This chocolate pudding cake is a magical, self-saucing dessert that starts as a simple batter and transforms in the oven into a tender chocolate cake layer with a buttery, deeply chocolate sauce beneath. All you do is pour the sweet topping over the batter before baking - no need to stir - and the result is a cakey top with a gooey, fudgy base that's irresistible when served warm, especially with ice cream or whipped cream. It's comforting, crowd-pleasing, and easy enough for weeknights yet special enough for company.
Whether you call this chocolate self-saucing pudding cake, chocolate hot fudge cake, or hot fudge pudding cake this cake is a crowd-pleaser and easy enough to make mid-week! It's kind of magical how you place the cake batter in the pan and a sweet sprinkling on top then hot water and then when they bake they switch positions, you end up with an incredibly moist chocolate cake on top and a rich, fudgy sauce on the bottom. I love the two layers.
When we first tested this recipe I did it a night I was babysitting my three nieces and nephew. We started by taking my best-ever chocolate cake recipe and altering it down to one cake. They went crazy for this cake, I had to literally remove my almost-three-year-old niece Rosie from the pan she wanted to keep serving herself more! She said "Mo cake ugh ugh" (She calls me ugh ugh for auntie haha)
The Ingredients That Matter Most
- Dutch-process cocoa powder: Gives rich, deep chocolate flavor to both the cake and the sauce layer beneath.
- Butter: Melted into the batter for richness and moist crumb; it also helps support the self-saucing texture.
- Hot coffee: Intensifies the chocolate flavor by "blooming" the cocoa without adding a coffee taste.
- Mix of granulated & brown sugar (topping): Creates the sweet, fudge-y sauce that forms under the cake as it bakes.
- Boiling water: Poured over the sugar/cocoa topping so that as it bakes, it turns into rich sauce under the cake layer.
We love to serve this cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, sprinkle on chocolate chips too if you love chocolate as we do! Don't miss my chocolate fudge cake or Oreo cake!
For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.
Instructions
You can scoop some of the extra pudding sauce to pour on top of the cake.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Chocolate Pudding Cake (Self-Saucing & So Gooey)
This chocolate pudding cake is a magical, self-saucing dessert that starts as a simple batter and transforms in the oven into a tender chocolate cake layer with a buttery, deeply chocolate sauce beneath. All you do is pour the sweet topping over the batter before baking - no need to stir - and the result is a cakey top with a gooey, fudgy base that's irresistible when served warm, especially with ice cream or whipped cream. It's comforting, crowd-pleasing, and easy enough for weeknights yet special enough for company.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Cake
- 200 Grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 2oz (¼ Cup) Butter, melted
- 4oz (½ Cup) Whole Milk, at room temperature
- 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 125 Grams (1 Cup) All-Purpose Flour
- 45 Grams (½ Cup) Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2oz (¼ Cup) Hot Coffee
Topping
- 3 Tablespoons Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
- 66 Grams (⅓ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 66 Grams (⅓ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 10oz (¼ Cup) Boiling Hot Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and grease an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, melted butter, whole milk, egg, and vanilla extract mix until fully combined.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over the wet ingredient and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated. Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. The cake batter will be very thin. Pour into the prepared pan.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Evenly sprinkle on top of the cake batter. Pour the hot water all over on top. You don't want any dry spots of sugar mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, the cake will still be quite jiggly but the edges of the cake will have started to pull away from the sides and the top of the cake will have started to crack. Keep in mind the 8-inch will take a bit longer to cook than a 9-inch cake.
- Set aside for five minutes then enjoy with ice cream. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Janitza Hernandez says
Easy to follow and the outcome is amazing!!!!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review Janitza, I really appreciate you coming back to review the recipe! Have a lovely weekend! XX Liz
Sherrijo capodiferro says
Delighted! I just love your blog. Your recipes are easy to follow and don't require having to buy any ingredients that I will use once and not again. Plus all your recipes are simply yummy.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Aww, thank you, Sherrijo! I am so pleased you enjoyed the cake and I appreciate your kind words, so happy to have you a part of the CBQ community 🙂 Take care. XX Liz