Hot Fudge Cake
Hot Fudge Cake is a deliciously rich chocolate cake with a hot fudge sauce that forms underneath the cake while baking for the perfect, magical chocolate dessert!
Take this hot chocolate fudge cake over the top, by serving it with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and drizzled with Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce, Butterscotch Sauce, or with a dollop of Nutella Whipped Cream.
Why This Recipe Works
- Magically makes a chocolate sauce. This recipe is so much fun because the cake magically makes its own chocolate sauce while baking in the oven. The hot water mixes with the chocolate sugar mixture and settles at the bottom of the baking dish while the baking powder in the cake mixture helps the cake rise — literally — to the top of the pan.
- Delicious chocolate gooey goodness. This cake is super moist and delicious thanks to the gooey delicious sauce that is formed. The self saucing aspect of the cake keeps the cake part very moist.
- Easy cake prep. I love this recipe because it only takes 15 minutes to prepare! The rest of the work is done in the oven.
Ingredient Notes
- Granulated Sugar: The granulated sugar is used in the cake batter and in the chocolate sugar mixture that forms the sauce.
- Flour: Magically, the sauce that is formed in the oven combines with some of the flour from the cake batter so the sauce thickens while baking.
- Natural Cocoa Powder:
- Baking Powder: The baking powder is important because it not only helps give rise to the cake but it also helps the cake batter rise to the top of the dish so the sauce settles underneath it.
- HOT Water: The hot water helps bloom the cocoa and it also creates heat to activate the self-saucing process.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the cake batter. Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder, the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, melted butter and vanilla. Beat the mixture with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Place in the pan. Spread the batter in a 9-inch square baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Make the sugar mixture. Combine the remaining sugar and cocoa powder, and the brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
- Add HOT water. Pour the HOT water overtop. Do NOT stir!
- Bake the hot fudge cake. Bake the cake at 350°F for 32-35 minutes or until the center is almost set. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve the cake in individual dishes topped with ice cream or fresh whipped topping. Drizzle extra homemade hot fudge sauce overtop if you’d like!
Recipe Tips
Since this is a self saucing chocolate cake recipe, the toothpick in the center of the cake won’t give you much help on if the cake is baked. So, when checking on the hot fudge cake, it will be done when the center of the cake looks almost set. Remember, you let the cake sit for an additional 10 minutes once you’ve removed it from the oven. So it will continue to bake a bit from the residual heat from the pan.
This hot fudge chocolate cake has the chocolate sauce in the bottom, so don’t be alarmed by thinking the cake is under baked if you fit a toothpick in it and it comes out saucy. You know it’s perfect when the hot chocolate cake on top is set and the fudge sauce pools when you serve it.
It will seem like a lot of water you are adding on top, but don’t be alarmed! This cake works wonders in the oven. And while it’s baking, the chocolate sauce mixture will combine with some of the cake mixture and it will thicken — this is how we get the fudge-y texture of the sauce instead of just a liquidy sauce.
Carefully pour the water over the chocolate/sugar mixture. You don’t want to pour with such force that you create a hole or dip in the sugar mixture or cake batter underneath. I like to pour the water slowly and move my hand around the pan so the water isn’t just pouring into one spot.
If you’re wanting to double the recipe, I would recommend making the cake two times in two separate pans. Because of the technicality of the self saucing process in the oven, doubling this cake and baking in a bigger cake pan won’t guarantee a correct bake.
Variations: Add a dash of cinnamon to the cake batter for a Mexican hot chocolate twist. Add some chopped walnuts to the cake batter for a bit of crunch.
Serve this hot chocolate cake with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and more!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Making this hot fudge cake recipe ahead of time is kind of hard because you want to eat it warm, after you remove it from the oven to get that self saucing chocolate pudding effect.
Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for 1-3 days. The cake is much better fresh, but leftovers are still yummy! Warm them up a bit in the microwave before eating again.
I don’t recommend freezing this cake due to the fudge sauce that forms on the bottom.
FAQs
It’s chemistry at work! The cake batter mixture has baking powder in it. When that bakes, it rises to the top of the dish and the heavier sauce mixture settles to the bottom. It’s definitely a fun baking experiment because it seems like magic!
I haven’t used dutch process cocoa powder in this recipe, and since the cocoa powder isn’t acidic like natural/unsweetened cocoa powder is, I’m not sure how the self-saucing process of the bake will be affected.
This could be that your water wasn’t hot enough to begin with or that the oven temperature was off. I always use an oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the correct temperature. Some ovens can run hotter or cooler. If those tips don’t help, then I would recommend gently pouring the water on top of the sugar mixture so you don’t form a hole or dip in the mixture or cake batter — that could throw off the self saucing process.
More Chocolate Recipes
- German Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
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Hot Fudge Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar - divided
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup natural cocoa powder - divided
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter - melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
- 1 1/4 cups HOT water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ¾ cup granulated sugar, flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Using hand mixer, beat mixture until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the 9-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, remaining cocoa powder, and the brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
- Pour the hot water overtop. Do not stir!
- Bake for 32-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Serve in individual dishes. Top with ice cream or fresh whipped topping.
Notes
This recipe was originally published on Dec. 20, 2019. It was republished on Feb. 10, 2022, to include additional information and photos.
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25 Comments on “Hot Fudge Cake”
I doubled the cake batter but not the sauce was a big hit
Glad to hear it was a hit, Patti!
The recipe instructions don’t update when you increase the recipe size. So much ads on the website I can’t read anything. Love the pudding but goodness gracious, a few anger outbursts later, we had the pudding.
Thanks for letting us know about the recipe instructions and other issues you had with the site. Glad you still were able to enjoy this recipe!
Could I double this and make it in a 9×13 for a larger crowd? Love this cake but I’ve never tried doubling before! Nervous it might not turn out right. Thanks!
Amy, this recipe might not work doubling it in one pan since the self-saucing process is very technique-specific. You can double the ingredients and bake it in two 8×8 pans if that works for you. If you do decided to double it and bake it in a 9×13, please let use know how it goes!
I remember making this cake when I was a kid with my mom. It brought back fond memories. And it’s still delicious 😋 I’m glad I found your recipe.
Don, I’m so glad you were able to make this and it brought back sweet memories. Thank you for sharing!
Made this the other night and it was a hit! The recipe comes together quickly and easily and is so good! We all really enjoyed the fudgy flavor and texture of the cake.
Glad everyone loved it, Ellen! This is one of my favorites too – delicious AND magical. Thanks for your review!
Want the hot fudge cake
It’s so yummy!
I used to love this as a kid but can’t tolerate chocolate anymore. Sad, but true. Do you have recipe links for other flavors? I like how easy these go together but need alternatives. I would appreciate it. ☺️
Sure! What kind of flavors are you looking for? Are you looking for cake ideas, cupcakes, cookies?
I’m looking for other flavors for self-saucing cakes. Lemon, butterscotch, vanilla, even white chocolate, if it’s feasible, since I can tolerate that. I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the awesome flavor ideas Joyce! I’ll get to working on those right away.
The best hot fudge cake I have ever had. When I made it first time and baked it for 32 mins and it turned out more like a cake and I found it too sweet as well. So next time I used only half the sugars and baked it for 20 mins. It looked exactly like the picture very fudgy and even next day tasted great (like a pudding).
Hot water. Hot out of the tap (about 120 degrees at my house) or closer to boiling point (under 212 degrees)? Just wondering where in that range I should be. We’re going to make this with teenagers so partly instructional but also fun and yummy. I
have to be very specific with them so thank you for any guidance!
Closer to boiling point. I would bring water to boil, then measure it in a heat safe measuring cup and use that. Let me know if you have any other questions!
So goey and chocolatey…. definitely one to make again.
How far ahead could you make this and it still be good? Like for dinner dessert for a crowd?
That’s kind of hard to do for this recipe. You want to eat it warm, after you remove it from the oven.
This was an amazing dessert! Definitely a do-again!
I tossed around topping with Cool Whip instead of vanilla ice cream but ice cream won. Soooooo amazing and chocolatey. Can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow! 🤪
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the kind comment!
Always thought self-saucing cakes would be hard to make. This recipe is easy to follow and turns out really yummy! With some vanilla ice cream on top, it’s soooooo good.