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This Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake is a rich and indulgent dessert that will have you dreaming about it for days! Underneath a layer of chocolate cake is this ooey-gooey sauce that just hits different!
Best of all, it is extremely easy and FAST to make!
I tried this with TWO different cocoa powder tests, and the results speak up for themselves.
Why This Recipe Works
This elegant looking dessert is actually very easy to make. You’ll need no fancy equipment or specific cooking procedures to put it together. Just some pantry staples and a few minutes in the kitchen- it’s all about technique here.
Get ready for the ultimate chocolate dessert that’s versatile enough to enjoy at any day of the week, or make for a special occasion or when you’re entertaining and want to make an impression.
Ingredients
- Flour: Opt for your regular all purpose flour here. Gluten free flour may not work well.
- Sugar: To sweeten! White granulated sugar works well. You’ll also need some brown sugar for the fudge sauce.
- Cocoa powder: Use the best quality cocoa powder you can find- it really makes a difference in the end result. If you prefer a slightly bitter, darker flavor, use dark cocoa powder, and if you prefer a sweeter, subtle flavor, Dutch process cocoa powder is your best bet!
- Butter: For the richness. I love using salted butter.
- Milk: To add moisture and richness to the batter. Use whole milk for the most indulgent taste.
- Baking powder: To help the cake rise.
- Vanilla: For that delicate sweet flavor and aroma.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
How To Make Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Prepare cake batter: In a bowl, combine milk, butter, all purpose flour, baking powder cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla. Whisk it all until you get a smooth batter.
- Add batter to pan: Pour this batter into the prepared baking pan and tap lightly to remove any air bubbles.
- Prepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the remaining white sugar, brown sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle this over the batter.
- Pour water: Once the water in the kettle is boiling, pour it over the cake (don’t stir!) slowly and allow it to sit on the top.
- Bake time: Pop the pan in the preheated oven and let the cake bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes or so.
- Finish up and serve: Top the chocolate pudding cake with some whipped cream or ice cream, spoon some of that fudge sauce over the top, and serve.
Serve this hot fudge pudding cake on its own, or pair it with some toppings of your choice. Ice cream, whipped cream and fresh fruits are great! Sometimes, I also like to pair it with my Drunken Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
And if I have some leftover Mini Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cookies, I top some of them too!
Recipe FAQ’s
Check the cake at the 30-35 minutes mark. That’s the sweet spot where you will have a firm looking top and a nice bit of sauce on the bottom.
For a richer, deeper chocolate flavor, use dark or Dutch-process cocoa powder. Regular unsweetened cocoa works fine too but may be lighter in flavor.
The boiling water helps create the self-saucing fudge layer underneath the cake as it bakes. Don’t skip or stir it in!
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Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or plain flour
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FUDGE SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder I like unsweetened cocoa powder. See notes.
- 1-1/4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan*. Pre-boil water in a kettle while preparing cake.
FOR THE CAKE:
- Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add in the milk, butter and vanilla; whisk until smooth and fairly lump free.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking pan or dish and spread evenly.
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Combine together the remaining 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar and remaining 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. Evenly sprinkle mixture over the batter. Slowly pour the boiling water over the top (DO NOT STIR OR MIX INTO THE BATTER. ALLOW THE WATER TO SIT ON TOP).
- Bake 35 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Serve in dessert dishes with ice cream or whipped cream, and spoon fudge sauce from the bottom of pan over top of each serve of cake.
Notes
*Cocoa powders: A dark cocoa powder will yield in a rich and bitter-sweet chocolate flavoured pudding (pictured in the first photographs above).
A normal unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s unsweetened, will yield a milder chocolate flavoured pudding — not bitter in taste and still rich (photographed in the last images above). Please choose carefully, and use a cocoa powder you LOVE the taste of.
Adapted from Hershey’s
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As an adult who doesn’t like too sweet of a dessert this was perfect for me and my hubby, it was great with vanilla ice cre am! I will say that anyone who prefers a sweeter dessert may want to.increase the sugar in the cake to 3/4 cup sugar.
Amazing!
I used a bunt pan for this recipe, so I just reduced the cook time to 25 mins.
Identical recipe to one my grandmother always made, love it.
So good and so easy. Will make again and again!
I never really review recipes but … wow. This. Was. Amazing. I’m not usually much of a chocolate person either but this was just on another level. Not too sweet, not too rich or bitter (as some chocolate things can be, I find), just absolutely delectable and gooey. I used Fry’s Dutch Process Cocoa Powder and it was fab. I’m saving this recipe forever!! Next time I’ll add walnuts to the cake and I think it’ll be even better.
Absolutely putting this recipe in my arsenal. I can’t wait to make it for everyone I know.
Thanks for sharing. This is the birthday cake I always asked my grandma to make me while growing up.
I have made this cake for years, easy to make.
Just wondering if doubling the sauce would affect th outcome of the cake? I want more sauceyness! 😂
This is one of those “magic” recipes that I just wouldn’t mess with. But if you want extra fudge sauce, it’s really easy to make.
Ol’ Stock’s Hot Fudge Sauce
1 oz baking chocolate (unsweetened, usually comes in 4 or 8 oz bar)
1/3 cup water
optional Tbsp butter
1 cup white sugar
Bring the water to a boil and melt the chocolate into it, stirring constantly. Add butter if desired (I don’t). Add sugar and continue to stir. When it comes to a boil again, it’s ready if you like a thinner sauce. If you want sauce that thickens when it hits ice cream, boil 30 seconds before removing from heat.
I made this a few months ago and LOVED it. Recently, I ended up bringing some oranges home from work, and in trying to find a way to use them I remembered both this recipe and my love of chocolate oranges. I added the zest of one orange to the batter and substituted 1/4 cup of the milk for fresh orange juice, still using 1/2 cup of milk. I then used the remaining juice of that orange in the boiling water for the pudding. I probably could have added more juice to the pudding, but I didn’t wanna mess too much with the chemistry of the recipe (and didn’t feel like cutting into another orange :p oh well). Anyways it’s DELICIOUS! I use Hersey’s special dark cocoa powder since it’s my favorite and that pairs SO well with the orange flavor. I also saw someone else say they used coffee instead of water for the pudding- I’m so excited to keep making and playing around with this recipe. It’s so delightful, delicious, easy, and unexpected if you’ve never had it before. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
That sounds so delicious!!!!! Thank you for the ideas!!!
Absolutely delicious! Recipe was really easy to follow and worked well with gluten free flour. The whole family loved it!
This very VERY delicious. I think it was a little too much pudding to the amount of cake, but maybe that was just for the size pan I used, and the thickness of cake to the amount of pudding was off. If I make it again in that pan I’ll think I half the pudding- even if it’s very, very yummy, it’s just a little too much. Tonight I just had it with a glass of milk, but I can’t wait to try it with ice cream or whipped cream.
Absolutely love this recipe. This is the best chocolate pudding cake I’ve ever had. It literally finishes in minutes with my family! My go-to recipe, for sure.