Who doesn’t love a homemade, chocolatey, hot fudge pudding cake?
This super yummy, super gooey chocolate pudding cake is an easy, one-dish dessert recipe that can go from the oven to the table in no time flat! Make it from scratch in under an hour, and serve warm with ice cream!
Why We Love Pudding Cake
Chocolate pudding cake is so easy and uses pantry ingredients that you probably have on hand.
Pudding cake is made in just one pan, which means fewer dishes!
Moist and gooey with a deep chocolatey flavor, pudding cake is an easy and decadent dessert!
Ingredients & Variations
While the base will always be the same, there are plenty of ways to customize chocolate pudding cake!
DRY Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder are all used in this Pudding Cake!
WET Milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla are all added to the dry ingredients.
TOPPING Brown sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and water are all mixed together to create the hot fudge topping!
VARIATIONS Toss in a handful of toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, or sliced almonds! Add maraschino cherries on top, or add a swirl of peanut butter through the batter before baking!
How to Make Pudding Cake
Super quick and easy, this cake turns out perfect every time!
- Combine the first four ingredients in a casserole dish. Use a whisk to blend everything thoroughly.
- Add liquid ingredients (per recipe below). Stir until well mixed.
- Sprinkle on the topping and DO NOT STIR. Pour very hot/boiling water over top and bake.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and some sprinkles or chopped nuts!
Tips for the Best Pudding Cake
- Do not stir or mix the topping once sprinkled over top.
- The water poured over top of the dessert should be very very hot. I use hot tap water (or hot water from my coffee machine).
- Allow this dessert to rest at least 10-15 minutes after baking so the pudding layer has a chance to set up a bit.
- Keep pudding cake in a sealed container at room temperature!
Decadent Desserts
- Homemade Pizookie – cookie shaped like pizza!
- Gooey Caramel Brownies – moist and delicious
- Better Than Sex Cake – only 5 ingredients
- Coconut Caramel Poke Cake – with rich caramel sauce
- Cookie Dough Brownies – a sinfully sweet treat
- Black Forest Chocolate Trifle – easy to make
- Nutter Butter Mug Cakes – made in the microwave
Did you love this Chocolate Pudding Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups very hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 2 qt casserole dish, combine flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Add milk and oil, and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Sprinkle over cake batter. DO NOT STIR. Pour hot water over top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top looks cooked. Serve warm (with ice cream if desired).
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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very easy to make and is my go to when I have a chocolate craving. It looks like a death by chocolate dessert but surprising wasn’t too sweet. Love this one! thank you for these easy recipe.
I am at 9,000 feet. Is there something different/ an adjustmant that I need to do for high altitude baking?
I can’t say for sure as I don’t have experience cooking at high altitude. Perhaps another reader can help you.
I made this thinking sweet and yummy.
It was not sweet at all!!
would be nice to know how much of what to put in
We’ve got you covered, Pearl! You can use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post or scroll towards the bottom to find the full recipe including an ingredients list with proper quantities listed.
What a great recipe – super easy! Came out great – threw in a handful of walnuts for a crunch and now, I’m stuffing my face! The best part is that there’s no egg or butter in this!
It was delicious but there is no salt in the cake batter. Seemed a bit flat. Did I miss an ingredient?
Hi Kathleen, you can add a bit of salt if you prefer but we love this recipe without. We find it rich and chocolate so I am not sure if you missed an ingredient. For the topping, we do use cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips for a rich chocolate flavor.
Kathleen, I agree, salt is woefully missing. I made this recipe today and there’s something flat about it. I can’t believe I didn’t notice the missing salt! I just reheated a serving and added some kosher salt. What a difference it made. Most dishes require some salt. This one definitely does.
I think this recipe would be so much better with salt added. It had a flat taste and cried out for the dynamic that salt adds to sweets.
Hi Julie, you can add a bit of salt if you prefer but we love this recipe without.
My mom made this for breakfast on special days. This is very close. I love it.
That is so special! We hope this recipe lives up to your memories, Mindy!
Not great! In fact disappointed. Very dry and little pudding. Will try another recipe.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS. I’ve done pudding cakes before but this recipe is the best. I’ll be making it again and again!
Hi Holly. this sounds amazing an super easy. My question is, can this be made with sugar free ingredients? Has anyone shared their experience doing sugar free with you?? Thank you.
Hi Linda, we haven’t tried this recipe with sugar-free ingredients but maybe another reader can offer some insight into that!
Question:
1. Have you ever doubled this in a 13×9?
2. I noticed one thing said unsweetened cocoa powder (in cake)& topping called for coco powder— May I use unsweetened for both?
We haven’t tried doubling this recipe ourselves but other readers have had success using a 4QT baking dish. and you can definitely can use unsweetened cocoa for both! Enjoy!
Yes, it is unsweetened cocoa powder. I love this recipe. It is convenient when you don’t have eggs but want a sweet treat. I’m planning to try this in a wide mouth mason jar.
DO YOU HAVE TO GREASE THE PAN FIRS?
I do not grease the pan for this recipe.
How much hot water do you use?
In the ingredients list under Topping, the recipe calls for 1 ¼ cups very hot water. Enjoy the cake Karen!
This cake is a winner!! Soooo yummy and so easy to put together! The only thing I did differently was add a half tsp of cinnamon because I think cinnamon and chocolate were meant to go together :)
This was a quick, easy and very yummy dessert. Not too sweet and perfectly chocolatey. I would definitely make this again!
Would it be okay to make this with a cake mix instead of from scratch? Thank you for your time.
I haven’t tried it that way! If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it works. I would double the topping recipe because this makes a small cake.
This was OUTRAGEOUS!! Made exactly as directed with the exception of using instant espresso coffee in the boiling water before pouring on top. It came out perfectly! I made this for my husband’s birthday, and he absolutely loved it!! Will definitely make again! Thanks for a great, easy, delicious recipe!!
You’re so very welcome Cindy!
I was looking for just a easy chocolate pudding recipe for dessert tonight and came across this pudding cake recipe and had to make it. OMG !!
so easy to make and OMG! its sooooooo! delicious ❤
I only had Strawberry Fudge ice cream from savemart ther brand (its bomb) with this pudding cake
thankyou for the recipe i love it
You’re so very welcome Marla!
Can I use Self Rising Flour?
I haven’t tried this with self-rising flour. Let us know how it works out for you if you try it!