Do you ever see a picture or recipe and decide you just have to make it? That happened to me this week. I saw this amazing butter fudge cake and knew it needed to be made and in my belly. I finally got around to making it yesterday. Because I only have one round pan, it took a bit of time to get the whole cake baked and assembled. It’s only a two layer cake so it could have been a lot worse! At least two pans would be easier but trust me, one is totally doable so don’t be scared off by this at all.

The only plan ahead item for the entire cake, including frosting, is to set out your butter so it comes to room temperature. Everything else can be done as you go. I was honestly expecting the cake to be a bit more yellow but it’s not. Maybe the original picture was slightly deceptive? Either way, it’s still delicious. A soft butter cake with a rich chocolate frosting.

A bit of advice: if/when sifting the powdered sugar for the frosting, sift into a really large bowl or you will absolutely have speckles of sugar all over you and your kitchen. And… if you have a reusable cake tester – find it before your oven timer goes off. Mine is always kept in the exact same spot but apparently got moved by accident and I had to rush to find toothpicks in my baking supplies to test the cake.

Before I get to the recipe… I have a request. I entered a sprinkle contest over at my favorite baking supply store and guess what!? One of my entries made it to the top 8! I need your help to win. It only takes a minute of your time, not even. Please stop by and vote for “First bloom by Rachel”  I’d truly appreciate your vote. Voting is open until February 1st.

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Butter Fudge Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients
 

Cake:

  • 2 1/4 C cake flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 C milk

Fudge frosting:

  • 5 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 C powdered sugar
  • 5-6 Tbsp milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2: 9-inch round baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Scrape sides as needed and prior to each new addition. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until just combined. With mixer running on low, add half of your flour mixture followed by half of your milk. Lightly mix and repeat additions until all ingredients are added. Mix until no streaks remain.
  • Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean from the center of the cake. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing.
  • Removing the cake: Take a large plate, place it top down (or upside down) onto the cake pan. Grasp both the pan and plate, flip. You will hear a slight noise - almost a release of suction - when the cake releases and drops to the plate. You can give a slight shake to assist if needed. Replace the cake pan with a sheet of waxed paper and a cooling rack. Repeat the process as before, grasp cooling rack and plate then flip. Now your cake is out of the pan, off of the plate and right side up! Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

  • Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Alternately you can melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals. Stir after each 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add butter, mix on medium/high speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in cooled melted chocolate. Gradually add powdered sugar several large spoonfuls at a time. Mix well. Add more powdered sugar and half of the milk. Mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining sugar, a touch more of milk and vanilla. Mix well. If consistency is not creamy enough for your liking, add more milk 1/2 tbsp at a time until satisfied.
  • To frost your cake: Cut 4 - 2" wide strips of wax paper. Lay strips in a large square pattern on your cake platter - you want these strips to be just underneath the edge of your cake. Grab one layer and place it directly on the center of your platter - adjust the wax strips as needed.  Add roughly 3/4 cup worth of frosting onto your first layer. This is strictly acting as the frosting layer. Do not begin frosting the sides. Smooth it out over the entire cake layer.
  • Place second cake directly on top of the frosted bottom layer. Add remaining frosting to the top of your cake. Work gently spreading the frosting over the top, pushing excess just barely to the sides. Frost the top first, when that is done work the extra frosting down the sides of your cake. The thicker the frosting the harder it will be to make smooth. When your top and sides are covered, grab a spoon and begin making swirl patterns over the top and sides.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cake