Our Test Kitchen Director’s Favorite Chocolate Fondant Cake Recipe — Plus 7 Bonus Desserts You’ll Love

deleciousfood | September 20, 2023 | Chocolate | No Comments

Calling all chocolate lovers! If you’re like us, you know there’s nothing like a slice of gooey chocolate cake to satisfy a sweet tooth. And while we’re big fans of shortcut mixes in the Women’s World test kitchen, sometimes we just want to treat ourselves to a decadent treat from scratch. That’s why we’ve put together our best chocolate fondant cake recipe, as well as delicious variations that are very easy to prepare. And best of all, knowing that your chocolate pastry is homemade makes it taste even richer!

Our best chocolate fondant cake recipe

We make a lot of cakes in the Women’s World kitchens, and whenever we’re looking for something super chocolaty and fudgy, this is the staple recipe our test kitchen director, Susan Chiusano, returns to again and again:

Chocolate Fondant Cake from Scratch

Alexandra Grablewski/Getty

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1¾ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 C. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
⅔ cup oil
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups hot water (120°F – 130°F)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the hot water. Divide the dough between the molds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; transfer molds to rack. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

Easy Upgrade Ideas

“Once you have a basic chocolate fondant cake recipe, it’s easy to personalize it and make it your own,” says Susan. “For added richness, once your batter is mixed, add ½ cup chopped dark chocolate.”

She also says that tangy orange complements dark chocolate perfectly, so you can even add a teaspoon or two of grated orange zest to it. Some of her other favorite additions: ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts, 2 tbsp. chopped coconut or a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. And for a delicious topping, click through to learn how to make the easiest dulce de leche ever.

And here’s a real insider tip: Susan notes that while cooking spray helps coat the casseroles in the base recipe, once you start adding things like chocolate chips, it’s best to d Use cooking spray with flour to prevent sticking.

7 Chocolate Fondant Cake Recipes You’ll Love

Ready to whip up a chocolate fondant cake recipe from scratch? Keep scrolling to find some decadent and easy sweets from the Women’s World test kitchen.