250g (1 cup + 1 Tbsp) butter, chopped
200g (7oz) dark chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 + 1/3 cups of strong coffee/espresso
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (use good stuff! – THIS is my fav)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
*My own additions: 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Method:
Add first four ingredients into a saucepan and heat on low until melted and sugar is dissolved
Allow to cool for 10 minutes
Sift all flours together and salt together and add to cooled liquid, beating gently until incorporated
Add eggs with vanilla and beat gently until incorporated well.
Pour mixture into greased cake tins and bake at 350 degrees for appropriate time! – depending upon pan size. My half sheet pan took 25 minutes and my 6″ tins (filled 2/3 full) took 30 minutes. Every oven is different, so when it begins to crack on top, check it with a toothpick…when it comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done!
ENJOY! – it’s actually better the 3rd day…I think the flavors gel together…so, it’s okay to leave out! – in fact, it’s encouraged!
New and Improved Mudcake Recipe!
Sounds good! What frosting do you recommend to go with it?
Karla: Any frosting is amazing! I love a mocha frosting (add chocolate and espresso to my Swiss-meringue frosting)! – or even vanilla is amazing!
Also, this cake is definitely better on the third day. It becomes almost fudgy like – like a brownie! It’s flavor is amazing! Enjoy!
Hi Jessica! Quick question! What is the portion for the batter? Another words, after you’ve put it all together using the recipe above, what size cake pan should we use? Does it fit 2-10″ square or do I have to double the recipe? Thanks much!
Hi there! I got your email but will answer it here! This fills (3) 6″ tins 2/3 full. It fills (2) 8″ tins almost 2/3 full. So, I would double the recipe to use in 10″ square tins. It’s so easy to put together that if you need another half recipe, you can make it pretty quick. I use a microwave by the way and do short bursts until all the butter and chocolate is melted. That way it’s not super hot and I can add my eggs and flour right away! Just a quick tip!
Thanks! I love your blog, you do such amazing work!! By the way, do you need to refrigerate Swiss meringue buttercream? Do you refrigerate fondant cakes? Such conflicting info out there!!!
Karla: I refrigerate everything…for structure & stability. Swiss Meringue can be left out for the day, but needs to be put back in the fridge if more than 8 hours or so…in my opinion. But it’s fine to sit out while working on a cake or for a wedding.
Thank you for sharing! By any chance do you have a good vanilla recipe?
Hello..just found your blog and love it! Does this cake taste like coffee??
It has a background flavor of coffee when it’s fresh out of the oven, but once it sits a day or two, you really can’t taste “coffee”…you just taste “amazing chocolate!” It’s best eaten on the 3rd day!! – believe it or not!
Jany@SuperCuteCookies: A great vanilla cake recipe is this one:
http://cakecentral.com/recipe/vanilla-butter-cake-from-the-mermaid-bakery
Best wishes!
Hi Miss Jessica, i am planning to make this mud cake for my husband’s birthday. My question is, can i use ganache for frosting? will it taste better? and i just want to clarify if the 1-1/3 cup strong espresso means 1 to 1/3 cup or 1 and 1/3 cup? sorry about that, i am a bit confused
I cant wait to impress my husband thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! More power!
Junnet
Anonymous: Yes, ganache would make it yummy and incredibly rich!! So, if he loves chocolate, that’s the way to go!
It’s 1 cup + 1/3 cup.
Let me know what you think!
I love your blog…you are so talented and very inspiring! One question…If I don’t want to use coffee, what can I substitute?? Water, milk, chocolate milk? Thanks!
Anonymous: Yes, you can use water or milk! – oh, and chocolate milk – yum!
Sorry for all the questions…Curious if you have the weight measurements for your dry ingredients? Also, since you said it gets better by day 3, I’m assuming you don’t freeze it when it comes out of the oven to lock in moisture…is that correct? Do you bake it three days before you will be serving it and just let it sit out? Thanks!
Anonymous: It depends upon the cake and my schedule. If I know it’s going to be more than 3 days before I’m going to serve it, I’ll still freeze it. I use 3.75oz of each flour, 2oz of cocoa powder and 14oz of sugar. Hope that helps!
That helps! You are awesome!
Just made this. Soooo yummy! Only thing I noticed is that it didn’t rise as much as I thought, is that normal? Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Yes…it doesn’t rise much…because of the density. It’s amazing! – even better the second and third day!
Hey Jessica! LOVE your blog!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I plan to make it this weekend. My question for you is do you let this cake cool completely in your pans before you turn them out or do you only let cool for about 15 minutes and turn out? I have seen on cake central where some say to let this kind of cake cool completely before you turn it out. Also, are you using parchment paper too or just greasing your pans? Thanks!!
Calm Crazy World: I don’t let it cool more than a few minutes before flipping it out on to a cooling rack. I use the Pam “Baking” spray which has flour in it…I’ve NEVER had any issues with sticking! – it’s amazing stuff!!! I don’t even use wax paper anymore on my cake pans! Blessings!
Have you tried making this cake using white chocolate? Thanks!
I have not…but would love to know how it turns out if you try it!
How many cakes will this recipe make, if I was using 6 in or 9 in pans? Thanks for sharing all your wonderful talents. Bless you!
Hello Jessica! Just found your blog and have been on it for hours! Do you have tablespoon or cup conversions for the butter and chocolate for the mud cake? The internet conflicts on the correct way to convert.
Thanks ever so much!
I just updated the recipe above…hope that helps!
This recipe sounds delicious! I want to try it out tonight. Any idea how many layers of a 8″ cake this will yeild?
It depends on how many final layers you want. If you want three basic layers, then use three pans. If you want four thinner layers, then use two pans and torte them. I hope that helps!
Hi Jessica, your cakes are inspiring! I stumbled over your blog as i was looking at mycakeschool.com and i’m glad i did!
i’m going to try your mudcake recipe for a wedding cake although i will be doing it in a 10″ tin, do you know what ingredient quantities i would need to do this?
Thanks, Lisa x
I would do a double batch for 2 – 10″ cake tins. I’m not sure how tall you like your tiers, but I like mine a bit taller than usual and this way you’ll have enough cake to do that. The cake doesn’t rise a whole lot, so you’ll be able to tell right away if you’re going to be fine. I’d also torte each tier so you’ve got 4 layers.
Hi. going to make this tomorrow, but will only serve it on tuesday which is my birthday. going to cover it with fondant and use ganache. should i just put uncovered cake and put in fridge and then cover only monday night or can i complete the cake and put in fridge? thank you!
You can let it settle (covered real good) for a day or two, but I’d cover it with fondant soon after because it helps to seal in all the moisture. Then put the whole cake in the fridge if it’s a perishable frosting, or keep it out. I hope you love it like I do!
Hi Jessica, Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! Sorry that the question was so disjointed, was typing on my phone. Will send you a pic of the final cake! X X X Love from the beautiful Winelands SA Ilze
Hi!How much baking powder do you have to use for this cake when you don´t have self-rising flour????Thanks a lot!!!!
I don’t know! But if you google “self-rising flour substitute” you should find some recipes!
Blessings!
Found…Thanks!!!!
Hi, cant wait to try this cake. I am trying to make a giant cupcake for an 18th party this weekend. I have had so many failures with cake sticking to the pan. Would this recipe be suitable for the giant cupcake?… and any tips for getting out of the pan? I am running out of time to get my cake perfected. thanks for any help or suggestions.
Yes, this recipe is very durable. Just make sure you don’t over bake. You can use Pam “Baking” spray…or any nonstick spray that has flour in it. I’ve never had a problem with my cakes sticking!!
Blessings!
If I wanted to make this into a 11×15″ cake, what amount would you double the recipe by? Also any cooking time suggestions for this size?
Looks delicious, can’t wait to make it!
No idea! I’ve baked this in a half sheet pan (12×16 I think) and each recipe makes one layer…about 3/4″ thick. So, it’ll depend on how thick/how many layers you want your cake.
Perfect, thanks so much!!!
Hi Jessica. You are a true inspiration and let me tell you this blog is a blessing!!! What kind of chocolate do you use for this recipe..Also do you have a recipe for piping ganache and one to frost cakes..i had the Planet cake link saved but they since removed it. Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much! I’m glad it’s blessing your heart and hands!
I use Trader Joe’s pound plus dark chocolate bars…it’s the light brown ones (without almonds of course). They’re SO good…imported from Belgium, 17.5oz for only $5! I use it for all my chocolate needs including ganache.
I’ve never piped ganache…but I would probably use a simliar ratio to regular ganache (2 parts chocolate:1 part heavy cream) but use it for piping when it’s still warm and hasn’t set up yet. I’d keep the piping bag on a heating pad so it’s in a warm place and keeps the chocolate warm.
I hope that helps!
I used this recipe for a birthday cake and it was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing. Just wondering if you think it’d work for mini cupcakes?
Yeah! I think it would, because it’s fudgy like brownies and you can do brownies in mini cupcake pans. And, what’s nice is as long as you keep it covered, it’ll stay moist and yummy even 3 days later!
Can I use milk chocolate instead of Dark Chocolate? If so, do you think I should lessen the amount of granulated sugar?
If all you have is milk chocolate, I’d use around 10-11oz of milk chocolate and lessen the sugar to 1-1/2 cups or so.
Hi jessica ! Love ur blog. Amazing work . Just had a quick question , do you refrigerate ur fondant cakes ?
Thank you!!
Yes, I do refrigerate my fondant cakes when they’re crumb coated in buttercream. I’ve never had a problem with it. Although, when I do ganache crumb coat, I’ll leave them out because the ganache is a great “shell” and I don’t have to worry about it getting soft.
I hope that helps!
Jessica
Thank u so much. Once again , ur cakes are gorgeous !
Hello Jessica you are wonderful I have a question can I use all self rising flour? And what will be the diference? Thanks for posting this recipe and for all your help too
Thank you!
If you use all self-rising flour then you’re adding more leavening to your cake. I have not tried it but if you do, let me know what happens?! I would assume you might get more air in the cake?! – creating a less dense cake…which isn’t bad! – But I don’t know for sure…
Best wishes!
Jessica, does this ‘test done’ just like other cakes?
Sorta! How’s that for an answer! It’s a very moist cake…like a brownie, so it’ll test more like a brownie. The center should be slightly raised and when you put a toothpick in it’ll have a tiny bit of moist crumbs…not batter.
Let it rest a few days before you plan to eat it…it truly tastes better the longer it sits!
hi! love your blog!
I was wondering if the chocolate from trader joes is dairy and if its kosher?
thank you!
Thank you! I have no idea…you might want to call them. Blessings!
I made this cake yesterday and today my 13 year old gave it a double thumbs up!! Quick question: can I have the cake sit out for 2 days and then crumb coat/fill? I am new to cake decoration so learning the basics. Love your craftsy courses and your blog Jessica I’m learning so much
Yeah! It’s our fav too!
Yes, you can let it sit out for a day or two before crumb coating. This cake recipe doesn’t need a lot of settling time, but the cake itself gets better in time. If you have it ready to eat between 3-5 days, the flavors are even better! Normal cake recipes are not like that…so, that’s only for this one. And, remember, while it’s sitting out, keep it wrapped up and sealed.
Blessings!!
Thank you Jessica. Yes I have it plastic wrapped and going to do the SMBC today for the first time
Have you ever made this recipe as cupcakes?
I haven’t because it’s pretty dense. I use the other chocolate cake recipe that’s under the top recipe tab at the top of my blog. Blessings!!
WOULD THIS RECIPE BE OK FOR CUPCAKES?
It would work but it’s more like a brownie than a light cake…FYI.
Hi Jessica, is this cake recipe good for carving??
Yes! It’s dense like a brownie! Yum!
If I use a filling instead of buttercream can I still make this 3-4 days in advance or will the filling turn the cake mushy? Thanks!
Yes! That’s perfect!
How many cups of batter is this recipe? Im making a ball cake for my daughter. Im using 6″ wilton ball pan which is calling for 4 1/2 cups batter.
I have no idea!! I haven’t figured it out yet. But based on the ingredients I’d say it’s right around that amount!! – and it doesn’t rise very much so you might need a tiny bit more. Best wishes!
Hi Jessica. Do you use Dutched cocoa powder or Regular cocoa powder?
I use Pernigottti Cocoa from Amazon. It’s regular.
Hi Jessica can I Use this cake for sculpting???
Yes! It’s a very stable and dense cake!! You’ll want to sculpt when it’s really cold…it makes it easier. Yum!
Hi Jessica, thanks for this recipe, I found it via your Crafsy class as you’d guided me here. I’m just wondering though, it does taste amazing but I’ve done something wrong as after an hour in a 6 inch x 3 inch pan, at 175 [celsius], non fan forced, it was still coming out liquidy in the middle. Do you have any idea as to what I did wrong? Because this is still the best potential of all I’ve tried to work as this wedding cake! Thanks a lot
Hi there Dawn! To me, it tastes amazing!! I LOVE this recipe…it’s my beyond fav chocolate cake recipe. I don’t bake in 3″ pans, so I think it just needed to be baked longer. Next time try baking in two 2″ pans instead of one 6″ pan. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes if you try it again!
Thanks a lot Jessica, you’re very generous with your time & knowledge
Dear Jessica,
Thanks for sharing. Just want to check if this cake or your vanilla cake is suitable as a base for fondant decoration? I need to stack 2 x 8″ and covered with fondant plus a 2 x 4″ on top. Thanks
Yes it is! I love the vanilla cake. It’s very stable and yummy!! Best wishes!
hi, i’m looking for cakes to use for my son’s 3rd birthday this coming tuesday. I was supposed to make a pound cake but thinking of changing it to chocolate cake and I stumble to your blog. I’m going to make a shape cake. You said that this recipe is for 6″ pan? Do I need to triple the recipe for 9″x13″x3″ pan? Is the coffee so strong? what would be the difference if I used the Chocolate Milk (as you answer one of the question?) I really am in a rush because I will be doing it on saturday. What would be the frosting should I need to use with fondant?
and the plain flour? should i use as in flour only and not all purpose flour?
Yes…it’s just plain all-purpose flour. Thanks for clarifying!
Hi there!
The coffee flavoring intensifies the chocolate and can be tasted a bit the first day or so after baking, then becomes a rich background flavor that doesn’t taste like coffee. I use decaf if I’m making kids cakes! haha!! I think you’ll be fine with one recipe for that pan…if you look at the amount/volume of ingredients, it’ll probably be perfect for one 9×13 pan. You could do another half recipe to make sure though. I’m SO sorry I didn’t respond sooner. I’m sure the cake is made and already eaten…but perhaps for next time!!
Blessings!
Hi Jessica, I made this mud cake recipe without high expectations as i have tried hundreds of mud recipes in the past, and they have never quite added up to what i dream of. Well this one i have to say came pretty close and its now my new mud cake recipe. It was extremely rich and decedent and i paired it with dark chocolate ganache (I’m in Australia so we have to use ganache under fondant due to the heat). My favourite quality was how moist this cake was, yet when chilled it was just the perfect density to calve. Cutting into this cake looked heavenly and the texture in your mouth was to die for. I hardly had to chop off any crusty bits which i hate because i can’t stand so much waste i get on many recipes that taste good.
Still on my quest for the perfect recipe id say this is not a sweet cake and that was my only negative. It could have been that bit sweeter. I did use castor sugar instead of granulated which i thought would have made it sweeter? I think it would have been perfect paired with a super sweet buttercream frosting. But since I’m in Oz and needed to use a bittersweet ganache do you think I could up the sugar in the cake to make it sweeter? And perhaps next time i will try a bit of salt to bring out bit more of a flavour – what do you think? We did eat the cake on the 3rd day like you suggested and on the 4th, 5th and 7th and it was still so moist. It was a huge hit and i honestly love this recipe but i didn’t get that sweet chocolate explosion in my mouth like i want with a chocolate cake as a dessert.
For those of you looking for a super rich, decedent not so sweet cake then this is perfect as is. Emmie x
Yay!! I love your review! Thank you!! Yes, you can increase the sugar a bit, but there is a lot in there. I do add a tablespoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of sea salt which really helps give it more dimension. I forgot the recipe didn’t have those ingredients in there so I just added them!! It does help a lot so try it again with those two additions and let me know your thoughts!! Blessings to you!!
Hi, just stumbled upon your blog and it’s great, I have made this cake before and it’s great, but I would like to make it again for my husband and he prefers milk chocolate. So my question is can I just swap dark for milk. Also I want to cover it in chocolate ganache which i normally do 2x chocolate to cream, would the ratio be the same for milk? Thank you
Hi there!
Yes, dark chocolate should be totally fine in the recipe for a lighter flavor. For the ganache, you’ll want to use a 3:1 ratio of milk chocolate to heavy cream for it to set up right. Blessings!
Hi Jessica,
Just wondering what size cake this makes?
Thank you for sharing all your wonderful knowledge. I love your tutorials & about to try your recipes
Thank you! It makes one 6″ cake that’s a bit taller or a regular 8″ cake that’s maybe 4″ tall with a few layers of filling. Blessings!
What a fantastic cake, I absolute love it! I wonder what type of sugar I should be using? The first time I made this I used 2 cups of castor sugar and it tasted amazing but reading some of the comments I wondered if it was supposed to be white granulated sugar or raw sugar?
Castor sugar is actually the same as white granulated sugar for this recipe. So, you’re good! – as long as you’re not using powdered sugar!
Hi Jessica, what brand of chocolate do you use for the cake and ganache?
I love to use Trader Joe’s dark chocolate pound plus bars or Pastry Portal’s Casa Luker brand!
Hi Jessica! What’s the shelf life of this cake? Would it still be good under fondant a week after baking (no refrigeration, of course)? thanks
Yes!! The mudcake is actually best served around 5 days. So, a week is still great!! It’s a wonderful cake for busy mamas for sure!
hi there..is the recipe meant for one 6″ cake tin? If i want to bake 4″ cake, can I halved the recipe? =)
It makes 3-6″ tins. So, for only one 4″ tin you’ll have to take it way down. Cake Paper Party has a post about converting your recipes. Just do a google search and you should be able to find it. If not, then go to my “Cake Resources” tab, “Recipes” then scroll down to Cakes. I think there’s a link in there!
Would this cake be suitable for carving? Thank you!
It’s fantastic for carving! Almost brownie like in texture. Yum!
Made this for my nieces wedding cake, unbelievably moist and delicious. The best mud cake recipe ever. All other recipes I’ve tried just took so long to bake that when it was done it was just so dry. This is definately the best mud cake recipe and will be a keeper for sure. Thank you so much for posting.
Yay!! It’s my absolute fav!!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this recipe. How dark is the dark chocolate you use? I rummaged through my chocolate stash to see what I already have, and I have 60% or 100%. Would the 100% be too intense? We can’t drink coffee, so I will be using chocolate milk in it’s place if that makes any difference.
I use a 54% cacao content dark chocolate. It’s from Trader Joe’s, called Pound Plus bar. I LOVE their chocolate!! You can use decaf coffee if you can’t do caffeine?! – but yes, milk will work just fine!
Thanks, I’ll try their chocolate next time! I ended up using like 5 oz of 100% cacao and 2 oz of the 60% (not enough of the 100% for all 7 oz) and it was still so sweet and amazing…and I am not a dark chocolate fan!
I’m going to use this recipe for a 3 tiered cake for my daughter’s birthday in a couple weeks… Ideally I’d like to bake ahead of time and freeze, but this cake was so dense and fudgy that I worry about freezing and thawing and then having it be too moist on day 3 or 4 when it is served haha. You haven’t had any trouble freezing –> thawing –> decorating with this recipe? And I’m going to fill with my daughter’s favorite whipped american buttercream and then cover in ganache… do you think it’ll absorb more moisture from the buttercream? I don’t want it to be too gooey! Thanks so much for being so willing to answer all these questions! Love your blog and classes!
Hi Jessica! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out, but would need to make 1.5 of this recipe. I’m having a bit of trouble halving things like the flour and eggs.. Any suggestions?
My friend Summer did a post on this…you might find it helpful. I wish you the best!!
Check it out here: http://www.cakepaperparty.com/2014/06/sizing/
Hi Jessica…. You are changing my life… Just watched your craftsy class ‘clean and simple cake design’ it was incredible! So thank you for that?
Just a quick question… I can’t wait to make this cake as desperate for good mud cake recipe… I was just wondering (as I’m in Australia) is the temp of your oven fan forced or not?
Thank you so much xx
Yay Sarah!! SO happy you are learning lots of new tips/tricks!! I have a conventional oven…not forced air or convection. It’s pretty basic! I hope you’ve made it and LOVED it! Let me know. xo!
Hi Jessica,
I want to make a double height cake (6×6″cake) and Im just wondering whether this cake is too dense to have that many layers on top plus the ganache filling. Do you think it will hold? and also for the height of the cake, would you still recommend using just bubble straws or should I have additional support? Cake will have ganache filling wih SMBC icing. Thank you! and your posts are very helpful!
This cake is awesome for stacking/building. Yes, it’s dense, but it won’t move on ya! I use bubble straws on all my double height cakes. You’ll be fine!
Hi Jessica,
Was wondering how many ml are the cups you use? Im presuming they are American 225ml? Here in Australia they are 250ml so just thought I’d double check before I give it a go.
Thanks,
I’m sorry I don’t know…I just google “ml to cups” and a conversion usually pops up. Blessings!
I’ve made it a few times now. First time made it and converted my cups to 225ml but the second time I didn’t bother and it worked fine. Great recipe! I plan to make it again for my wedding cake
Jessica,
What type of Coffee do you like to use?
Thanks
Whatever I have on hand.
Hi Jessica, I sent you a mail and I really hope you get to reply me someday.
Can I cover this recipe in fondant?
I’m sorry I’m not responding much any more. I’m not caking it up so forgive me for not replying. Yes, mudcake works awesome to cover in fondant.