Chocolate Pudding Cake
This vegan chocolate pudding cake recipe, also known as hot fudge cake, creates a rich 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 this old-fashioned chocolate pudding cake. Or maybe it just sounded good. It’s hard to say.
Of course, it’s not just any cake. This cake combines the smooth creamy texture of vegan chocolate pudding with a rich dense cake, like this vegan avocado cake. It’s the best of both worlds!
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.
These quick chocolate desserts have been around for quite a while, dating back to the 1800s.
Key Ingredients
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, including substitution ideas:
- Flour — I recommend all-purpose flour.
- Sugar — I used coconut sugar, but you can substitute granulated sugar.
- Cocoa powder — I recommend natural cocoa powder.
- Plant-based milk — Any plant-based milk will do, such as soy or almond milk.
- Brown sugar — Use dark, light, or even homemade brown sugar.
- Vegan butter — Any dairy-free butter or margarine will work.
- Chocolate Chips — See this dairy-free chocolate chip resource for lots of options.
- Water — If your tap water has a flavor to it, then use filtered water.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- GOOEY — Pouring hot water over a thick chocolate cake batter causes the batter to rise to the top while the denser liquid sinks to the bottom, creating a cake with chocolate pudding underneath
- FLAVORFUL — Using brown sugar in the topping adds a caramel flavor to the sauce
- CHOCOLATEY — Adding chocolate chips to the sauce increases the fudgy chocolate flavor of the pudding.
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
If gooey chocolate cake is your favorite, this vegan lava cake is amazing, too.
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 hot fudge 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!
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup vegan butter , melted
Chocolate Pudding Sauce
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. 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 to 15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with vegan whipped cream or vegan ice cream and drizzle some of the chocolate sauce.
Recommended Equipment
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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.
This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
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. 🙂
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!
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!
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”!
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!
Oh wow, that sight would make me really happy too. I love this, Marly!
Thanks, Cassie!
This looks so rich and decadent Marly! Love the photos 🙂
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!
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!
Looks very rich and delicious!!!