This Hot Fudge Pudding Cake is so sinfully rich! A luscious chocolate cake bakes right with a creamy, chocolatey pudding sauce. Each bite is pure chocolate heaven.
Growing up, my mom would often make Sauce n Cake for dessert. It’s a box mix where the cake bakes right into the chocolate sauce. They are yummy, but the homemade version is so much better. Chocolate lovers will be in heaven with this easy dessert recipe especially when they find out how simple it is to make.
I think that’s like anything you make. Baking from scratch just has a more homemade feel to it that comes across in the taste. It’s also rewarding to know that you made a recipe entirely from scratch.
This hot fudge pudding cake recipe is easy to make and requires little effort. It has the perfect amount of sweetness. Next time you are craving those Sauce n Cake mixes, give this gooey chocolate cake recipe a try instead. SOOOOO much better! I add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to my chocolate cobbler and it’s incredible.
I made this recipe recently and shared it with a few friends that came over for a visit. It received rave reviews which made me very happy. I love making recipes and have people actually eat it. Cough, picky kids.
Why You’ll Love Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Made with simple ingredients
- A family favorite fudgy dessert
- Twice as decadent as a simple chocolate cake
- Rich chocolate cake bakes in its own fudge sauce
- One of the best chocolate desserts
- Ready in under an hour
- Easy to prepare
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Melted butter
- Milk
- Sugar
- Salt
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s cocoa)
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
- Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Step Two: Stir together flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in an ungreased 9×13 casserole dish.
- Step Three: In bowl, add butter and ¼ cup of cocoa powder and stir together until smooth.
- Step Four: Add to baking dish along with ½ cup milk and vanilla. Stir well with a fork.
- Step Five: In a small bowl, stir together remaining sugar and cocoa.
- Step Six: Sprinkle over the batter. Pour the 2 ½ cups hot milk over top. Do not stir.
- Step Seven: Bake for 40 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cake begins to pull away from the side. Let cool. Serve warm.
Equipment Needed
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What to Serve with Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake
- Hot coffee or tea
- Scoop of ice cream like my homemade vanilla ice cream
- Stabilized whipped cream
- Hot fudge sauce
Variations and Substitutions
- Use whole milk or half and half for extra richness.
- Use vegetable oil instead of melted butter
- If using salted butter, you can omit the salt.
- Use brown sugar instead of white sugar or you can use a combination of the two.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover hot fudge pudding cake in an airtight container or tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating in the microwave before serving to soften the cake and warm the rich chocolate fudge sauce.
Can I Freeze?
Yes, you can freeze hot fudge pudding cake! It’s important to first let the cake cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also place it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy your delicious chocolate cake again, thaw it in the fridge overnight. You can reheat in the microwave or warm it up in the oven at a low temperature for a few minutes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- You don’t need to grease the pan for this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the hot milk slowly and evenly over the batter.
- Don’t overbake. Watch for the cake to pull away from the sides of the pan and the sauce to start to bubble.
- Allow the cake to cool down so you don’t burn your mouth on the fudge sauce. It’s best served warm.
Other Names for Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
- Chocolate brownie pudding cake
- Chocolate pudding cake
- Molten chocolate cake
- Hot chocolate cake
- Chocolate surprise cake
FAQ
Hot fudge pudding cake is a decadent chocolate cake with a gooey fudge sauce that forms underneath as it bakes in the oven. The hot liquid ingredients sink to the bottom of the dish to create a warm fudge sauce that you can drizzle over top of the cake.
Though these two cakes are quite similar in many ways, there are a couple key differences. Hot fudge pudding cake is a moist chocolate cake with a fudge sauce that forms beneath the cake as it bakes. It’s similar in texture to a brownie.
Chocolate lava cake is a chocolate dessert with a rich gooey fudgy center. When you cut the cake open, thick fudge sauce will ooze out just like lava. The cake is usually less dense than a hot fudge pudding cake.
Chocolate Cake Recipes
Craving more chocolate cake? I got you covered.
- Banana Chocolate Cake: Rich, luscious and fully of yummy chocolate flavour. You won’t be able to stop at just one piece.
- Chocoholics Chocolate Mousse Cake: Luscious and rich, this Chocoholics Chocolate Mousse Cake will satisfy your sweet tooth!
- Earthquake Cake: Feel the earth move with this luscious dessert! It may not be the prettiest dessert, but it sure tastes delicious.
- Wacky Cake: Moist, chocolatey and easy to make! This vintage cake was popular in the Depression era and contains no butter, milk or eggs.
- Reese Lava Cake: If you love sinfully rich chocolate with a hint of peanut butter, this recipe is for you.
You might also like Fruit Cocktail Cake, Pineapple Cake, Tornado Cake, Butterscotch Pudding, Chocolate Cake Batter Fudge, Earthquake Cake, Cake Mix Cobbler or Mayonnaise Cake.
Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup sugar divided
- 2 ½ cup hot milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder divided
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Stir together flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in an ungreased 9×13 casserole dish.
- In bowl, add butter and ¼ cup of cocoa powder and stir together until smooth. Add to baking dish along with ½ cup milk and vanilla. Stir well with a fork.
- In a small bowl, stir together remaining sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over the batter. Pour the 2 ½ cups hot milk over top. Do not stir.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cake begins to pull away from the side. Let cool. Serve warm.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Paula says
Very tasty but not enuff pudding. Did I bake it too long?
Debbie says
Is 2 1/2 cups milk a typo? All other recipes I’ve seen calls for 1 to 1 1/4 Cup. It caught my interest because it calls for milk and not water but that much milk seems too much?
Stacie Vaughan says
Hi Debbie,
Nope, that’s correct! Thanks for asking. I hope you like it if you end up trying it.
Maree says
Hi it looks divine – just wondering if you think a sugar substitute could work ?? Being diabetic I can’t obv have the sugar itself but do use sugar substitutes
Stacie Vaughan says
I think a sugar substitute would work. Let me know if you end up trying it and how it turns out.
Stacey says
Hello in the recipe I only see 1/2 cup milk in the ingredient section. I read in another comment that it is 2 1/2 cups total? So is it 1/2 cup to mix the ingredients and 2 cups of warm milk poured over the top?
Thank you.
Stacey
Stacie Vaughan says
It’s listed in the ingredients as 2 1/2 cups hot milk. Both sets of milk are added in steps 3 and 4.
3. In bowl, add butter and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and stir together until smooth. Add to baking dish along with ½ cup milk and vanilla. Stir well with a fork.
4. In a small bowl, stir together remaining sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over the batter. Pour the 2 ½ cups hot milk over top. Do not stir.
Susan says
So 1/2 cup hot milk + 2 1/2 cups hot milk would be 3 cups hot milk.or should it be 1/2 + 2 = 2 1/2?
Stacie Vaughan says
1/2 cup of regular cold milk and 2 and 1/2 cups of hot milk. In total there will be 3 cups of milk.
Debra Baskett says
Please send to Recipe to Messenger.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake .
Linda Lybbert says
I am looking for a sauce & cake recipe like the chocolate one BUT….Lemon sauce and cake, as simple as your chocolate one, maybe with water.
Tracey says
The ingredients are so pure & simple—I expected more than the end result gave. Thought it would be similar to molten lava cakes. The chocolate got kinda lost. It didn’t have a strong chocolate flavor. It bubbled out over the edges of my 9×13 Pyrex and onto the bottom of the oven.