This moist, but oil-free chocolate fudge cake, aka Schokokuchen in German, is super quick to make in less than 1 hour. It only takes 10 minutes of hands-on prep time and makes a super chocolatey, fudgy chocolate mud cake. Perfect for afternoon tea or as a dessert.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super quick – freshly baked chocolate cake in 50 minutes flat
- Easy recipe even your kids can make
- Moist chocolate cake, yet it’s oil-free
- It freezes well
- Versatile, it can easily be adapted to suit your taste
For more decadent chocolate desserts, check out the following recipes:
- Triple Chocolate Muffins
- Cherry Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Covered Pecans
- Barley Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate fudge birthday cake
A no-frills, fudgy chocolate cake seems to be on the birthday wishlist for a lot of men. If you’re looking for a quick and easy birthday cake for your husband, father, or brother – this is it.
Ingredients
- Greek yogurt – Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt gives this cake some fudge without weighing it down.
- Cocoa powder – I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor but you can also use regular cocoa or raw cacao powder.
- Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips or drops, or simply a finely cut chocolate bar add extra chocolate flavor and a fudgy bottom to this cake. You can substitute it with milk chocolate for a sweeter taste.
- Butter – Softened butter adds richness and moisture to this cake making it extra fudgy.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works well for this recipe but you can also use castor sugar.
- Eggs – By using room temperature eggs, the cake benefits from enhanced structure, increased moisture, and improved leavening properties, which contribute to its rise.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works well for this recipe. You can also substitute it with barley or spelt flour.
- Baking powder – This is the key leavening agent for this cake and gives it a fluffy texture.
- Salt – Omit the salt if you’re using salted butter
How to make chocolate fudge cake
- Preheat the oven and grease a round cake tin.
- Mix wet ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Combine everything into a smooth cake batter.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake the cake and let it cool.
Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: Using eggs and butter stored at room temperature will help the batter mix more easily and create a more even texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing the batter can result in a tough, dense cake. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined to ensure a tender, moist crumb.
Variations
You can easily also customize this recipe to suit your taste. Here are a few ideas:
Go nuts: Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds work well with chocolate. Add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts to the batter to add texture and crunch to the cake.
Mocha: Add 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules to the cake batter for a rich mocha flavor.
Add fruit: Cherries and raspberries work particularly well in a rich chocolate cake. Simply add 1 cup of fresh fruit to the batter. Orange and chocolate are another delicious flavor combination. Add the zest of one orange to the cake batter.
Layer it: To elevate your chocolate fudge cake further cut it in half and add extra frosting / icing in between the layers. Add more icing to the top of the cake and garnish it with fresh fruit.
Chocolate loaf or bundt cake: Simply use a loaf or bundt cake tin instead of a round cake tin to make it a chocolate loaf or bundt cake.
Serving
I added a light dusting of powdered sugar to the cake and served it while it warm slightly warm but you can also top the cake with a chocolate, vanilla, or even a mint frosting once it has fully cooled down.
Here are some serving suggestions for the Schokokuchen:
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Mascarpone whipped cream
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or cherries)
- Fruit compote or sauces
- Caramel, biscoff, or chocolate sauce
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Recipe
Chocolate Fudge Cake (Schokokuchen)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder sifted
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy. Add 3 eggs and fully combine them into the mixture. Slowly add 1 cup Greek yogurt while mixing and combine everything until smooth.1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup Greek yogurt
- Sift 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch saltand 1/2 cup cocoa powder into the wet mixture. Combine everything until just combined. Do not overmix. Slowly fold in 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and transfer the batter into the greased cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a large spoon.1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 pinch salt, 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Bake the chocolate cake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.