Chocolate Pudding Cake
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Indulge in the ultimate dessert experience with this decadent chocolate pudding cake! At its heart lies a rich, fudgy layer of chocolate pudding, perfectly cradled beneath a delightfully moist chocolate cake. The best part? You’d never guess how simple it is to whip up this chocolate masterpiece.
You’re going to fall head over heels for this irresistible gooey pudding cake, especially if you are a fan of my chocolate lava cake! It’s a huge hit every time I make it, and the best part is it’s one of the simplest desserts you can make!
This recipe begins with an easy chocolate cake batter. You pour the batter into a baking dish and then sprinkle a combination of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder over the top. The magic happens next. You pour hot water over everything without mixing it in. Then just pop it into the oven and let it do its thing!
As it bakes, the cocoa and hot water sink to create a luscious layer of chocolate pudding beneath the cake. It’s like having two desserts in one delightful dish!
I love making this chocolate pudding cake when I want something sweet but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. In just 25 to 30 minutes, you can have this scrumptious treat, and it’s completely eggless, too! Perfect for indulging without a fuss.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Flour: Be sure to properly measure the flour. You don’t want a dry, dense cake because you accidentally used too much flour.
- Cocoa powder: Natural unsweetened cocoa powder is what I like for this recipe. If you want a more intense chocolate flavor, you can use Dutch-processed cocoa.
- Milk: I prefer to use whole milk for that added richness. You can use 2% or even unsweetened almond milk if you desire. Make sure the milk is at room temperature so it doesn’t solidify the melted butter.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If all you have is salted butter, omit the added salt from the recipe.
- Sugar: I use granulated and brown sugar. Granulated sugar goes in the cake batter, while both granulated and brown sugar are used in the topping. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Baking powder: Check the expiration date on your baking powder. If it’s been open for longer than six months, it may not be good anymore. You can test it by following the instructions in my baking powder vs baking soda tutorial.
How to Make Chocolate Pudding Cake
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Make the cake batter. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir the milk, melted butter, and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup and pour it into the flour mixture. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
- Pour into a baking dish. This cake works best in a 9-inch square baking pan. Spray the pan with nonstick spray or lightly brush it with cake release.
- Make the topping mixture. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder together until well combined.
- Sprinkle the topping over the cake. Gently shake the pan to get the topping to spread if needed. Do not mix it into the batter.
- Pour hot water over the batter. You have to trust the process here and don’t mix the water into the batter either.
- Bake. The cake bakes for about 25-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top no longer looks wet. Be careful not to over-bake it.
- Serve while warm. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes so it’s not piping hot, then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips For Success
- Do not stir the topping or hot water into the batter. If you do, the pudding will not bake up properly.
- Don’t overbake the cake. Bake just until the top looks dry. You can’t use the traditional toothpick test to check for doneness because the pudding will stick to the toothpick and look like wet batter.
- You can easily double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 baking pan. The bake time may need to be increased slightly.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. The pudding will be thicker than it was when fresh from the oven. You can reheat servings in the microwave.
- I don’t recommend making this recipe in advance since the pudding thickens as it cools. It really is best right after it is made.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Chocolate Pie
- Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Coffee Mousse
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the topping
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) boiling water
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9 square baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the butter, milk, and vanilla together.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour cake mixture. Mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
Make the topping
- Stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder together in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter. Gently shake the pan to get the topping to spread evenly. Do not mix it into the batter.
- Gently pour the hot water over the top of the pudding. Do not mix it into the batter.
- Carefully transfer the baking pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is puffed up and no longer wet on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.