Old-School Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake with Whipped Fudge Frosting

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Three tender, almost-black cake layers built on bloomed Dutch-process cocoa and hot coffee, then stacked with a whipped fudge frosting that tastes like cooled fudge sauce — glossy, deeply bitter-sweet, and thick enough to swirl. This is the diner-case chocolate cake done properly at home: one bowl for the batter, no creaming, and a frosting made from real melted chocolate instead of just cocoa and sugar.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (75 g)
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70%), finely chopped
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 g), spooned and leveled
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (200 g), packed
• 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 g), melted
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70%), chopped
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (340 g), softened to 67°F
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (400 g), sifted
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (50 g), sifted
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, for shaving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, then butter the parchment and dust the sides with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
2. Bloom the cocoa: in a small heatproof bowl, combine the 3/4 cup cocoa and the 2 oz chopped chocolate. Pour the hot coffee over them and whisk until completely smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes — it should be warm, not hot, when it joins the batter.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/4 tsp salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and melted butter until no lumps of brown sugar remain, about 1 minute. Whisk in the eggs and yolk one at a time, then the vanilla, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
5. Whisk the warm cocoa mixture into the wet ingredients, then whisk in the buttermilk. The batter will look thin — that's correct.
6. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, whisking just until no dry streaks remain. Do not beat past this point; overmixing gives a tough, tunneled crumb.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans (about 490 g / 2 generous cups each — a scale makes this exact). Rap each pan once on the counter to release large bubbles.
8. Bake on two racks, staggering the pans, for 26 to 30 minutes, rotating and swapping the pans at the 18-minute mark. The cakes are done when the centers spring back to a light touch and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs — pull them the moment they test done, at around 205°F internal.
9. Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges, invert onto the rack, peel off the parchment, and cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. For the flattest stack, wrap and chill the layers for 30 minutes before frosting.
10. Make the frosting: melt the 8 oz chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water (or in the microwave in 20-second bursts), stirring until smooth. Let it cool to just barely warm, about 90°F — cool enough that it feels neutral on your wrist but still fully fluid.
11. In a stand mixer with the paddle (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the softened butter on medium-high for 3 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa in three additions on low, then beat on medium for 2 minutes.
12. With the mixer on low, stream in the melted chocolate, scraping the bowl well. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and 1/2 tsp salt, then whip on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting is thick, glossy, and holds a soft peak. If it feels stiff, beat in cream 1 teaspoon at a time; if soft, chill 15 minutes and re-whip.
13. Assemble: set the first layer on a plate or cake stand, top with a scant 1 cup of frosting, and spread to the edges. Repeat with the second layer. Add the third layer bottom-side up for a flat top, then spread a thin crumb coat over the whole cake and chill 20 minutes.
14. Finish with the remaining frosting, swirling the top and sides with the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula. Shave over a little chocolate and sprinkle with flaky salt if you like.
15. Let the cake sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Slice with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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