This frosted chocolate fudge cake is a play on the traditional Little Debbie snack! It’s a moist and fluffy do-it-yourself chocolate cake crammed and frosted with creamy fudge frosting.
I like recreating my favourite childhood lunchbox snacks for my household as scrumptious, do-it-yourself desserts. Subsequent, strive my Oatmeal Cream Pies and these Tagalong Bars impressed by the Lady Scouts’ cookies!
Why I Love This Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe
Right this moment, I’m sharing a supersized model of the Frosted Fudge Cake from my childhood! It has two layers of decadent do-it-yourself chocolate cake full of easy and creamy chocolate frosting. The slices look identical to the snack muffins that I bear in mind. I even swirl the frosting on high of the cake for nostalgia’s sake! Right here’s why I like this recipe:
Like Little Debbie’s, however greater (and higher). I grew up snacking on the Frosted Fudge Truffles from Little Debbie. They’re such a traditional lunchbox deal with. As an grownup, I’m dwelling the dream with this jumbo sheet cake model!
Irresistible texture. This fudge cake is tremendous fudgy, but gentle and fluffy on the identical time. It comes right down to some key elements within the batter, like oil and cornstarch. Mixed with loads of testing to get the suitable ratios of elements, I can say, formally, that that is the BEST chocolate cake!
Made with two bowls. You want one for the cake batter and one for the frosting. That’s it! Clear-up is a breeze.
Straightforward to make. I bake this cake in a 9×13” pan, so though the completed cake has two layers, there’s just one cake to bake. Slicing the cake in half is simple, and the frosting is fast to make. This recipe is ideal for newbie bakers!
Elements You’ll Want
There are a handful of elements that make this chocolate fudge cake ultra-moist and fudgy, but comfortable and lightweight on the identical time. Beneath are some fast notes. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable elements listing with quantities.
Sugar and Leavening – You’ll want your ordinary baking fundamentals like sugar and salt, plus baking soda and baking powder for leavening. Be certain to examine the dates in your baking soda and baking powder, to ensure they’re not expired.
Flour and Cornstarch – Cornstarch works with all-purpose flour to behave extra like cake flour, decreasing the gluten for a softer cake.
Cocoa Powder – I like to recommend pure, unsweetened cocoa powder, however Dutch-processed cocoa powder works, too. The cake simply seems darker.
Eggs – At room temperature for finest outcomes.
Oil – This may be any vegetable oil, like canola or avocado oil. Not like butter, oil stays liquid at room temperature. Chocolate muffins and cupcakes made with oil keep comfortable and tender for longer.
Vanilla – Be certain it’s actual vanilla extract! It’s also possible to use equal elements vanilla paste.
Chocolate Frosting – I embody the recipe for a fudgier model of my creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. After all, be happy to make use of your favourite store-bought or do-it-yourself frosting when you’d choose.
The best way to Make a Frosted Chocolate Fudge Cake
Listed below are the simple steps to make your very personal full-sized frosted fudge cake at house. That is an summary with images, and you’ll discover the printable recipe directions within the recipe card after the put up.
Combine the cake batter.Fill the pan and bake.
Make the cake batter. Combine the dry elements, then slowly add the moist elements to the identical bowl, beating till a easy batter comes collectively. It’ll be fairly skinny, and that’s OK.
Bake. Switch the chocolate cake batter to a lined 9×13” baking pan. Bake at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes, till the cake passes the toothpick check. Go away the cake to chill fully within the pan.
Mix the frosting elements.Whip till easy and fluffy.
Make the frosting. In the meantime, mix your frosting elements in a bowl. Begin mixing slowly, and step by step deliver up the pace. Beat for a few minutes in order that the frosting will get whipped and fluffy.
Assembling and Frosting the Cake
You’ll use the identical batch of chocolate frosting to fill, frost, and embellish your fudge cake. So, earlier than you begin, you’ll must divide it. The frosting can be thick and creamy straight from the blending bowl, excellent for filling the cake.
In the meantime, put aside about 2 ½ cups of frosting (you’ll use this to cowl and embellish the skin of the cake), and comply with these steps:
Minimize the cake in half.Unfold frosting over the primary layer.
Put together the layers. Pop the cooled cake out of the pan. Then, slice the cake horizontally into 2 even layers. Place the highest half onto a platter.
Assemble. Unfold a beneficiant quantity of frosting over the primary cake layer. Afterward, place the second cake layer fastidiously over high.
Add the second layer and frost the cake.Add swirls.
Frost the cake. I prefer to skinny out about 2 cups of the reserved frosting with milk and use this to frost the highest and sides of the cake. The smoother frosting mimics the look of the Little Debbie Truffles.
Add swirls. No Little Debbie copycat is full with out some fudgy ornamental swirls! Add the final ½ cup of frosting to a Ziploc baggie with the nook snipped off. Use this to pipe swirls all around the frosted cake (there’s no rhyme or cause right here, simply let your inside artiste go).
Ideas and Variations
Additional steerage. In the event you want further tips about the way to trim and stack the cake layers on this recipe, try my perfect chocolate layer cake.
Use two pans. If the considered reducing such a big cake in half sounds intimidating, you might additionally bake the cake in two separate 9×13 pans. Simply divide the batter evenly between each. You might want to scale back the baking time on this case.
Totally different frosting. For a fast model of the frosting on this recipe, strive my 2-ingredient chocolate buttercream recipe. This cake would additionally style nice frosted with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
The best way to Retailer
At room temperature. This frosted fudge cake will be saved hermetic on the counter for as much as 3 days. You may maintain it within the fridge when you choose, however I like to recommend protecting it tightly and letting it come to room temperature once more for serving.
Freeze. You’ll wish to freeze the cake layers earlier than they’re frosted. Minimize the cooled chocolate cake in half as directed, after which double-wrap the person layers in plastic wrap. Freeze the muffins flat for as much as 1 month, and thaw them within the fridge earlier than assembling.
A play on the traditional Little Debbie snack, this frosted chocolate fudge cake is tremendous moist and fluffy, crammed and frosted with creamy fudge frosting.
For the Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 giant eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water
For the Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 cups powdered sugar
1 cup complete milk, divided
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and put aside.
Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment add the flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine on low till all elements are mixed.
With the mixer nonetheless on low add within the eggs, oil, vanilla, and water. Combine on medium-low till easy. The batter can be skinny.
Pour into the ready pan and bake for 40 – 45 minutes till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear.
Enable the cake to chill fully within the pan.
Make the frosting: Whereas the cake is cooling, put together the frosting by combining the butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, powdered sugar, and three/4 of milk within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine on low till the elements come collectively after which slowly improve the pace to medium. Combine for two minutes till the frosting is creamy and lighter in shade.
Reserve 2-1/2 cups of frosting to cowl the cake.
Assemble the cake: When the cake has cooled, flip the cake out of the cake pan onto a parchment paper-lined counter.
Minimize the cake with a serrated knife crosswise in half, creating 2 layers. Utilizing each palms, fastidiously switch the highest layer of the cake to a serving tray. Unfold the unreserved fudge frosting on this cake layer.
Fastidiously switch the opposite cake half on high of the frosted cake layer.
Utilizing 2 cups of the reserved frosting, combine within the remaining 1/4 cup of milk to skinny it a bit. Cowl the cake evenly with this frosting.
Fill a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the nook minimize off with the final 1/2 cup of frosting and pipe swirls on high of the cake paying homage to the traditional Little Debbie snack cake.
