The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Three Layer Cake Recipes

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
• Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note: Even if they're completely done, the cooled cakes may *slightly* sink in the center. Cocoa powder is simply not as structurally strong as all-purpose flour and can't hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. It's normal!)
• Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
• If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called "leveling" the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired.
• Refrigerate cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE AND GOLDEN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together 3 times and set aside.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition until blended. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix.
• With the mixer running at low speed, and working in alternating batches, add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine after each addition. Mix until just smooth. Pour into 2 cake pans. Bake until risen, golden, and firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans.
• For the frosting: In a mixer with a whip attachment, cream the butter well. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually. Add the melted chocolate, then the vanilla. Add the milk by spoonfuls until you have reached a fudgy yet spreadable consistency.
• Once the cakes have cooled, place 1 layer on a serving platter and cover the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top of that but bottom-side up, to create a nice flat top. Press down to secure the layer. Frost the top and sides using a swirling motion. Or if you want it to look more professional, do a crumb layer of frosting, chill, then do a topcoat.

THE VERY BEST CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high cake pans with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.
• 2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one-third of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.
• 3. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45 to 60 minutes.

FABULOUS FUDGE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 2 1/2 cups brown sugar until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla and melted chocolate squares. Add 1/2 the sour cream and then 1/2 the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until well blended.
• Add the remaining sour cream and dry ingredients to the batter. Stir in boiling water.
• Bake in a greased 9 X 13 inch pan for 35 minutes.
• Let cool 10 minutes before icing.
• To Make Caramel Icing: First melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan. Stir in 1 cup brown sugar and boil about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup milk and bring to a boil. Place pan in cold water and stir in the confectioners' sugar. Continue stirring until smooth. Spread over still warm cake.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Place rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Sift cocoa; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan). Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center.
• Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen them from the pan. Remove cakes from pans, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• To assemble, using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Place four strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the cake stand. Spread with 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom side up. Using a swirling motion, cover the outside of cake with the remaining frosting. Remove parchment-paper strips.

FUDGE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Line three greased 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in chocolate. Combine the cake flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. , Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, all-purpose flour, milk and egg until smooth. Add the dates. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in walnuts and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate., For frosting, combine the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate and butter until melted. Transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate until spreadable, stirring occasionally. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

THREE LAYER FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; butter the foil with 1 teaspoon butter. Set aside. , For chocolate layer, butter the sides of a large heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon butter; add the sugar, cream, chocolate, corn syrup, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Boil until mixture reaches 236° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat., Add vanilla and remaining butter (do not stir). Cool to 110, ° without stirring. Stir with a clean dry wooden spoon until fudge begins to thicken; add nuts. Continue stirring until fudge becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss, about 10 minutes. Immediately spread into prepared pan; set aside. , For cherry almond layer, butter the sides of a clean large heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon butter; add the sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Boil until mixture reaches 236° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. , Add almond extract and remaining butter (do not stir). Cool to 110° without stirring. Stir with a clean dry wooden spoon until fudge begins to thicken; add cherries and food coloring if desired. Continue stirring until fudge becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss, about 8 minutes. Immediately spread over first layer. , For coconut vanilla layer, butter the sides of a clean large heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon butter; add the sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Boil until mixture reaches 236° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. , Add vanilla and remaining butter (do not stir). Cool to 110° without stirring. Stir with a clean dry wooden spoon until fudge begins to thicken; add coconut. Continue stirring until fudge becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss, about 8 minutes. Immediately spread over second layer. , Score into squares while still warm. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container.

FUDGE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and white and brown sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. At low speed, begin by adding a little of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Alternate with buttermilk until all are blended together. Start and end with flour.
• Line bottoms of 2 9-inch pans with waxed paper; grease and flour. Pour batter in.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 25-30 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning onto racks to cool completely.
• To Make Frosting: Cream together 3/4 cup butter and confectioners' sugar. Slowly add melted chocolate and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cake.

BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE FUDGE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Chop 2 oz. chocolate. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with mixer until blended. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into 2 (9-inch) round pans sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Loosen cakes from sides of pans. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
• Microwave COOL WHIP and remaining chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 min. to thicken.
• Stack cake layers on plate, filling and frosting with COOL WHIP mixture. Sprinkle with nuts.