Chocolate Fudge Tray Cake with Sprinkles Recipe by Raymond Tan

A generous chocolate cake, a glossy layer of fudge frosting and a scattering of colourful sprinkles: sometimes the most familiar bakes are the ones everyone is happiest to see. This chocolate tray cake from Raymond Tan’s cookbook You’re Welcome has all the appeal of a celebration cake, with a dark cocoa crumb, a chocolate soak and a simple frosting that is spread right over the top. Baked in one tin, it is ready to cut into generous squares and share.

The chocolate soak is poured over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, settling into the crumb while it cools. Give it those few hours in the tin before adding the frosting, then finish with as many hundreds and thousands as the occasion calls for. It is a lovely choice for a birthday lunch, a shared afternoon tea or a weekend gathering where the cake can sit at the centre of the table.

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

• Oil spray, for greasing
• 160 g plain flour
• 175 g caster sugar
• 100 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3 g (⅔ teaspoon) baking powder
• 4 g (1¼ teaspoons) bicarbonate of soda
• 3 g (½ teaspoon) fine salt
• 200 g milk, warmed
• 90 g unsalted butter, melted
• 50 g strong brewed coffee, or 2 shots of espresso
• 3 eggs

For the chocolate soak

• 100 g white sugar
• 10 g cocoa powder
• 2 g fine salt
• 100 g water
• 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract

For the chocolate fudge frosting

• 100 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 100 g pure icing sugar
• 200 g warm milk
• 2 g fine salt

To finish

• Sprinkles or hundreds and thousands

Method

1. Prepare the soak. Put the sugar, cocoa powder and salt for the soak into a large saucepan. Add the 100 g water and bring to the boil, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and set aside.
2. Prepare the tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 35 × 24 × 5 cm rectangular cake tin with oil spray.
3. Mix the cake. Combine the flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the warm milk, melted butter, coffee and eggs together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
4. Bake. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 45–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Soak and cool. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the chocolate soak over it. Leave in the tin at room temperature for 2–3 hours, until completely cool and the soak has settled into the cake. Carefully turn out onto a serving platter.
6. Frost and decorate. Mix all the frosting ingredients in a bowl until combined. Spread over the cooled cake and finish with sprinkles.

Recipe Notes

• The recipe measures several liquids by weight. Use kitchen scales for the milk, coffee and water to keep the quantities consistent.
• Have the chocolate soak ready before the cake finishes baking so you can pour it over while the cake is hot.
• Let the cake cool completely before turning it out and adding the frosting.
• Dutch-processed cocoa is specified for both the cake and the frosting.
• Cover the finished cake and refrigerate if keeping it beyond serving day; bring individual portions towards room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size tin should I use?

Use a rectangular tin measuring 35 × 24 × 5 cm. A different size changes the batter depth and may change the baking time.

When do I add the chocolate soak?

Pour it over immediately after baking, while the cake is still hot and in its tin. Leave it to soak and cool for 2–3 hours before frosting.

What to Bake Next

Plan your next afternoon tea or shared lunch with one of our recipes:

• Miso Banana Bread – A moist loaf with a gentle savoury depth from miso.
• Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies – An easy addition to the afternoon tea tin.
• Apple and Brown Butter Frangipane Tart – A fruit-filled tart with a rich almond filling.
• Sweet Raspberry Jam Puff Pastry Pull-Apart with Pistachios – A pastry bake made for sharing.