Effortless Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cake Mix
01 -
2 teaspoons baking powder
02 -
1 cup flour, all-purpose
03 -
1/2 cup milk
04 -
1/4 teaspoon salt
05 -
1 teaspoon vanilla
06 -
3/4 cup sugar, granulated
07 -
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plain
08 -
1/4 cup oil or melted butter
→ Fudge Sauce Ingredients
09 -
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
10 -
1/4 cup plain cocoa powder
11 -
1 1/4 cups hot, boiling water
12 -
1/2 cup white sugar
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on to 350°F (175°C) to heat up. Get a 9-inch baking pan and coat it lightly with oil spray or butter. The cake makes its sauce as it bakes, so choose a deep pan to catch all the gooey magic.
02 -
Grab a mixing bowl and throw in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until smooth, breaking up any cocoa clumps. Add milk, oil (or butter), and vanilla, and combine until the mixture is smooth and thick. You want it much thicker than a standard cake batter!
03 -
Spoon the thick chocolate batter into your greased pan, spreading it around evenly with a spatula. Smooth it across the surface to fill the pan edges. This layer will bake up into soft cake while the sauce forms below.
04 -
In another bowl, stir together both types of sugar and the cocoa powder for the topping. Shake or mix until everything’s blended, and sprinkle this over the cake batter you already put in the pan. It’s unusual, but trust it!
05 -
Heat some water until it’s bubbling a lot. Pour this carefully over the cake mix using the back of a metal spoon to spread it out smoothly. Whatever you do, don’t mix it with the batter! The liquid will sink and do its thing during baking.
06 -
Carefully move the pan with its watery topping to the oven. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the surface has risen into a cake-like top but is still squishy when you press lightly. Underneath, a rich sauce will have formed.
07 -
Take it out and let it cool for 10–15 minutes, so the sauce has a chance to thicken up. Scoop and serve warm, making sure to include the fudgy bottom layer on every plate. Add some ice cream for the perfect finishing touch.
# Notes:
01 -
This dessert bakes into a soft chocolate cake with warm fudge sauce pooling under it—an amazing self-saucing treat.
02 -
Planning for more guests? Double everything and use a larger 9×13-inch pan. It’ll need 5–10 extra minutes in the oven.
03 -
Ice cream is a classic pairing, but whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar works just as well.