Chocolate Fudge Loaf Cake

Table of Contents

The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Loaf Cake: Your New Go-To Dessert

There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when a simple loaf tin transforms humble ingredients into something extraordinary. This Chocolate Fudge Loaf Cake is that kind of magic. It’s the cake I bake when I need a hug in dessert form—the one with a lid of rich, creamy frosting that cracks just slightly as you slice into the impossibly moist, dark crumb beneath. The scent of melting chocolate and butter that fills your kitchen is nothing short of pure, unadulterated comfort. It’s a recipe born from a rainy Sunday and a desperate craving for something deeply, profoundly chocolatey.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

Supremely Fudgy, Not Cakey: This isn’t a light, airy sponge. It’s a dense, decadent, and intensely chocolatey experience that melts on your tongue.
Surprisingly Simple: You don’t need any special equipment or advanced baking skills. It’s a straightforward, all-in-one-bowl kind of recipe that feels achievable for anyone.
The Frosting is Legendary: Silky, not too sweet, and generously slathered on top, the chocolate buttercream is the crowning glory you won’t want to skip.
Feeds a Crowd (or Just You): It’s the perfect shareable dessert for a gathering, but its loaf shape also makes it easy to slice off just a little sliver for a midnight treat.

I once brought this cake to a friend’s dinner party. Her youngest, a notorious chocolate skeptic who usually pushes dessert away, watched me slice it. The deep, dark interior caught his eye. He hesitantly accepted the smallest sliver. Five minutes later, he was silently hovering by the cake stand, plate extended for a second, much larger piece. It’s the cake that converts everyone.

What Makes It Special

Dark Chocolate & Butter Base: Melting these two together creates the foundation for an incredibly rich and fudgy texture, unlike cakes that use just cocoa powder.
The Secret Ingredient – Coffee: A shot of hot coffee is the hidden hero. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee; instead, it amplifies the depth of the chocolate flavor, making it taste more like itself.
Buttermilk: This is the key to tenderness. Its slight acidity reacts with the leavening agents, giving the dense cake a beautifully soft and moist crumb.
Evaporated Milk Frosting: Using evaporated milk instead of regular milk or cream in the frosting gives it a uniquely creamy, luxurious body that’s less prone to splitting.

Making It Happen

Start by preheating your oven and lining your loaf tin—this is a sticky cake, so parchment paper is your best friend. Gently melt the dark chocolate and butter together in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until you have a smooth, glossy pool. In a mug, dissolve the instant coffee in boiling water and stir this into your chocolate mixture; watch as it becomes even silkier.

In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sugar. This ensures everything is evenly distributed so you get a perfect bite every time. In a jug, lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together. Now for the fun part: pour the warm chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold everything together until you have a stunningly dark, smooth, and liquid batter.

Pour this beautiful batter into your prepared tin and slide it into the oven. The wait is the hardest part as the incredible aroma takes over your home. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let it cool completely in the tin; patience is vital here, as frosting a warm cake is a recipe for a melted puddle.

For the frosting, ensure your butter is truly at room temperature. Beat it for a few minutes until pale and fluffy. This makes all the difference. Gradually beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder until combined, then add the vanilla. Finally, drizzle in the evaporated milk a little at a time until you achieve a spreadable, dreamy consistency. Slather it thickly over the completely cooled cake and finish with a flurry of sprinkles or chocolate curls.

You Must Know

PATIENCE IS KEY: Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to frost the cake until it is completely cool to the touch.
EMBRACE THE COFFEE: Don’t skip it! You will not taste coffee; you’ll just taste a richer, more rounded chocolate flavor.
DON’T OVERMIX: Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, fold gently until just combined. Overmixing leads to a tough cake.
TRUE BUTTERMILK SUB: No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 75ml of full-fat milk and let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle.

Serving Ideas

This cake is a star on its own, but a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream alongside a slice creates a wonderful hot-and-cold contrast. For a drink pairing, a glass of cold milk is a classic for a reason. For the adults, a rich stout beer, a glass of red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, or even a cup of black coffee complements the deep chocolate notes perfectly.

Make It Different

Flavor Twist: Add a handful of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or orange zest to the batter before baking.
Mint Chocolate: Add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the frosting for a fresh twist.
Dairy-Free: Use plant-based butter and dark chocolate. For the buttermilk, use 75ml of soy milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Use a plain, unsweetened plant-based milk in the frosting.
Gluten-Free: Substitute the plain flour with a good-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Keeping It Fresh

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The frosting will firm up, but the cake will remain deliciously moist. It does not need to be refrigerated. You can freeze the unfrosted cake, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before frosting and serving.

Success Tips

Weigh Your Ingredients: For absolute accuracy, especially with flour, using digital kitchen scales will give you the best results.
Room Temp Eggs: Using eggs that are not cold from the fridge will help them incorporate into the batter more smoothly.
Check for Doneness: Ovens vary. Start checking at 50 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few sticky crumbs, not wet batter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk for the frosting?
No, please don’t! They are very different products. Condensed milk is sweet and thick and will make your frosting overly sweet and grainy. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and has a creamier consistency that is perfect for frosting.

My frosting is too runny. What can I do?
Pop the entire bowl of frosting into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up the butter, then re-whip it. If it’s still too soft, you can add a little more sifted icing sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.

Why did my cake sink in the middle?
This usually happens if the cake is underbaked or if the oven door is opened too early in the baking process, causing a sudden temperature drop. Make sure your oven is fully preheated and try to avoid opening the door until at least the 45-minute mark.

I don’t have a 2lb loaf tin. Can I use a different size?
This recipe is calibrated for a 2lb tin (approximately 8.5 x 4.5 inches). Using a significantly larger tin will result in a flatter cake that will bake faster and may dry out. Using a smaller tin risks the batter overflowing.

Can I make this into cupcakes instead?
Absolutely! This batter would make fantastic cupcakes. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Chocolate Fudge Loaf Cake

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus cooling time)
Category: Dessert
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: American
Yield: 1 loaf (8-10 slices)

Ingredients

The Cake

175 g dark chocolate, chopped
175 g unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsps instant coffee granules
100 ml boiling water
135 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
25 g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
300 g light brown sugar (or caster sugar)
3 medium eggs
75 ml buttermilk (see note for sub)

The Frosting

125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
250 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
25 g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
50-75 ml evaporated milk

Decorations

Sprinkles
Chocolate shards or curls

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C Fan (350°F/320°F Fan). Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
In a mug, dissolve the coffee granules in the boiling water. Pour this into the chocolate mixture and stir until combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sugar.
In a separate jug or bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk together.
Pour the warm chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold everything together until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin placed on a wire rack.
For the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter in a bowl for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Sift in half of the icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat until combined. Repeat with the remaining half.
Add the vanilla (if using), then gradually add the evaporated milk, beating well after each addition, until you reach a spreadable consistency.
Spread the frosting thickly over the completely cooled cake. Decorate with sprinkles or chocolate pieces. Slice and serve.

Notes

Buttermilk Substitute: Mix 75ml full-fat milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until curdled before using.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Allergy Info: Contains gluten, eggs, dairy, and soy (check chocolate labels).