4 inch Chocolate Fudge Cake

15 MIN PREP TIME

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30 MIN BAKE TIME

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45 MIN TOTAL

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15 MIN PREP TIME 〰️ 30 MIN BAKE TIME 〰️ 45 MIN TOTAL 〰️

If you’ve been searching for the ultimate small chocolate fudge cake that turns heads and wins hearts, this might just be it.
This 4-inch Chocolate Fudge Cake is rich, moist, and unapologetically indulgent, with a tender oil-based sponge and a thick layer of chocolate fudge frosting that’s rich, silky, and impossible to resist. It’s perfect for intimate celebrations, date nights, or when the craving hits and only chocolate will do.

Why you will love this recipe:

Small But Special | Whether it’s for an intimate celebration or just treating yourself, this single-serving cake feels indulgent without overwhelming.

Frosting That Steals the Show | The smooth chocolate fudge frosting brings extra decadence without being overly sweet or heavy.

Flexible & customisable | These cake is incredible as it is, but you can easily stir through chopped nuts, swirl caramel through the frosting, or decorate with fresh berries so it an be suited to any taste.

Make ahead friendly | If you’re making this cake for a special occasion but don’t have time to it all in one day then the sponge can be made ahead and will keep beautifully if wrapped and frozen. Simply unwrap and thaw it at room temperature before decorating.

Ingredients:

This is a simple recipe so uses lots of ingredients that you are likely to already have in your cupboards at home, but there may be a couple of specific extras you need.

Plain flour | provides structure to the cake while keeping the crumb soft and tender

Caster sugar | sweetens the cake and helps create a light, tender texture. It also contributes to moisture by interacting with the liquids in the batter

Light brown sugar | adds moisture and depth of flavor thanks to its molasses content. It enhances the chocolate notes and gives the cake a richer, more complex sweetness.

Cocoa powder | delivers the main chocolate flavour in the cake. It also gives the crumb its dark colour and contributes to the rich, fudgy taste

Baking soda | reacts with the acidic ingredients (buttermilk and cocoa powder) to help the cake rise and stay soft and fluffy.

Baking Powder | provides additional lift, ensuring the cake rises evenly and has a light, balanced crumb rather than being too dense

Salt | enhances the chocolate flavour and balances the sweetness. Even a small amount makes a big difference in overall taste.

Buttermilk | adds tang, moisture and tenderness while its acidity helps activate the baking soda.

Coffee | intensifies the chocolate flavour without making the cake taste like coffee. It deepens the cocoa notes and makes the cake taste richer overall.

Vegetable Oil | keeps the cake exceptionally moist and soft. Unlike butter, oil stays liquid at room temperature, which helps the cake remain tender for days.

Eggs | provide structure and richness. Using room-temperature eggs helps the batter emulsify properly, resulting in a smoother, more even bake.

Vanilla Extract | enhances and rounds out the chocolate flavoir, adding warmth and depth without overpowering the cocoa.

Unsalted Butter | forms the base of the buttercream, giving the frosting structure and richness.

Icing Sugar | sweetens the icing while also helping to stabilise it.

Cocoa Powder | deepens the chocolate flavour and reinforces the fudge-like richness of the frosting.

Chocolate Chips | form the base of the ganache, providing bold, rich chocolate flavor. Use good-quality chocolate here — it makes a noticeable difference in taste and texture.

Honey | adds a subtle sweetness and helps keep the ganache soft and glossy. It also prevents the frosting from setting too firm, giving it that classic fudgy consistency.

Heavy Cream | melts the chocolate and creates a smooth, luxurious ganache. It adds richness and helps emulsify the chocolate for a silky finish.

Why you will love the Chocolate Fudge Icing

There are very few things better than a good quality chocolate icing and this Chocolate Fudge icing is no exception. It has a lighter, creamier chocolate taste compared to a classic chocolate buttercream made with cocoa powder, so it is the perfect complement for baked goods that are already rich and chocolatey. 

The process for making this chocolate buttercream is very simple too and it can be ready to use in about 30 minutes.

FAQs

Can I use a different pan size?
This recipe is scaled for a 4-inch round pan. Going bigger will change baking time and texture so you will need to adjust the recipe accordingly. Double it for an 8 inch cake or 1/2 the ingredients and add those quantities to the recipe if you’re looking for a 6 inch recipe.

What chocolate should I use?
Always use good quality dark chocolate (at least 60–70% cocoa) for richer flavour, milk chocolate works too if you prefer sweeter cakes but note it will be notably sweeter.

How long can I store it?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Because it’s an oil based cake it keeps very well and will stay good enough to eat for 5-7 days.

Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, wrap the cooled undecorated layers tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before frosting.

Expert baking tips!

Measure with a scale | I always recommend using a scale when it comes to weighing out all ingredients but flour especially! It is so easy to add too much flour if you’re using measuring cups, leading to a dry cake.

Warm your milk/buttermilk before mixing | It helps the cake rise and develop a lighter crumb.

Cool your cake before decorating | Make sure the cake layers are completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt right off and be challenging to decorate.

Add coffee for flavour depth | Even a bit of brewed coffee without coffee flavour improves chocolate intensity.

Recipe Card:

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4 inch Chocolate Cake

Servings: 4-6

Author: My Kitchen Drawer

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

If you’ve been searching for the ultimate small chocolate fudge cake that turns heads and wins hearts, this might just be it. This 4-inch Chocolate Fudge Cake is rich, moist, and unapologetically indulgent, with a tender oil-based sponge and a thick layer of chocolate fudge frosting that’s rich, silky, and impossible to resist. It’s perfect for intimate celebrations, date nights, or when the craving hits and only chocolate will do.

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Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

• 125g plain flour
• 130g caster sugar
• 110g soft brown sugar
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150ml buttermilk, room temperature
• 80ml coffee room temperature
• 80ml vegetable oil
• 1.5 eggs room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 30ml heavy cream
• 240g chocolate chips
• 225g unsalted butter room temperature
• 120g icing sugar
• 50g cocoa powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 40ml honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the chocolate cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃/350F and grease and line two 4 inch cake tins
2. In a large bowl whisk the vegetable oil, sugars and eggs together until well combined.
3. Add the vanilla, buttermilk and coffee and mix through.
4. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate soda and fold everything together until fully incorporated.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between to the prepared cake tins then bake for 30 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
6. Stand 15 minutes in the cake tins before turning out onto cooling rack to cool fully before decorating

For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1. Make a ganache by heating the cream in a bowl until it begins to steam and adding the chocolate chips. Leave to melt for 30 seconds then whisk it together until smooth. Leave aside to cool.
2. Cream the butter and icing sugar together for a few minutes until creamy, then add the cocoa powder and cooled ganache and whisk it through until well combined.
3. Fold through the honey, vanilla and salt and leave aside until you're ready to decorate the cake
4. Sandwich the two cooled sponges together with a generous amount of frosting then cover the cake with the frosting until full coated using an offset spatula to spread it across. There's no need to be super neat here as you can use the spatula to create swirls around the cake.
5. Decorate with chopped dark chocolate and serve.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

642

Fat

43 g

Carbs

63 g

Sugar

54 g

Protein

4 g

Disclaimer: The information is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. The nutritional information may vary based on the ingredients used, their freshness, and how they are prepared.

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Did you make this recipe?

Tag @mykitchendrawer on instagram and hashtag it #mykitchendrawer

Other Chocolate bakes you should try:

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

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I would love it if you tagged me @mykitchendrawer on Instagram if you make this recipe. It’s the biggest honour to see my recipes come to life in your kitchen and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to drop me a message or let’s chat in the comments. Happy baking!