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So, picture this: you’re digging into a slice of warm, melty chocolate cake… and then you hit that layer of gooey fudge sauce hiding underneath like it’s some kind of delicious secret. Yeah. That’s this cake.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake sounds fancy, I know — but it’s one of those old-school recipes that feels like it came straight out of a grandma’s 1970s casserole dish. My grandma, specifically. She used to make it after Sunday dinner, usually while yelling at us not to touch it until it cooled. (We always ignored her.)
I hadn’t thought about this cake in years until one cold night when I was desperately craving something warm and chocolatey but didn’t want to mess with frostings or layers or anything that required patience. And then I remembered: this cake makes its own sauce. I know. It’s like magic. Chocolatey, cozy, lava-cake magic.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
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That gooey fudge sauce! It forms like magic right under the cake.
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Simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
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No frosting needed — it basically makes its own.
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Perfect with ice cream (trust me, don’t skip that part).
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Feels like a fancy dessert, but it’s actually so easy.
What You’ll Need
Dry Ingredients:
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1 cup sugar
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½ cup cocoa powder (divided)
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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2 tsp baking powder
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¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
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½ cup milk
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4 tbsp butter, melted
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1 large egg yolk
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
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1 cup boiling water
How to Make Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Step 1: Get Prepped
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Preheat your oven to 350°F.
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Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
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In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar + ¼ cup cocoa powder — set this aside. It’s going to be your fudgy topping magic.
Step 2: Make the Cake Batter
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In a large bowl, whisk together flour, remaining sugar (½ cup), remaining cocoa (¼ cup), baking powder, and salt.
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In another bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined — don’t overmix.
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Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick — that’s perfect.
Step 3: Assemble
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Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan.
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Sprinkle the cocoa-sugar mix evenly over the top.
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Slowly pour 1 cup of boiling water over everything. (Don’t stir — I know it’s weird. Trust the process.)
Step 4: Bake
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Bake for 22–24 minutes, until the top looks set and cracked, but you can see the sauce bubbling underneath.
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The edges should be cakey, and the center a little jiggly — like a fudgy hot tub.
Step 5: Cool & Serve
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Let it cool for about 10 minutes — the sauce will thicken slightly but stay gloriously gooey.
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Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast of warm cake and cold ice cream? Absolute heaven.
Variations & Add-Ins
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Go Dark: Swap in dark cocoa powder or bittersweet chips for a more intense flavor.
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Add Nuts: A handful of chopped pecans or walnuts adds a lovely crunch.
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Berry Twist: Add fresh raspberries or frozen blueberries between the batter and topping for a fruity surprise.
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Make It Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Easy peasy.
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No Egg? Try a tablespoon of applesauce or a flax egg — it still turns out rich and moist.
Tips for the Best Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
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Use boiling water — not just hot tap water — to help create that luscious sauce.
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Don’t overbake. It’s okay if the center’s still a little soft — that’s where the fudge lives!
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Want to make it ahead? Assemble and bake it just before serving. It’s best warm and fresh.
Final Thoughts
This cake is more than just a dessert. It’s comfort in a dish, a little piece of nostalgia you can scoop into a bowl and share with someone you love (or just enjoy quietly with a spoon and zero guilt — I’ve done both).
Whether you’re making it for a holiday dinner or a Tuesday night where you just need a little joy, this Hot Fudge Pudding Cake delivers. And I promise, once you taste it warm out of the oven with that pool of rich chocolate sauce under the cake? You’ll come back to this recipe again and again.
So go ahead — bake it, savor it, and make a memory with it. You deserve something this sweet.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup cocoa powder; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, remaining ¼ cup cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine milk, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in prepared dish.
- Sprinkle the sugar-cocoa topping mixture over the batter.
- Slowly pour boiling water over the top—do not stir.
- Bake for 22–24 minutes until the top is set and cracked, with bubbling sauce underneath.
- Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
