Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

This hot fudge pudding cake is an easy and showstopping dessert that uses simple ingredients! A warm chocolate cake with a hidden layer of chocolate fudge sauce! Vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. 

Hot Fudge Cake

When it comes to vegan chocolate dessert recipes, I love a simple chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, and this delicious hot fudge pudding cake.

As a child, dessert after dinner was not an often occurrence. If we were still hungry after meals, my sister and I would be offered the fruit bowl. Weekends, however, were another story. My mom would always make a little treat for us to enjoy after Sunday dinner. Sometimes it was apple pie, sometimes it was blondies and sometimes, it would be a hot fudge cake.

I can’t lie, the hot fudge cake was ALWAYS my favorite. The chocolate cake is super moist, and when doused in the hot fudge sauce, it turned into an almost pudding like consistency! 

Chocolate Cobbler, Pudding Cake, or self saucing pudding? 

Now, depending on where in the world you are located, a hot fudge pudding cake has a few different names. In Australia, it’s often called a chocolate self saucing pudding. In some parts of America, it’s called an old fashioned chocolate cobbler. To some others, it is a pudding cake.

Regardless of what you call it, it’s one show stopping dessert that just happens to be vegan AND gluten free!

Ingredients to make a pudding cake

These are the ingredients to make this chocolate pudding cake. You’ll love the simple ingredient list and how it only takes minutes to make. The hard part is waiting for the cake to cool slightly, before serving! 

For the cake

• Sugar of choice– White sugar is best, but you can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or see my tips below to healthify this recipe and make this sugar free.
• All purpose flour– Either plain flour or gluten free flour. I used Bob’s Gluten Free 1:1 All purpose flour, NOT their baking flour. I can’t vouch for other gluten free brands. 
• Cocoa powder– Use a good quality cocoa powder, for a more intense chocolate flavor. If you enjoy dark and rich desserts, use dark cocoa powder. 
• Baking powder– Gives some rise to the pudding. 
• Salt– Brings out the sweetness. 
• Milk of choice– I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will work fine. 
• Butter OR margarine– I used vegan butter, to keep this recipe vegan friendly. Vegan margarine can also be used. 
• Vanilla extract– A must for any good chocolate dessert!v

For the fudge sauce

• Sugar AND Brown sugar- A combination of white sugar and darker sugar ensures a rich, thick, and sweet fudge sauce. Use either white and brown sugar, white and coconut sugar, or the sugar free subs below.
• Cocoa powder– As above. 
• Hot water– This will be poured all over the pudding cake, which once baked, will seep to the bottom. Once you break into the cooked pudding cake, it will rise and add a layer of warm, soft fudge sauce. 

How do you make a hot fudge cake?

In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry cake ingredients and mix well. Add in your milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Transfer the cake mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together your sugars and cocoa powder for the fudge sauce. Sprinkle this over the cake mixture. Finally, pour the hot water over the top of the cake. Do not whisk or touch the water on top.

Transfer the pudding cake into a preheated oven and bake at 180C/350F for 35-40 minutes, or until the tops are set. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes, before serving. 

Can I make the recipe healthier?

If you’d like to make this healthier, make the following substitutions-

• Butter/margarine– Swap this out for unsweetened applesauce. 
• White sugar– Use monk fruit sweetener or erythritol instead. 
• Brown sugar– Use a brown sugar substituted instead. 
• Flour– Swap the white whole wheat all purpose flour. 

Can I make this recipe keto or low carb? 

This cake hasn’t been substituted or trialed using keto ingredients. You may prefer a keto chocolate cake or a keto flourless cake instead. 

Tips to make the best cake

• This isn’t the kind of cake you can prepare in advance. It tastes best fresh and warm, so the fudge sauce is oozing out. The prep work takes less than 5 minutes, so you can have the cake baking AND entertain guests at the same time. 
• I recommend using butter over margarine, for a more tender and moist cake. 
• If you’d prefer a less sweet pudding cake, reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup (total). 
• Serve hot fudge cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. 

Storing and freezing pudding cake

• To store: Cooked pudding cake, once cooled down, can be stored in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks. The cake is best enjoyed warm, so you should reheat it. 
• To freeze: Place cake in a freezer friendly container, and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat as directed. 
• To reheat: Either reheat the cake in the microwave (30 second spurts until warm) or in a preheated oven. The cake will be extra moist, as most of the fudge sauce has been soaked up already. Once it is warm, it will seep some out. 

More easy chocolate desserts you’ll enjoy

• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Chocolate Tart
• Homemade Oreos
• Chocolate Pudding
• Avocado Mousse