Description
This decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake features moist, rich layers of chocolate paired with a luscious salted caramel buttercream, silky salted caramel sauce, and a glossy dark chocolate ganache. Perfect for special occasions or any celebration where a crowd-pleasing dessert is needed.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Fudge Cake
- 200g butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups plain cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate soda
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 180g butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt flakes
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 300g dark chocolate
- 350ml heavy cream
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 375g butter, room temperature
- 3 cups sifted icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups salted caramel (prepared from recipe above)
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease, flour, and line two 20cm cake pans with baking paper. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter, caster sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder with hot water and stir until it forms a thick paste. Gradually add this paste to the butter mixture.
- Sour the Milk and Sift Dry Ingredients: Add vinegar to milk to sour it. In another bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate soda.
- Combine Batter Ingredients: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the soured milk, starting and ending with the flour. Fold the batter gently until fully combined.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Pour 1/4 of the batter into each prepared tin and bake for 23 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks. Repeat the baking process with remaining batter using re-prepared tins.
- Make Salted Caramel Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add caster sugar and brown sugar, stirring occasionally over medium heat until sugars melt and form a smooth amber-colored liquid. Whisk in butter until melted. Remove from heat and slowly pour in heavy cream while whisking. Return to heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in salt flakes, and cool completely.
- Prepare Dark Chocolate Ganache: Melt dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring gently between each until smooth. Once melted, add heavy cream and stir until combined and glossy. Allow to cool slightly until pourable but not hot.
- Make Salted Caramel Buttercream: Beat butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually add sifted icing sugar and beat well. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the cooled salted caramel sauce and beat until combined. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up for piping.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on a plate or baking paper. Fit a piping bag with a large open tip and pipe large kisses of salted caramel buttercream around the edge. Fill the center with more buttercream and spoon on a generous layer of salted caramel sauce. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the layers, alternating salted caramel sauce and dark chocolate ganache. Finish the top with piped kisses of buttercream and pour the ganache over, allowing it to drip over the sides.
- Serve: Allow assembled cake to set slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy your rich and indulgent chocolate fudge cake with salted caramel and ganache!
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients, especially butter and eggs, are at room temperature for best batter consistency.
- The cake batter can be split and baked in batches if you don’t have enough cake pans.
- Use a high-quality Dutch processed cocoa for the richest chocolate flavor.
- Salt amount in the caramel can be adjusted to taste between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt flakes.
- Allow ganache to cool a bit to prevent melting the buttercream during assembly.
- If buttercream is too soft for piping, refrigerate slightly longer until pipeable.
- Store assembled cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 45 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
