🎉 Best-Ever Chocolate Cake | Fudge Frosting | kukskitchen

Celebrate Anytime with This Show-Stopping Chocolate Cake

Looking for the perfect chocolate cake to celebrate anything from birthdays to just making it through the week? This is your go-to recipe. Rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, it’s topped with my all-time favorite fudge frosting and vibrant homemade sprinkles that make every slice feel like a party.

Adapted from the amazing Ina Garten, this cake is pure joy in every bite. 🎂✨

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A few things before we start: 

• No buttermilk? Mix 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
• 🕑 Note: This cake bakes quickly — check at 25 minutes to avoid overbaking.

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🎉 Best-Ever Chocolate Cake 

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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 10

🧁 Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour

• 2 cups (400g) sugar

• ½ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk*

• ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil)

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Fudge Frosting:

• 1 cup (240g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 6 cups (675g) powdered sugar, sifted

• 1⅓ cups (120g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• ⅔ cup (165ml) whole milk

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Making the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line three 8-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.

3. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and hot coffee.

4. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. (Don’t overmix — this keeps the cake tender!)

5. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

6. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes before turning out onto wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Making the Fudge Frosting:

1. Beat butter until light and fluffy using a stand or hand mixer.

2. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar, 1 spoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Mix in cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Turn mixer to medium-high and beat until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.

5. If frosting is too thick, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

To Decorate:

1. Place your first cake layer, flat-side up, on a plate or cake stand. Spread with frosting to create a crumb coat.

2. Add the second layer and cover the top and sides with frosting.

3. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.

4. Add a final layer of frosting, smoothing as much as you can.

5. For a polished swirl top: dip a spoon in hot water, dry it, and work from the outside in, swirling to the center.

6. Finish with a generous sprinkle of homemade or store-bought sprinkles!

🍰 Storage:

• Store at room temperature (covered) for up to 4 days.

• If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.

💬 Final Thoughts

This is the cake I make when I want smiles, second helpings, and requests for the recipe. Whether it’s a birthday, a celebration, or a Wednesday — this cake delivers. The combination of moist chocolate sponge, rich fudge frosting, and playful sprinkles is impossible to beat.

Happy baking! 💕

— Sherin Jos