Cheesecake Factory Linda's Fudge Cake

Ingredients Needed

• All-purpose flour: This forms the base of the chocolate cake and gives the layers enough structure to stack.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Cocoa powder gives the cake its deep chocolate flavor. Use a good-quality cocoa powder for the best flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and helps keep the layers tender.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds extra moisture and a deeper caramel-like flavor that works beautifully with chocolate.
• Baking soda and baking powder: These help the cake rise and keep it light enough to balance the rich frosting.
• Salt: A little salt brings out the chocolate flavor and keeps the cake from tasting overly sweet.
• Eggs: Eggs give the cake structure and help create a soft, tender crumb.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds moisture and a slight tang that makes chocolate cake taste even richer.
• Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the cake incredibly moist, even after refrigeration.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the chocolate flavor.
• Butter: Butter creates the rich base for the homemade fudge frosting.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: More cocoa powder gives the frosting its deep chocolate flavor.
• Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting.
• Heavy cream or milk: This helps create a smooth, spreadable frosting.
• Vanilla extract: Just a little vanilla makes the chocolate frosting taste even better.

How to Make Linda's Fudge Cake

Start by making the chocolate cake. Preheat your oven and prepare two round cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The batter will be fairly thin, and that's exactly what you want.

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for several minutes before turning them onto a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before frosting.

While the cakes cool, make the fudge frosting. Beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar gradually, mixing between additions. Add the vanilla and enough heavy cream or milk to create a smooth, spreadable frosting.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of fudge frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.

Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting around the cake. Refrigerate before slicing so the layers and frosting have time to set.

Pro Tips for Linda's Fudge Cake

Make sure your butter is softened before making the frosting. Cold butter can leave you with a lumpy frosting.

Let the cake cool completely before assembling it. Even slightly warm cake can cause the frosting to melt.

For those beautiful restaurant-style slices, refrigerate the finished cake for at least an hour before cutting.

If you want perfectly even layers, use a kitchen scale to divide the batter between the cake pans.

And don't worry if your frosting isn't perfectly smooth. A homemade cake is supposed to look homemade!

Storage

Store the finished cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

Because this cake is so rich and moist, it actually tastes even better after it has chilled for several hours. Let a slice sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before eating for the best texture.

You can also freeze individual slices. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions

This cake is rich enough to stand on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream takes it over the top.

You can also serve it with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, or fresh strawberries.

For the ultimate Cheesecake Factory-inspired dessert, serve a big slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of chocolate sauce.