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Chocolate pudding cake is an intensely satisfying, yet simple, dessert. As it bakes, it separates into two layers - a tender chocolate sponge-type cake and a very rich chocolate sauce/ pudding base - so the cake needs no accompaniment unless you want to throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream into the bowl, too.
The second best thing about this cake (the flavor is the first, of course) is that it is incredibly easy to make because it is mixed in the pan that you bake it in. This means that cleanup is minimal and that you can have a delicious, from-scratch dessert on even a very busy weeknight. Not that you shouldn't have it at other times, as well. Any excuse is a good one for chocolate pudding cake.
This cake uses no eggs or butter, which makes how good it is even more surprising. It can be made vegan by substituting soy milk for the regular milk.Chocolate Pudding Cake
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided in half
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water, boiling
2 tsp instant coffee/espresso powder
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine flour, sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt in an 8 inch square baking pan, stirring with a fork to combine. Pour in the milk and oil, and stir again with the fork until batter is uniform.
Sprinkle brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa evenly over batter. Stir vanilla extract and instant coffee powder into the hot water, then pour the mixture over everything. Do not mix. Place pan in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until surface of the cake looks dry. The pudding will be bubbling around the edges of the pan. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Serves 8.
*Note: You can use regular coffee in place of the water+instant coffee combination.
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2-08-2007 @7:19PM Kiwi Carlisle said... Can you leave out the coffee altogether? I'm allergic to it.
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2-08-2007 @7:29PM calamari said... The coffee is just there to intensify the chocolate flavor -- the fact that it can be powder or liquid means it doesn't affect the wet/dry ingredient ratio.
So you should be able to leave it out or substitute any other flavor you like with chocolate. Cinnamon, orange zest, or black pepper all come to mind, though not in the same cake (and less than 2 tsp in most cases).
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2-08-2007 @7:48PM Nicole Weston said... Thanks for jumping in, calamari! Feel free to omit the coffee entirely if you don't like it.
Another interesting flavor to add is mint. 1/2 tsp or so in with the vanilla makes a great dessert for anyone who likes a chocolate-mint combo
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2-08-2007 @8:17PM Amy said... Ooohh! This came across my Google Reader right after dinner, and I've got it in the oven right now!
Love these easy desserts! The caramel oatmeal thing was tried the same night it came through, too.
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2-08-2007 @11:34PM laura said... Sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder? And if you only have unsweetened, how much sugar should be added?
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2-08-2007 @11:35PM Nicole Weston said... Use unsweetened cocoa powder. I've ammended the recipe to reflect this.
I assume that by sweetened cocoa powder you mean hot chocolate mix, which should really never be substituted when "cocoa powder" is called for in a recipe.
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2-09-2007 @4:59AM kent said... This is an old favourite of ours, known as Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding in NZ, possibly elsewhere too...
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2-09-2007 @10:23AM Blush said... We've always called this "Brownie Pudding" in my family--or maybe that's a Canadian thing. It's one of my favourite comfort foods, for sure.
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2-09-2007 @2:14PM MJ said... This pic doesnt do it for me! I have had foods that didnt look great and tasted wonderful! So i will try this and see how it comes out. This remonds me of teh tunnel of fudge cake mix that use to be on the market!
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2-09-2007 @3:54PM Sam said... Can also be made in a crockpot. 5-6 hours on low
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2-09-2007 @5:19PM Foodie Bride said... My mom makes her pudding cake in a cast-iron skillet in the oven and doesn't use coffee. Talk about memories!
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2-11-2007 @12:52AM Barbara Carlsen said... One of my grandmothers made this...cheap dessert in the depression for six kids. Then during WWII, you could make it fairly easily, even with rationing. We did a family cookbook after my grandmother died and found there were nearly a dozen versions that each party swore was the original. The amount of cocoa and sugar went up and down from one receipe to another...my guess this was adapting to conditions like not a lot of cocoa etc. Always good...fantastic with ice cream. I'll have to try the cast iron skillet as suggested above!
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2-12-2007 @11:09AM Sarah said... This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it.
What's the "caramel oatmeal thing" Amy referred to above?
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2-19-2007 @5:25PM Georgina said... We grew up on this dessert in Ontario Canada. Monarch even makes a store bought mix for this dessert and its superior. They also make a lemon & caramel apple version and the cost is dirt cheap. We love it at room temp or cool. Not hot. Living in KS now since April I cannot buy the Monarch mix so went searching online for a recipe and will gladly give this a try. If you have never had it before GO FOR IT ! Its an awsome, quick, easy dessert. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Shine on !!
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3-01-2007 @5:11AM Marlene said... I made this one! It is absolutely delicious and esay to prepare. This will be my favorite for a long time! I want to try a caramel version of this one.
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