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.
Sarah says
I have been hailed the birthday cake queen in my family since finding your recipe!! Wondering how I could adapt to make a caramel mud cake???
Claire says
Hmm that's a tricky one Sarah. I would suggest swirling caramel sauce through the batter once it's in the tin? Or you could slice the baked cake in half and sandwich it back together with caramel and then top with a caramel buttercream (beat caramel sauce into a regular buttercream recipe?). Yay to the Birthday cake queen!
:-( says
Saw this cake on line and decided to bake it for my step daughters birthday. The cake itself was delicious but when I took it out the oven the whole thing fell apart! What a shame. Going to have to make a new cake in the morning :-(
Claire says
Oh dear that's not good at all. Did it all apart in the tin or when you took it out of the tin?
Laura says
This is THE best mud cake I have EVER had in my entire life.
You are an angel. :)
Claire says
You're welcome Laura!
frankie says
what could I substitute for the butter, I am thinking of 50/50 oil and applesauce
Claire says
Hi Frankie. I think it would be a bit of trial and error as there is so much butter in the recipe. Usually my first stop is coconut oil. Let me know how you go.
Kym says
Hi Claire, when you say leave the icing for 1 to 3 hours, do you leave it in fridge? And I'm also confused about the 20 to 30 mins part? Cheers
Claire says
Hi Kym. You will need to leave the icing on the bench. Every 20-30 minutes, give it a good whisk to loosen it. It will thicken as time goes on and get nice and glossy.
Disappointed says
The mixture boiled over in the tin and the cake looks absolutely repulsive. After buying an enormous amount of ingredients, I had to go out of my way and buy another cake. I am extremely disappointed. This recipe is extremely misleading and a disgrace to the 'mud cake' name.
Claire says
That's not good at all Jilly. I can try and help you figure out what went wrong. Sounds like it rose too much. Could it have been self-raising flour? Another issue could have been that the tin was too small? What size did you use? I've made it so very many times and never had this happen. I can totally understand how you'd be disappointed after buying all the ingredients! I hope you'll give it another go because it really is amazing.
Lily says
My cake is really liquidy, after an hour in the oven it jiggles and it extremely undercooked. I was wondering if this is normal?
Claire says
Hmm Lily no that's certainly not what's meant to happen. What size tin did you use?
Edwina Hare says
Lilly my cake did the same thing. The batter was really liquid not thick like normal batter? Was it meant to be like that?
Claire says
Hi Edwina. Yep the batter is really liquid when you put it in the oven. How did it turn out?
Edwina Hare says
Hello Claire. It turned out really well after I was worried about the batter. I did have leave it in for over an hour but my oven is a bit dodgy. I'm making it a 2nd time now it's in the oven
Claire says
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it Edwina.
Melissa Q says
Oh. My. God.
I just made this as a jaffa version and have taken it out of the oven. I couldn't resist pulling off a tiny bit to try and it might be that I'm 37 weeks pregnant but it bought a tear to my eye!
I did 100ml coffee and 275ml fresh orange juice, decreased sugar by about 50g and added about 1tsp of orange essence. I also added the zest of a whole large orange.
This is my husbands request for his birthday in two days. I think he'll cry!
Randomly, he wants it in the shape of a carrot...with orange fondant haha. We shall see how that goes.
Legend thanks :)
Claire says
Ooh Melissa we're due a week apart. I'm impressed that you only pulled of a tiny bit. I'd love to see a photo of the carrot-shaped version. Very cute and good luck!
Melissa Q says
Claire : I came back because I'm going to make this cake again for my daughters christening!! I have to tell you as well that it ended up being an 'orange' orange cake haha not a carrot. To anyone who says this recipe doesn't work you are so wrong! Follow it properly and it's the best thing ever.
Hope your birth went well and you're enjoying your gorgeous bub!
Claire says
Thanks so much Melissa. Haha nothing wrong with orange cake! I'm glad it was successful for you. Thank you yes little Cooper arrived safe and well and we are loving being a family of four.
Emma says
Hello! I'm planning on making this recipe as cupcakes, but i was just wondering how well this frosting would pipe? It looks amazing and I don't want to have to substitute it with a buttercream! Thank you :)
Claire says
Hi Emma,
I have piped it before no problem! Enjoy.
ps I'd love to see a photo when you make them.
Trudy says
This cake and the icing in particular are fantastic, marriage made in heaven! I did a test cake for my daughters birthday and now am onto the real thing for her party! It will be sure to be a winner! I will have parts of the cake spare once the whole thing is finished, am thinking of making the spare bits into cake pops!
Claire says
So glad you like it Trudy. Oooh yes cake pops would be delicious!
Anne says
Wow looks yummy! Hi claire i would love to make this. Would appreciate if Can can send me in my email or publish it here the exact measurement in cups im not really good at grams. Thanks a lot
kate says
Amazing! just baked this exactly the same as the recipe minus half the sugar--even made 2 little cupcakes with left over and tastes great. Im wondering about storage? Im letting it cool over night on the kitchen counter and having it for a friends birthday tomorrow afternoon....where should i store tomorrow ? fridge or no fridge?
Claire says
Love the trick of making cupcakes to taste! It's really personal preference of fridge vs bench. I prefer it at room temperature and it lasts a few days but it's also good in the fridge but the icing does go hard.
Kellie says
Hi Claire, I currently have this cake cooking in the oven. Smells divine! I'm doing a test run as it is my sons birthday this week. I usually do the White Choc Mud by exclusively food, OMG you have to try it! This time however, my son has asked for a chocolate one and after reading all of the comments about yours I thought I would give it a go
Claire says
I hope it becomes the new favourite Kellie! I will have to check out the white chocolate one.
Steve says
I made this tonight as a test run for my wife's bday. The only thing I did different was for the icing on top I used milk chocolate instead of dark. The result!!! Well my wife and I have both died and gone to heaven. So see you in the afterlife!!! Amazing cake!!!
Only one question though. Went we went to move it it wanted to nearly fall apart. Is this normal?
Claire says
Haha it's way too good isn't it! Hmm, it is a very sensitive cake. That has only happened to me when I've moved it before it has cooled though. Was it cool?
Katie says
Hi Claire, I have made many a mud cake before, but wanted to try a new recipe and stumbled upon ur recipe. It is amazing! Absolutely love it and I used plunger coffee with freshly ground coffee beans (my brother is a coffee roaster) and seriously, the coffee/chocolate is a match made in heaven and would highly recommend the better quality coffee than instant granules. Just a great recipe, really delightful. Thanks heaps
Claire says
You're very welcome Katie. Oh I bet the good quality stuff would make it even better. Now I want mud cake!