This Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake is a rich, warm chocolate dessert with a soft chocolate sponge on top and a gooey coffee chocolate sauce that magically forms underneath as it bakes. It is the perfect cosy dessert when you want something intensely chocolatey without having to make a separate sauce. Serve this Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake warm after a short rest, while there is still plenty of sauce beneath the sponge. A pour of cold heavy cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it even better, especially as it melts into the warm chocolate sauce.
Why you will love this recipe?
This Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake gives you two desserts in one dish, with a soft chocolate cake on top and a warm, fudgy sauce hiding underneath. It is especially good for cosy evenings, dinner parties and family desserts because it can be brought straight to the table and served warm from the baking dish. The coffee makes the chocolate taste deeper and richer without overpowering it, while cream or vanilla ice cream creates the perfect contrast with the warm pudding. Best of all, the sauce forms by itself in the oven, so there is no separate chocolate sauce to prepare.
Expert Tips for Best Results!
- Use boiling water – The water poured over the topping needs to be boiling. This helps dissolve the cocoa and sugar topping and creates the sauce underneath the cake.
- Take it out while it still wobbles – This is the most important part of the recipe. If the top looks baked but the centre still has some movement, it is ready. The pudding continues to set as it rests.
- Do not stir after adding the water – It may look unusual to pour water directly over the batter, but leave the layers alone. They separate during baking to create the sponge and sauce.
- Start checking at 30 minutes – Oven temperatures vary, and a few extra minutes can make a noticeable difference with a self saucing pudding.
- Serve this Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake warm – The pudding is at its sauciest shortly after baking. As it sits, the sponge gradually absorbs more of the chocolate sauce.
How to make Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake?
The detailed recipe is included in the Full Recipe below. The following pictures and instructions will help you understand the process better visually.
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Dish
Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F, or about 160°C fan. Grease a 27 x 20 cm baking dish or deep 9 x 9 inch square pan. Place the dish on a baking tray in case the pudding bubbles over while baking.
Step 2: Prepare the Buttermilk and Coffee
Stir 1 teaspoon of white vinegar into 100 ml whole milk and leave it for about 5 minutes to make the buttermilk. Meanwhile, dissolve 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder in 135 ml very hot water and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, neutral oil and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Step 4: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make sure there are no large lumps of cocoa remaining.
Step 5: Make the Chocolate Batter
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Pour in the hot coffee and gently mix until you have a smooth, pourable chocolate batter. It should fall from the spoon in a slow ribbon rather than being thin and watery.
Step 6: Transfer to the Baking Dish
Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared baking dish and gently level the surface. Avoid overworking the batter.
Step 7: Add the Chocolate Topping
Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and optional instant coffee granules. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the cake batter.
Step 8: Pour Over the Boiling Water
Hold a large spoon upside down over the pudding and slowly pour the boiling water over the back of the spoon. This helps distribute the water gently without disturbing the layers underneath. Do not stir.
Step 9: Bake Until Just Set
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, checking from the 30 minute mark. The cake on top should look set while the sauce underneath and the centre should still have some movement. Avoid overbaking, as the sauce will gradually be absorbed into the sponge.
Step 10: Rest and Serve Warm
Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This gives the chocolate coffee sauce enough time to thicken while keeping it beautifully gooey. Spoon into bowls while warm, making sure to scoop up plenty of sauce from underneath. Serve with cold heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my self saucing pudding turn out dry?
It was most likely baked for too long or there was not enough boiling water. Measure the 390 ml of water accurately and begin checking the pudding after 30 minutes.
Why is there hardly any sauce underneath my pudding?
The most common reason is overbaking. The sauce also becomes thicker and gradually absorbs into the cake as the pudding sits. Remove it from the oven while the top is set but the centre still has some wobble, then serve after a short rest.
Can I make Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake ahead of time?
This dessert is best served freshly baked. The longer it sits, the more sauce gets absorbed into the sponge. You can prepare and measure the ingredients ahead, but bake it closer to serving time for the sauciest result.
Can I freeze Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake?
Freezing is not ideal because the sauce continues to absorb into the sponge and the texture will not be quite the same after thawing. If you do freeze individual portions, reheat them gently and serve with extra cream or chocolate sauce.
How should I reheat Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake?
Reheat individual portions gently in the microwave. The pudding will become soft and melty again, although there will usually be less sauce than when freshly baked. Pouring a little warm cream over the pudding works beautifully with leftovers.
Watch How to Make it!
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Full Recipe
Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake
This Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake has a soft, rich chocolate sponge with a warm, fudgy coffee chocolate sauce that forms underneath as it bakes. Made with cocoa, brown sugar, buttermilk and hot coffee, it is an easy and comforting chocolate dessert best served warm with cold heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
For Cake batter:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar (100 g)
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (150 g)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk (100 ml, make it by stirring 1 tsp white vinegar into 100 ml whole milk and letting it sit 5 minutes)
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (120 ml)
- 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup & 1 tbsp very hot coffee (135 ml, make it by dissolving 1 tbsp instant coffee powder in 135 ml hot water)
- 1 & 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (220 g, spooned and levelled)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (35 g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
For Sauce topping:
- 1/3 cup white sugar (75 g)
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (150 g)
- 2 & 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (15 g)
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
- 1 & 2/3 cup boiling water (390 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F, or 160°C fan. Grease a 27 x 20 cm baking dish or deep 9 x 9 inch pan and place it on a baking tray.
- Stir the vinegar into the whole milk and leave for 5 minutes. Separately, dissolve 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder in 135 ml very hot water.
- Whisk the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, prepared buttermilk, oil and vanilla until evenly combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the hot coffee until smooth and pourable.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and gently level the surface.
- Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cocoa and optional coffee granules for the topping. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Hold a large spoon upside down over the dish and slowly pour the 390 ml boiling water over the back of the spoon. Do not stir the pudding after adding the water.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, checking from 30 minutes. Remove it when the top is set but the centre and sauce underneath still have some movement. Do not overbake.
- Rest for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Serve warm, spooning the chocolate coffee sauce from the bottom of the dish over each portion. Add cold heavy cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
- Avoid overbaking: It is better to slightly underbake this pudding than leave it in the oven too long. Overbaking can cause the sauce to absorb into the sponge, leaving you with more of a regular cake. Once the top looks set but the centre still has a slight wobble, remove it from the oven. The pudding will continue to set and the sauce will thicken as it rests.
- Use the right dish size: A 27 x 20 cm baking dish or a deep 9 x 9 inch square pan works best for this recipe. Using a significantly larger dish can make the pudding too shallow and cause it to bake more quickly.
- Make sure the water is boiling: Use freshly boiled water when pouring it over the topping. The boiling water helps dissolve the sugar and cocoa mixture, allowing it to sink beneath the sponge and form the rich chocolate sauce as the pudding bakes.
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