Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe

Introduction

There are cakes, and then there is fudge cake. The type that you close your eyes with the first bite, as you are suddenly engulfed in chocolate, butter, and nostalgia. That is what Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe does. It is not a mere dessert but the story, the comfort, and the chocolate pan-baked hug.

Being a cook who has worked in professional kitchens and in my own small home kitchen, I have tried more than my share of chocolate cakes. But Linda’s Fudge Cake? It has this enchanted proportion–rich, but not oppressive, sweet, but not syrupy, with this sort of brownie quality. 

It is the type of cake that you bring to birthdays, family dinners, or cravings to go to bed. And I say, you see–it is one of them recipes you will want to repeat.

What is Linda’s Fudge Cake?

Linda’s Fudge Cake is a very chocolatey, moist, and dense cake that lies between the boundaries of conventional chocolate cake and flourless fudge cake. Baked in one or two layers and covered with shiny chocolate frosting, usually. The cake itself is prepared using fine cocoa powder and melted chocolate to make it twice as powerful and sour cream (or buttermilk) to make it light and creamy.

The result? One with a soft tight crumb, a shiny surface, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that leaves one unforgettable. It is even called by some bakers a dream cake for a chocolate lover. And they are not mistaken indeed.

My Discovery of This Cake.

How I first tasted the Fudge Cake made by Linda was during a potlatch in the neighborhood. You see the long tables with casseroles, salads, and unknown dips? But, as one approached the end, one could see a gleaming cake of chocolate, and it was too good to be true. 

Heavy, brilliant frosting was glittering under the lights, and one slice had been cut off already, with an impossibly rich crumb.

My first bite, I will never forget. Hot, thick, and as full of chocolate as it was, it was no ordinary cake, but the cake. Then I basically hunted Linda down like a desert detective. She laughed when I requested Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe. She said that she had been making it all her life, and it was a family meal. She is fortunate to be well-meaning and provides us with what she can and I can now do the same.

Equipment

• 2 x 9-inch round cake pans
• Mixing bowls
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Saucepan (for melting chocolate & butter)
• Whisk & spatula
• Wire cooling rack
• Offset spatula

Ingredients For Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted softened butter.
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar-free cocoa powder (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled.

For the Fudge Frosting:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces.
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup whole milk (to make it even richer, use heavy cream instead)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions For Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe

Step 1: Prep the pans

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper so that they can easily be removed.

Step 2: Cream butter and sugar

Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together to a light-fluffy mixture. This is done to add air to the batter to provide the cake’s structure.

Step 3: Add eggs and vanilla

Add the eggs sequentially with proper mixing and add vanilla extract.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate

In a small saucepan, melt the semi-sweet chocolate over low heat. Allow to cool a little, then pour it into the batter (or it will scramble the eggs!).

Step 5: Mix dry ingredients

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

Step 6: Combine wet and dry

Combine the dry ingredients into the butter mixture; each time adding sour cream followed by the dry. Stir until just combined.

Step 7: Bake

Split up the batter into the cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center of the cake draws out, not drippy batter, but moist crumbs.

Step 8: Cool

Allow cakes to rest in pans 10 minutes before removing them onto wire racks to cool.

Step 9: Make frosting

In a saucepan, melt the butter and the chocolate until smooth. Take off the heat and add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and blend until it is creamy and spreadable.

Step 10: Frost and serve

Frost between the layers, and on the sides and top. Apply with an offset spatula to produce that glossy, smooth appearance.

Tips for Perfect Fudge Cake

Do not overbake: This is a moist and fudgy cake. When it is only set in the center, draw it out.

Use good chocolate: the cake is as good as the chocolate. Use actual semi sweet or dark chocolate, not chocolate chips.

Chill the cake: To have clean cuts, chill the cake and then cut it after half an hour.

Add flavor: You can add an espresso powder to add flavor to the chocolate.

Variations to Try For Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe

Peanut Butter Twist: Between, add a layer of peanut butter frosting.

Boozy Boost: Use the frosting, but use 2 tablespoons of milk in place of the bourbon or Irish cream.

Nutty Crunch: Toss pecans or walnuts that have been chopped over the frosting.

Mini Versions: Prepare in muffin tins to prepare single cupcakes of fudge.

Pairing Ideas

Wine: Ideally served with a red wine, port or coffee.

Ice Cream: Vanilla bean ice cream can help it reach a new level.

With Fruit: Fresh raspberries or strawberries sliced through the richness.

Final Thoughts

Making Linda‘s Fudge Cake is more than baking a cake; it is tapping into tradition, comfort, and that universal love of chocolate. It is a cake that can stand its own ground on any table, whether it is a simple get-together or a holiday gathering.

Then the next time you require a fix of chocolate that actually works, do not grab a boxed mixture- prepare the Linda’s Fudge Cake Recipe. You have to take my word, after trying a slice of it you will be as addicted to it as I was to the potlatch table several years back.

More Delicious Desserts:

• Tubby Custard Recipe
• Hennessy Pound Cake Recipe
• Cheesecake Almond Cone Recipe