonderful recipe...it's one of the quickest and easiest I've ever tried too..
Claire says
Yay! So glad you like it Sue. Great idea to use a bit of oil to replace the missing butter. Now I want chocolate cake!
Leanne says
Hello i just want to say my goodness thankyou so very much for this beautiful recipe. I wanted a moist mud cake and it is beautiful I made your recipe for my husband for Valentines day as his favourite cake is a mud cake and he loved it. Also my 4 girls loved it as well and when it was one of my girls 21st this year i tripled your recipe and made her a beautiful cake for it, it was a winner thankyou :)
Claire says
You're very welcome Leanne! I'm so glad it was such a hit. I'd love to see a photo if you make it again!
Melissa says
Oh my god. It is even better than you promised. I doubled the recipe but think I should have cooked it as two separate cakes and layered it as it cooked a bit unevenly.
Have never enjoyed licking a cake bowl so much.
It should be a hit at my brothers 18th party.
Claire says
Oh goodness I have made myself ill licking the bowl on several occasions it's so good. Happy Birthday to your brother and I'm so glad you like it!
Kelly Nadebaum says
Holy heck this cake is delish!!
I decided I should learn to bake, as I'm now a mother & I found this recipe with its rave reviews & gave it a crack. It was easy & turned out delicious! Mine sunk in the middle, I have since read your comment about the old baking soda & think that was it, but I just filled the dip with icing & it now looks & tastes amazing!!
Thank you for this great recipe!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Kelly! I always do the old fill-it-with-icing if my cakes sink. Added bonus I think because you get more icing than you expected!
Jess says
Just made this cake for a friend and it is amazing!!!! Thank you. :)
Claire says
So glad you liked it Jess!
Kelly says
Sorry if this has been asked already, but could this recipe be used to make cupcakes? Would you need to alter any ingredients? What would approx. cooking time be? Thanks!
Claire says
Hi Kelly. It sure can! I would start checking them from 20 minutes and just add another 5 then check again. Good luck!
cristina dello iaco says
Oh MY goodness, this is the Best mudcake I have ever tasted. It was truly decadent.
Thank you so much!
Claire says
Yay! Glad you like it Cristina!
fathima says
Turned out perfect...an absolute hit...
My new go to recipe for a divine ..decadent chocolaty treat
Claire says
Yay! I'm so glad!
fathima says
first time baking a mud cake
cooking in the oven right this moment...fingers crossed ladies..
its a surprise for my neice who turns 23!!
Claire says
Fingers crossed for you Fathima but I'm sure it will turn out well. Happy Birthday to your niece!
Jen says
I'm a fairly seasoned baker, and this is, by far, the BEST mud cake recipe I have EVER come across! Soooooooooo good! Definitely my go to chocolate cake from now on!
Claire says
Yay Jen! So glad you like it!
Lani says
Just doubled this cake batter up by 2 with my daughter. Cake in oven, hope it turns out a yum as everyone elses. Quite a runny batter. Is that the correct consistency? Anyone cooked this in a Gas Oven, as have new gas oven and not sure what to expect. Thanks. Will post my result in a few hours.
Claire says
Hi Lani. Yep it's a really runny batter. I'm not sure about the gas oven. Fingers are crossed for you!
Lani says
Hi Claire,
I am the bearer of good and bad news. Though i followed this recipe down to a T, my cake burnt on the edges and was left runny in the middle for a good part of the cooking time. I suspected once the 1hour mark had come, I'd check the cake with my skewer.
Strange my skewer comes out in batter and the cake is still wobbling..
I give the cake more time to cook. I could smell the beautiful aroma of coffee-chocolatey goodness change into a burnt chocolatey badness...
Once I got up to check the cake again, total cook time 2 hours, my skewer comes out Jusst enough for me to say Enough! but not enough for me to save the bottom and sides (edges) of the cake. Approx 1cm over bottom and sides of entire cake was burnt to the point of no return. Once cooled i basically got in their with the family. We pretty much scooped out the cake and i scooped out enough into a container (as their was soo much left) Miss 8 reckons it looked like scoops of icecream whilst observing my method of transfer.
I can't understand why. As i said I made this with my daughter. We measured things out as accurately as could be, set the oven temp on exactly (had thermometer inside oven) Could it be this cake cannot be doubled??? I also noticed a eggy taste upon first tasting of the cake once cooled, but did not notice it the next day of eating.
End result of the ACTUAL cake that was edible is: A very rich, decadent, dense, moist chocolate mud cake. Coffee definitely bought out the cocoa I used (a really good 70% chocolate block) & family loved it!! Have to have small portion as is extremely rich, high in sugar and shows on the waistline (I already knew what I was getting myself in to upon reading of the ingredients list *chuckles :) Anyway, next time I might try the batter by 1 only lol Thank you anyway.
Claire says
Hi Lani! Oh no! Sounds like it's not a good one for doubling unfortunately. I'm glad you liked the bits you tried. Haha yes you're quite right, it's not something you could have every day.
Thanks for letting me know! You have saved me from future disasters. Glad you at least got a little bit :-)
Steph says
This cake looks amazing Claire!!! You are a very clever lady and you give me heaps of inspiration in the kitchen. I wondered what your thoughts are on using gluten free plain flour?
Claire says
Thanks Steph! I haven't used it very much but I think it would be ok? Only one way to find out I suppose!
Steph says
I will give it a go and let you know! Thanks for your super quick response.
Claire says
No problem Steph! Good luck!