Ina Garten Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ina Garten’s chocolate fudge cake is a deeply chocolatey dessert with a dense, moist crumb and a thick, glossy chocolate ganache frosting. The cake is made with high-quality cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and buttermilk to create an ultra-rich texture. The ganache frosting enhances the fudgy consistency, making every bite smooth and satisfying.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
For the Chocolate Fudge Ganache:
- 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven – Set to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients – In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Blend wet and dry ingredients – Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until combined.
- Add hot coffee – Slowly pour in the hot coffee and mix until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin, which is normal.
- Bake the cake – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
For the Chocolate Fudge Ganache:
- Heat the cream – In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just starts to simmer.
- Melt the chocolate – Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir until smooth – Add the butter and vanilla extract, then stir until the ganache is glossy and fully melted. Let it cool slightly until it thickens to a spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cake – Spread a layer of ganache over one cake layer, place the second cake on top, and cover the entire cake with the remaining ganache. Smooth with a spatula.