Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
This easy chocolate pudding cake recipe, also known as hot fudge cake, creates a creamy chocolate pudding topped with a remarkably dense, fudgy chocolate cake. It’s a simple dessert recipe with minimal steps and ingredients.
Inspiration comes from many sources. It could be reading an article, taking a walk, eating vegan comfort food, or crossing something off your bucket list like visiting the Grand Canyon. I did a little of each this week. Maybe that’s why I was inspired to make old fashioned Chocolate Pudding Cake recipes. Or maybe it just sounded good. It’s hard to say.
Of course, it’s not just any cake. One could refer to it as the grand canyons of cakes, but you might have to try it first and let me know if that title works.
What is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake?
Hot chocolate pudding cakes are made when chocolate cake batter is topped with hot water and baked. The chocolate cake puddings sink to the bottom and you’re left with an incredibly moist cake on top with a layer of hot fudge or chocolate pudding at the bottom.
I love this description in Fine Cooking about the history of baked chocolate pudding cakes. In fact, these quick chocolate desserts have been around for quite a while, dating back to the 1800s.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Flour — I recommend all-purpose flour.
- Sugar — I use coconut sugar but you can substitute granulated sugar.
- Cocoa powder — I recommend natural cocoa powder.
- Baking powder
- Plant-based milk — Any plant-based milk will do, such as soy or almond milk.
- Vanilla
- Brown sugar — Use dark, light, or even homemade brown sugar.
- Vegan butter — Any dairy-free butter or margarine will work.
- Water — Use filtered or tap water.
How to Make Chocolate Pudding Cake
Wondering how to make pudding cake? Well, it’s pretty easy! Begin by using these ingredients to make this delicious vegan chocolate pudding cake from scratch:
- Stir together the dry ingredients from the flour to the baking powder.
- Mix together the milk, vanilla, and melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Press batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, using a spatula or your fingers to press it evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- Stir together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips and sprinkle this evenly over the top of the batter in the baking dish. Don’t stir.
- Pour the hot water over the top. Do not stir. Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Here are more descriptive step-by-step instructions:
Step One: Make the Cake Base
Stir together flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine plant-based milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the butter mixture over the flour mixture and stir until combined. Press this into a greased baking dish.
You can use a 9″ square baking dish or a 2 quart casserole dish for this easy pudding cake recipe.
Step Two: Create the Chocolate Pudding Sauce
Stir together the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and brown sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle this over the cake batter in the casserole dish. Do not stir!
Make sure your water is good and hot (boiling works here too). Pour the hot water over the top. Again, do not stir!
Step Three: Bake
Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes. Voila!
Top each slice with a little touch of vegan whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Your guests will be impressed!
Make it Healthier
Keeping desserts simple, yet elegant is important. Here are a couple of tips to make this dessert healthier too:
- Use a sweetener you feel good about in place of the granulated sugar. For example, Stevia is a no-calorie sweetener that works for some people. You could also consider using coconut sugar.
- Try whole wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose flour. There’s not much difference in texture and the added fiber is beneficial.
Vegan Chocolate Desserts
This recipe for pudding cake is pretty amazing. If you love the best chocolate desserts, you’ll definitely want to check these out:
That’s it for this chocolate pudding cake. It’s a favorite recipe I love to make on the spur of the moment because it doesn’t have a lot of difficult ingredients and it’s so delicious, too!
Vegan Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup vegan butter , melted
Chocolate Pudding Sauce
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9" square or 2-quart casserole baking dish with vegetable spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour this mixture over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Press this batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. It will be thick so use a spatula or your fingers to press it evenly across the bottom of the dish.
Chocolate Pudding Sauce
- Place the brown sugar in a bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to break up any lumps in the sugar. Add cocoa powder and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Sprinkle this evenly over the top of the batter in the baking dish. Don't stir.
- Make sure the water is good and hot (boiling works too). Pour the hot water over the top. Do not stir. Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with vegan whipped cream or vegan ice cream and drizzle some of the chocolate sauce.
Recommended Equipment
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
Looks very rich and delicious!!!
INCREDIBLE. Love the cake and the view!! The Grand Canyon is on my bucket list!!
They don’t call it “grand” for nothing! It is definitely a bucket-list worthy destination!
Hi! Came here via Pinterest.
Which Grand Canyon site did you visit? We went to Grand Canyon West since it was closer for us to go and then reach Vegas in time. I have heard Grand Canyon South has the best view.
The chocolate pudding cake I make is completely different. There is a hot water concoction I pour on top of the dry mixture. The hot water then transforms into saucy pudding, and the dry mixture converts into a cake!
Hi Nisha
We were on South side as well and began at Mather Point and hit various viewing stations along the drive up to the Watchtower. It is an experience of a lifetime! Any way you make it, chocolate cake is the best!
This looks so rich and decadent Marly! Love the photos 🙂
Oh wow, that sight would make me really happy too. I love this, Marly!
Thanks, Cassie!
Nothing beats chocolate cake! The Grand Canyon is so beautiful! I haven’t been there since I was a teenager but you never forget it.
So true – I know I will never forget that experience. It’s one of those things that you can look at a million pictures, but seeing it in person is just so much more moving!
I would love to see the Grand Canyon one day. I’ve been to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, which is gorgeous, but I am sure it pales in comparison to the real thing!
This cake looks scrumptious! Chocolate is the bomb.
They say the inner canyon that lines the Colorado River is bigger than most canyons around the world. That’s pretty amazing to think about it. That said, I would love to go to the Pennsylvania version. OK. It’s gonna have to go on “The List”!
I like your form of inspiration! 😉 And I hope I can visit the Grand Canyon some day, too!
Thanks, Brenda. It’s so good to find different sources of inspiration. I hope you can get there someday soon!
Nice that you got to see the Grand Canyon!
And this cake looks awesome. I’m not big on vegan baked goods but this I could handle. Love the topping, too!
Thanks, Erin! I think finding a good topping is key…especially when that includes pudding!
How gorgeous is this cake?!! Just as gorgeous as the Grand Canyon (maybe more)!! 😀 Would love a big piece of that. . will have to do with just drooling over the photo. 🙂
This looks wonderful. I love a good pudding cake.
mmm, I know I’ll always find something delicious on your site!!!
TOTALLY my kinda cake!!!
Making this again. Everyone loved it last time!