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I am so delighted that I came across this wonderful recipe. My 8 year old son and I made these and fell in love with them!!! He said we could win Top Chef with these cake bars and I would have to agree!
Kristy Hutt
Roald Dahl wrote a book called Matilda and now I’m eating chocolate cake for breakfast.
Welcome to my life.
By the way, this is not just any chocolate cake. Try more like a perfectly dense and moist flourless (almost) chocolate cake that only requires 5 ingredients and can be baked into bars and is topped with the world’s best and most chocolatey and most simple frosting. THAT is what I’m eating for breakfast.
When Roald Dahl wrote his book Matilda, he included a cake-loving character named Bruce Bogtrotter whose punishment for stealing cake was eating a whole ‘nother cake. Poor Bruce! That is cruel. Oooor is it? That’s what I love about Roald Dahl – he makes us think deep thoughts about chocolate cake.
My girls and I enjoyed reading this story together in school,
and then Bjork and I invited them over to watch the movie at our apartment, because we like to see how many kids we can cram into one teeny room when it’s 100 degrees out.
And yes, they want blankets when it’s 100 degrees out.
So naturally, after that, I had to make the cake. Had. To.
This comes from a really wacky picture book/cookbook of all of Roald Dahl’s craziest book foods. Like frobscottle and snozzcumbers from the BFG, hot frogs from James and the Giant Peach, and lickable wallpaper from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. To the person who understands what I’m talking about: I love you.
This original chocolate cake recipe is meant to be baked, um, as a cake. Deeeep thoughts today.
But even though it’s a cake, I actually baked it into something more resembling bars, 1) because I have a thing for dessert bars, and 2) because I don’t have a round cake pan here in the Philippines. Annnnd I maybe don’t have one at home, either. Bad food blogger. Usually I buy one of those round tinny ones for 99c and try to wash and reuse it at least 50 times until it’s so flimsy that I can’t even lift it into the oven. I made another chocolate cake (sooo good) where I actually did use a 99c tin cake pan and TOOK THE PICTURES IN IT without even realizing. And then I ate the whole thing in 2 days, and you guys liked it, so whatever. We’re all good.
Since I don’t have a real round cake pan, but I do have something resembling a brownie pan, I decided to go with the sheet cake and/or bars approach. And oooo-ey. These flourless (almost) chocolate cake bars were just as good as they looked in the movie. That frosting? Oh, you guys. I live for that ganache-y frosting right now. It’s thick and luscious and creamy and sets up into a firm frosting layer when you keep it in the fridge like we do with all chocolate in this 100 degree land, kind of like this old fashioned frosting in a different, more chocolatey way.
These bars are not for the faint of heart. Lots of butter, lots of chocolate, lots of thick, dense, fudgy chocolate cake bar texture going on here. You wouldn’t expect anything else from someone named Bruce Bogtrotter, would you? Bruce just knows.
Fudgy Chocolate Cake Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
These simple fudgy chocolate cake bars only have 5 ingredients and taste like a combination of brownies and flourless chocolate cake.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, about 170 grams, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (for the frosting)
- 1 cup heavy cream (for the frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 8 ounces of chocolate chips in a double boiler, or if you don’t have a double boiler, just melt it in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water. Stir in the butter until it’s all melted.
- Transfer the melted mixture to a cooler, larger bowl and add the sugar and flour. Lightly beat the egg yolks and stir them into the bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are stiff. I find that it helps to have a cold bowl when I do this, and usually it takes about 3 minutes. Fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the batter into the rectangular bar pan (9×13) or a round cake pan (8 1/2 inches) lined with parchment paper and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The cake should have a thin crust on top when it’s done, but the inner texture might appear underbaked. That’s okay – the cake settles and firms up as it cools. It’s meant to be thick and fudgy. I baked for 35 minutes and I wish I had stopped at 30.
- Make the frosting by melting the chocolate again in the double boiler with the cream, stirring until just melted. Let the frosting cool slightly and the gently spread the frosting over the cake bars. To set the frosting, let it cool in the refrigerator. Or dig in to the hot melty chocolate. Up to you.
Notes
Lining your baking pan with parchment paper helps with easy removal of cake bars.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: fudge chocolate cake bars, fudge bars, chocolate bars
Oh, by the way? This is a picture of my sweet class. I started with six and ended with four, since two girls have left to join their new adoptive families. These girls are the highlight of my everything.
And as of this week, school is done for the year.
That kind of takes my breath away.
Made this tonight, it was great! I added three types of nuts, cocoa chips, and raspberries, which just made it all the better.
I don’t normally write reviews but I’m so dissatisfied with this, It’s a no no. Did not turn out even vaguely like any fudgey cake should. Was too moist, almost wet and was in the oven for a long time 45-60min. Been baking for years and never had such a bad outcome with a recipe. Supposed to be my partners birthday cake as she loves chocolate. The story of Bruce in Matilda sold it for me. Everyone would love a cake like that. But it’s not this one.
Sorry
Oohhh… Very nice cakes, looks very yummy and tasty. I will make it once surely. Thanks for sharing this wonderful dessert recipes.
Delicious, I am going to make it now. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.
I am so delighted that I came across this wonderful recipe. My 8 year old son and I made these and fell in love with them!!! He said we could win Top Chef with these cake bars and I would have to agree!
Hello Lindsay,
I was looking for a simple, quick recipe for a chocolate cake when I came accross your recipe and decided to give it a try. The outcome? These bars are absolutely delicious and I will definitely make them again! Thank you for the recipe 🙂 Greetings from the Netherlands.
The instructions say you can substitute an 8″ cake pan if you don’t have a 9 x 13 pan. That makes no sense, as those pan sizes don’t swap out evenly. Did you mean that if you don’t have a 9 x9 or 8 x 8 square pan, that you could use an 8″ cake pan instead??
Hi Mickey! The instructions are correct – the thickness of the cake will just change based on which pan you use.
My inner child thanks you for this post and my unborn child will be doing cartwheels once I get these in my belly.
Hi lindsay! I just followed you on instagram! Thank you for your recipes! 🙂 I just saw your shirt in one of your pictures here and it has “Cebu” written on it!! I’m from the beautiful island of Cebu but I just got here in Canada. It’s my third month and I miss home so much. I’m glad that you are somehow connected to Filipino people. You’re an inspiration. 🙂
Thanks Maer! So fun to hear from you! My husband and I lived in Cebu last year and worked at the Children’s Shelter of Cebu. How are you liking Canada? I hope you can find some good Filipino comfort food and recipes to help you feel more at home in Canada!
That cake looks awesome! Loving the runny chocolate topping. Its making my mouth water.
Matilda was my favorite Roald Dahl book growing up! (The BFG was next.) I really wanted to have special powers like Matilda, and I tried for days afterward to see if I could make things levitate. I even considered asking my parents to hold me back a year in school so I could use more brainpower to keep trying! (Shh, that’s a big secret… I’ve actually never told anyone!)
And boy oh boy! What BEAUTIFUL cake bars! I think I’d eat two. Or three. Or maybe I’d be just like Bruce and eat the entire thing. It’s anybody’s guess when there’s so much decadent dessert around!
i love everything about this post. everything. i too cover up with a blanket even if i am sweating…just something about it.
I came across your site yesterday…and was making this recipe within minutes of reading it. The end result was nowhere near as pretty as yours…but, hot d*** are they good 😀 I’m addicted.
Glad you like it Theresa!
Your photos are gorgeous, as always! I really admire the work you are doing in the Philippines that is awesome! I’m sure those girls love you so much!
Thank you Jaclyn! I was just thinking about you this morning – I had your quinoa tacos on the mind. 🙂
Wait…hold the phone. There’s a Roald Dahl cookbook? How did I not know about this? I MUST find this amazingness! Matilda is one of my most favorite books of all time. I loved it when my 4th grade teacher read it to my class and I love reading it my students now that I’m a teacher. LOVE!
Yep – it’s real! There’s a link to it in the recipe. 🙂
I’d be lying if I tried to say I never eat cake for breakfast. I do. And I eat snickerdoodles for breakfast sometimes too. What can I say. Love the picture of you and the girls. Is is so bittersweet to be done with school for the year??
This cake look AMAZING. I always love seeing photos of your students – thanks for sharing! 🙂
I know all those characters, some of my favorites! These cake bars look amazing. I bet they are so rich and creamy.
I love this cake. It reminds me of a recipe my grandma makes-she calls it Texas sheet cake-and it’s so moist, rich and amazing. I’d love to have a slice (or entire cake) around my house. Cheers!