Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Fudge Icing
Submitted by foodshortage
Buttermilk chocolate cake with fudge icing, a moist, tender chocolate sheet cake made with buttermilk and boiling water, topped with a cooked, poured fudge frosting that sets glossy and rich.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
45 minThis is an old-fashioned chocolate cake that gets everything right: a moist, tender crumb and a glossy fudge icing poured right over the top.
Two things make the cake so moist. Buttermilk, reacting with baking soda, gives a soft, slightly tangy crumb, and a cup of boiling water stirred into the batter blooms the cocoa for deeper chocolate flavor while keeping everything tender.
The batter is thin, which is exactly right; it bakes into a level, fine-crumbed sheet cake.
The fudge icing is the kind your grandmother might have made: sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter boiled together, then beaten until it thickens to a spreadable, pourable consistency. Poured over the cooled cake, it sets into a smooth, glossy, fudge-like layer.
Cut into squares straight from the pan, it’s an easy crowd-pleaser.
Pro Tips
- Mix the buttermilk and baking soda and set aside; it will foam, and that’s meant to happen.
- The batter is thin, but don’t worry, that’s what makes the cake moist.
- Cool the cake completely before icing, or the fudge will slide off.
- Pour the icing while it’s still warm and spreadable, since it firms up fast.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate.
- Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the icing, Texas-sheet-cake style.
- Top with flaky salt or sprinkles before the icing sets.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside in a warm place.
In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups sugar, eggs, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla until blended.
Stir in the boiling water, then gradually beat in the flour. Stir in the buttermilk mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To make the Fudge Icing: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, ½ cup cocoa powder, milk, butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat icing for 3 minutes, or until it thickens to spreading consistency.
Pour over completely cooled cake.
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