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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.
Very good my grandmother made something very similar to this when I was a child. I added chopped walnuts to the cake in her memory.
This was in the old Good Housekeeping Cookbook, and my mother used to make it quite often. It’s my favorite dessert.
I amazed my grandchildren when I poured the hot water over the whole thing before putting it in the oven, but the lived the results!
Thank you for sharing this excellent and easy to put together recipe. Made it today and my husband and I loved it served warm with a big scoop of ice-cream! Made it pretty much exactly as outlined in the recipe but put instant coffee (black) into the boiling water to enhance the rich chocolate flavour (can never get enough of that) lol . The only change I might make next time is to bake it in an 8″ square pan in lieu of a 9″ square pan for a higher cake/sauce ratio. This is a chocolate lovers delight and you won’t be disappointed if you make it.
delicous
OM Gosh! I have been searching for this recipe for months! My mother used to make this when I was a child. (I’m 66!). She called it Brown Betty, but that name yields desserts with fruits! Not the one I’m looking for. I googled all sorts of combos of chocolate cake, and puddings, and pudding cakes, and finally this one showed up. At last! This is it! I never watched her make this, so I don’t know if she did the boiling water thing, but your results are the same as hers. It’s in the oven as I write this and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. It has to be delicious!
Wow! Rich & decadent. My hubby wanted me to make a pudding cake & I randomly came across this one in my search: glad I did! Such a nice flavor & so simple. Definitely not to sweet & cocoa amounts create a dark flavor (almost healthy feeling ;-P)
To my luck, he says it’s just like grandmas except this time he gets to lick the spoon! baha!
Just completed 20 minutes ago and made exactly as written. My wife’s first words were “Decadent”. Extremely easy with all ingredients readily available in our pantry. I used Ghiradelli brand unsweetened cocoa powder. The cake turned out a beautiful fudge flavor and moist rich taste! This one is a keeper for sure!
Chocolate pudding cake was a family favourite when I was growing up. I made this recipe and it was so much like mom used to make. Absolutely amazing and brought back so many wonderful memories of my mom. 🙂 I tried the dark chocolate cocoa and it took this desert to a whole new level!
Thank you so much! Loved it! Is it possible to make it with only brown sugar?
My mother used to make this in the 19402 & 50s. We loved it. My brothers called it “Chocolate Messy”.
There is nothing new to add for this cake, made it and love it, will make again