Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
All the flavors of a hot fudge sundae, wrapped into a warm and gooey cake! Hot Fudge Pudding Cake is an easy-to-make cake recipe with lots of nostalgia.
Well, hello, comfort food! This chocolate cake makes its own hot fudge sauce, right in the baking dish.
It’s gooey and chocolate-y, loaded with pecans, and perfect for serving with ice cream.
I found the recipe in an old newspaper column, likely from the 1980’s—my mom had clipped it out. It credits a mid-1940’s Betty Crocker cookbook for the recipe. Safe to say, this Hot Fudge Pudding Cake has been enjoyed for generations!
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Ingredients
Just some basic pantry/refrigerator staples for this one! Check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
How to make hot fudge pudding cake
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Then, stir in the milk and the chopped pecans.
Transfer to a greases 8×8-inch baking dish.
Next, mix together the brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder.
Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the cake batter, then pour the hot water over the top. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but you need it to make the fudge sauce that’ll make itself in the bottom of the pan.
Tip: use hot coffee instead of hot water to bring out the chocolate flavor even more!
Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
To serve, use a spoon to cut slices of the cake out, then top with the chocolate fudge sauce underneath.
Ice cream on top is a MUST!
Storage instructions
Store any leftover cake at room temperature for 4–5 days. You can also keep it in the fridge.
More old fashioned chocolate cakes
- Dr. Pepper Cake
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
- Wacky Cake (a.k.a. Crazy Cake or Depression Cake)
- Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- Ding Dong Cake (modeled after a Hostess ding dong!)
📖 Recipe
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder divided
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1¾ cup hot water or coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
- Stir in the milk and melted butter until smooth. Gently fold in the nuts.
- Pour batter into the greased baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa powder.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the cake batter. Pour the hot water over the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares. Invert squares onto plates and spoon sauce from the pan over each one.
- Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
SO good with vanilla ice cream!