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One Layer Fudge Cake

posted by Liz Berg on November 3, 2019 (updated 10/2/22)

If you happen to be looking for an easy, decadent chocolate dessert, this One Layer Fudge Cake fits the bill! It’s perfect when you need a smaller dessert. One of my friends served this exquisite chocolate cake last night for a birthday party, and it just reinforced how incredible this Homemade Chocolate Cake recipe tastes! I practically licked my plate clean.

A chocolate cake is pretty much a given on December 27. That’s the date of my oldest’s birthday. Any other day of the year a luscious Chocolate Lasagna would make the family swoon, but for a birthday, it must be cake. It doesn’t matter that we still had 3/4 of a Chocolate Mousse Torte in the fridge that was leftover from Christmas. We had to honor the kid who drew the short straw as far as birthdays are concerned, so the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe was on the menu!

One Layer Fudge Cake with a rich chocolate ganache topping on a white dessert plate.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make:

2 Serving Suggestions

3 How to Make:

4 Expert Tips:

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like:

7 One Layer Fudge Cake Recipe

Why You Must Make:

It’s only ONE layer, so it’s perfect when you need a smaller, celebratory dessert.
The cake is moist, rich, and delicious!!
You can easily make this gluten-free by using Cup-4-Cup Flour in place of regular flour.

It’s difficult when your special day is so close to Christmas. Mom is tired of cooking, mom is tired of shopping. Sometimes the poor guy gets a lot of IOUs, but he’s a good sport. But I did make certain there was a chocolate cake. And this rich, one-layer cake is perfect when you’ve been overindulging your way through the holidays.

Slice of One Layer Fudge Cake on a white plate with a red handled fork.

Serving Suggestions

This year, a one layer fudge cake topped with a decadent, glossy ganache was selected for the celebration. When I showed the birthday boy this photo on the Fine Cooking website, he quickly agreed with my choice. You cannot go wrong with an Alice Medrich recipe when it comes to chocolate desserts. But besides birthdays, this single-layer cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Or if you’re celebrating with your favorite girlfriends, “Galentine’s Day.”

Cut into wedges and serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Or for an even more extravagant indulgence, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce. I can feel my blood sugar rising just thinking about it!

One Layer Fudge Cake on a white ceramic cake stand.

How to Make:

Dense and moist with a glossy coat of ganache, this one-layer fudge cake was so easy to put together. No worries about lining up layers, piping decorations or fiddling with leveling. Bake, cool, and coat. It was as simple as that. And it was as superb in taste as it was a breeze to assemble.

You’ll definitely want to whip up this single-layer chocolate cake for the chocoholic in your life. We sent the leftovers home with Tom. I’m certain he and his roommates finished it for breakfast. That’s a birthday boy’s prerogative.

Fudge cake process shots numbered 1 and 2.

Melt chocolate and make the ganache. Let cool until thick enough to frost the cooled cake.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside

Fudge cake process shots numbered 3 and 4

Stir together wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Fudge cake process shots numbered 5 and 6.

Mix in hot water, then scrape into the prepared baking pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Expert Tips:

This ganache chocolate cake is ideal for when you aren’t feeding a huge crowd. Fewer leftovers (if any!) and no waste, plus the flavor is out of this world!

Adding an extra 4 ounces of chocolate will make a thicker ganache if that’s your preference. But remember that the ganache should still pour so you can get a smooth, glossy coating.
Purchase an (affiliate links)oven thermometer to be sure your oven is registering the proper temperature. No one likes a dry, over-baked cake.
One of my friends makes a gluten-free version of this one layer fudge cake just by substituting Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour for the flour in equal measurements. I’ve tasted it, and you’d never know the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Prep the Baking Pan?

Grease your baking pan, then place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and grease it as well. No need to flour since flouring the pan after greasing will leave a white residue around the edges of the cake. That’s undesirable.

How Do I Know When My Chocolate Cake is Done?

When you start to smell a delicious aroma emanating from the oven, your chocolate cake is almost fully baked. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out with a few to no moist crumbs when removed, the cake is done. A tapping test is another way of testing. Use an index finger to tap the top of the hot cake while pulled out on the oven rack. If the indentation bounces back up, the cake is finished. If the indentation remains, the cake needs more time in the oven.

When Can the Cake Be Removed from the Pan?

Your chocolate cake should cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Using hot pads if needed, gently shake the pan back and forth to loosen a bit. Then flip the cake onto the cooling rack, and invert back upright if able. If the cake is released too early, it will break apart. If it’s left in the pan too long, it will stick.

What if the Ganache is Too Runny or Too Thick to Use?

If the ganache is too runny, let it cool at room temperature a bit longer. If the kitchen is very warm, place the ganache in the refrigerator, stirring frequently until it’s the right consistency. If the ganache is too thick, microwave for about 10-15 seconds, then stir. Repeat as needed.