Hot Fudge Pudding Cake 2

This is the dessert that bakes itself into two layers from a single pan. Chocolate cake on top, hot fudge sauce pooled underneath.

You pour a smooth cocoa batter into the pan, sprinkle a mixture of sugar, brown sugar, and more cocoa over the top, then pour hot water right over everything. Don’t stir. It looks wrong, like a mess that can’t possibly work, but 40 minutes in the oven and the batter rises through the sugary liquid, forming a tender chocolate cake while the water and sugar sink down and turn into a thick, glossy fudge sauce at the bottom.

The 15-minute rest after baking is not optional. The sauce is volcanic when it comes out and needs time to thicken slightly. Spoon the cake into bowls and drizzle that pudding sauce from the bottom of the pan over each serving.

Chef Tips

• Do not stir after pouring the hot water over the batter. Stirring blends everything together and you’ll lose the two-layer separation.
• The center should look “almost set” when it comes out. Jiggly is fine. It firms up during the rest.
• Use truly hot water, not warm. Hot water dissolves the cocoa-sugar layer properly so it can sink and form the sauce.
• Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The hot fudge sauce and cold ice cream together is the whole point.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the cocoa mixture for a mocha pudding cake.
• Stir peanut butter chips into the batter before baking for a chocolate-peanut butter version.
• Use dark cocoa powder instead of regular for a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor.