What is a chocolate pudding cake?
A chocolate pudding cake is essentially a chocolate lava cake or molten chocolate cake that is large enough to share, family-style. It’s a rich chocolatey cake top with a thick saucy pudding underneath. Now, you might be wondering: But wait, is that ok to eat? You betcha it is! The pudding layer is egg-free, so you do not need to worry about it being underbaked. In fact, it’s not much different from making homemade chocolate pudding on the stove top and then eating it warm. However, this pudding cake variation is made “magically” by mixing cake batter, sprinkling extra cocoa and sugar over the top, and then pouring hot boiling water over the top of the unbaked cake. You DO NOT stir in the hot water. As the batter bakes, the water works its way through the cake creating a glorious fluffy chocolate cake top and pudding underneath. This chocolate pudding cake recipe is perfect to feed a crowd at picnics, potlucks, or any fun gathering. The warm, gooey hot fudge pudding cake comes together in just 3 easy steps, and is ready to serve by the spoonful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in under an hour!
Ingredients You Need
All-purpose flour – or your favorite gluten-free alternative Sugar – granulated white sugar Cocoa powder – unsweetened and high-quality for the best taste Baking powder – leavening agent for fluffy chocolate cake without egg Salt – a pinch Milk – whole fat or 2% Butter – unsalted and melted Semi-sweet chocolate chips – for the most ultra-chocolatey pudding cake Brown sugar – to sweeten the molten topping Boiling water – the secret to making the eggless gooey center of the cake
How to Make Chocolate Pudding Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out an 8 X 8-inch baking dish and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set out a mixing bowl. Combine the batter ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well, then whisk in the milk and melted butter. Finally, whisk in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into the prepared dish and spread out evenly. For the magic topping: sprinkle the additional cocoa powder over the top of the batter. Then sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the batter. Finally, pour hot boiling water over the top of the cake batter and DO NOT STIR. The water sits on top of the cake batter, like in the picture below. Carefully place the cake pan in the oven. Pro Tip: The most important thing about pudding cake is not to over bake it… Or else you won’t have any pudding at the bottom! Make sure your oven temperature is accurate and you bake for only 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes, then scoop deep into the cake to make sure you have cake and pudding in each scoop.
Recipe Variations
Gluten-free – Use your favorite GF all-purpose flour mixture alternative. Vegan – Use good-quality plant-based butter and milk for a vegan version. Chocolate chips – Change things up a bit and swap semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate or milk chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips. Double it – As-is this chocolate pudding cake is made in an 8×8 inch dish and has 6-8 servings. Double the ingredients and prepare the cake in a 9×13 inch baking pan to make 12-14 generous servings. Note that you might need to bake the cake for an additional 5-10 minutes. But keep a close watch so that it does not overbake.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this chocolate pudding cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a marvelous homey decadent dessert everyone will love! It is also delicious with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or cool whip. And a handful of fresh berries adds a nice bright touch to balance the cake’s richness.
Looking for More Decadent Chocolate Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
Better Than Sex Cake (Retro Recipe) Fluffy No-Bake Chocolate Banoffee Pie Magic Chocolate Eclair Cake (No-Bake) Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Chocoflan Impossible Cake
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