A soft, fluffy coffee cake layered with rich chocolate fudge frosting, this Coffee Chocolate Fudge Cake is a dream for coffee lovers. Each bite is deeply flavorful, perfectly balanced, and surprisingly simple to make, making it ideal for both special occasions and everyday baking.
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About This Recipe
This Coffee Chocolate Fudge Cake is made up of three layers of an incredibly soft coffee sponge, filled and frosted with a luscious chocolate fudge frosting — the same one used in my Matilda Cake and Eggless Matilda Chocolate Cake, two of my most-loved recipes. The frosting is rich, glossy, and intensely chocolatey, pairing beautifully with the cake’s bold coffee flavor.
The cake itself has a pillowy-soft texture thanks to a combination of buttermilk, oil, and butter. Using oil keeps the cake moist for days, while butter adds flavor and structure. Brown sugar enhances the coffee notes with a deeper, caramel-like richness, though white sugar works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
Despite how impressive it looks, this cake is very straightforward to make. The batter comes together easily, the frosting doesn’t require whipping, and the rustic finish means there’s no pressure to decorate it perfectly. Whether you’re baking for a celebration or just treating yourself, this cake delivers big on flavor with minimal stress.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
For the Coffee Cake
- All-purpose flour: I have not tried this cake with cake flour.
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Instant coffee powder: You could also use instant espresso powder. If you have instant coffee granules, you could pulse them to make a fine powder before using them in the cake.
- Unsalted butter (softened): The butter should be soft to make it easy to cream with the sugar.
- Vegetable oil: Using a mixture of vegetable oil and butter gives us the best of both worlds. The butter gives the cake a delicious flavor, and the vegetable oil makes the cake super moist!
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar can be replaced with white sugar for a slightly lighter flavor.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice and letting it sit for 5 minutes. For one cup of buttermilk, mix 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice in 1 cup of milk.
For the Fudge Frosting
- Heavy cream: must have a fat percentage of 35% or higher; otherwise, the frosting will not set
- Dark chocolate: I use cuverture chocolate or cooking chocolate; using a high-quality chocolate is very important for this frosting, as it’s the main flavor. I use chocolate with 54% cocoa, it’s my favorite because it has the perfect amount of bitterness.
- Unsalted butter: The butter does not need to be at room temperature because it will be melted anyway.
- Powdered sugar: Do not use granulated sugar for the frosting; that will make it gritty.
- Instant coffee powder: This is optional; I usually add a bit less than what I have added in this recipe, but since it’s a coffee cake, I bumped up the amount a bit so that even the frosting has a bit of coffee flavor.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
Optional Coffee Simple Syrup
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Instant coffee powder; you could also use instant espresso powder.
Equipment For This Recipe
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer
- Spatulas
- Saucepan
- Parchment paper
- 3, 7-inch cake pans (or 2, 8-inch cake pans)
- Cooling rack
- Cake stand or large serving plate
- Offset spatula
- Kitchen scale (or Measuring spoons)
Pro Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients for the cake, especially the eggs and buttermilk. This helps the batter mix evenly and creates a softer crumb.
- Don’t overmix once you add the dry ingredients. Folding gently keeps the cake light and fluffy.
- Instant coffee powder gives the best flavor here. If your coffee granules are coarse, you can dissolve them in a tiny bit of warm milk first.
- Level your cake layers before assembling for a cleaner, more stable cake.
- If your kitchen is warm, keep an eye on the frosting; it can soften quickly, so pop it in the refrigerator to firm up before you continue to frost the cake. If the weather is cold and your frosting hardens up too quickly, microwave it to loosen it up a bit, which will make it easier to frost the cake.
How To Store Coffee Chocolate Fudge Cake
At room temperature:
If your kitchen is cool and not humid, the fully assembled cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Keep it in a cake dome or an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
In the refrigerator:
For longer storage, keep the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chocolate fudge frosting firms up when chilled, which helps the cake hold its shape. Always let the cake sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving. This allows the frosting to soften and the cake layers to return to their fluffy, tender texture. Cold cake can taste dense, so this step makes a big difference.
Storing individual slices:
Leftover slices can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This helps keep the cake moist and prevents it from absorbing fridge odors.
Freezing instructions:
I recommend freezing the unfrosted cake layers only. Once completely cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before frosting.
Freezing the fully frosted cake isn’t ideal, as the texture of the fudge frosting can change once thawed.
FAQ’s
Can I make this cake in advance?
Yes! You can bake the cake layers a day ahead, wrap them tightly, and store them at room temperature or in the fridge. Frost the next day.
Can I skip the coffee simple syrup?
Absolutely. The cake is already moist and flavorful, but the syrup adds extra moisture and boosts the coffee flavor.
What type of chocolate should I use for the frosting?
Use good-quality cooking dark chocolate (around 50–70% cocoa) for the best flavor and texture.
Can I use 2 cake pans instead of 3?
Yes, you can use two 8-inch pans, but the layers will be slightly thicker and may need a few extra minutes of baking time.
This Coffee Chocolate Fudge Cake is everything a coffee lover could dream of—soft, fluffy coffee cake paired with rich, silky chocolate fudge frosting. It’s simple to make, incredibly indulgent, and perfect for any occasion. One slice is never enough.
Coffee Chocolate Fudge Cake
Equipment
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Medium-sized bowl
- 1 Large bowl
- Elecric mixer hand or stand mixer
- 2 Spatulas
- 3 7-inch cake pans or 2, 8-inch cake pans (greased and lined)
- Cooling rack
- Medium-sized saucepan
- Plastic wrap
- Cake stand or large serving plate
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- 270 g all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 30 g cornstarch (1/4 cup)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 20 g instant coffee powder (4 1/2 tbsp)
- 113 g unsalted butter (1/2 cup) softened
- 118 ml vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
- 300 g light brown sugar ( 1 1/2 cup) packed (or 330g white sugar)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 290 ml buttermilk (1 1/4 cups) room temperature
For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 170 g heavy cream (3/4 cup)
- 250 g dark chocolate (8 oz) chopped
- 150 g unsalted butter (2/3 cup) cubed
- 70 g powdered sugar (3 tbsp)
- ½ tbsp instant coffee powder
- 8 g unsweetened cocoa powder (1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Coffee Simple Syrup
- 50 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50 ml water (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
Instructions
Make the Coffee Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line three 7-inch cake pans (or two 8-inch pans) with butter or oil and parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and instant coffee powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the softened butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add half of the buttermilk and beat until combined.
- Swithch to a spatula, and add half of the pre-mixed dry ingredients and fold until just incorporated.
- Add the remaining buttermilk and fold gently, followed by the remaining dry mixture. Make sure not to overmix, fold only until there is no longer any streaks of flour.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then release and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer.
- Add the chopped chocolate, butter, powdered sugar, instant coffee powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
- Stir continuously with a spatula until everything is melted and smooth.
- Pour the frosting into a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface.
- Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, checking frequently, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
Optional Coffee Simple Syrup
- Combine the sugar, water, and instant coffee powder in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Assembly
- Level the cake layers if needed.
- Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate.
- Brush with coffee simple syrup if using.
- Divide the frosting: split it in half, then divide one half in half again.
- Spread one quarter of the frosting over the first layer.
- Add the second cake layer and spread the second quarter of frosting.
- Place the final cake layer upside down so the top is flat.
- Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
- Create rustic swirls using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, or smooth it out with a cake scraper.
- Slice and enjoy!
Video
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