Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake is an easy chocolate pudding cake that makes its own hot fudge sauce as it bakes! Perfect with a generous scoop of ice cream on top.
Need more chocolate in your life? Curb those chocolate cravings with a Mocha Chocolate Mug Cake, Flourless Chocolate Lava Cakes, and The Best Homemade Brownies Ever!
Table of Contents
- Why we love this Hot Fudge Sundae Cake recipe:
- See what people are saying
- Ingredients for this easy chocolate dessert:
- How to make old-fashioned Chocolate Pudding Cake:
- Variations and Substitutions:
- Tips and Notes:
- How to store:
- Can I freeze:
- Make-ahead option:
- Can I make this recipe in the crockpot?
- Serving suggestions:
- More brownie recipes you’ll love:
- Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake Recipe
Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake is a rich chocolate cake overflowing with a gooey hot fudge sauce that develops as the cake bakes. It’s like a hot fudge sundae in cake form!
This recipe is super easy to throw together. Once you mix the ingredients together and make the cocoa and brown sugar layer, you’ll pour hot water over it before the cake bakes. This helps create that super gooey fudge sauce!
This cake has a chewy, almost brownie-like layer on the top and a thick, hot, rich chocolate sauce on the bottom. It’s divine. Grab a tub of your favorite ice cream and dig in!
Why we love this Hot Fudge Sundae Cake recipe:
- Make-ahead friendly: If you’ve got company coming over, you can prep this cake ahead of time, bake, and serve!
- Chocolate lover’s delight: The warm brownie and gooey rich fudge sauce will curb those chocolate cravings in a snap!
- Easy: Grandma liked to keep things easy, and so do I. This recipe is super easy to make with simple ingredients and a tried-and-true result.
See what people are saying
“I made this and we all thought it was great! I love how when you scoop it out the chocolate sauce comes pouring. Yummmm!” Lindsay
Ingredients for this easy chocolate dessert:
- All-purpose flour: This provides structure and helps thicken the fudge sauce as the cake bakes. You can substitute for 100% whole wheat flour and no one will know the difference.
- Sugar: because it’s cake!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder, but you could use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a richer flavor.
- Baking powder: This acts as a leavening agent to help the cake rise while baking.
- Milk: Gives the cake a fluffy crumb. Any kind works great!
- Oil: Adds moisture and creates a tender crumb. Use a neutral cooking oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a depth of flavor. You could also use vanilla bean paste if you prefer a more intense vanilla flavor!
- Brown sugar: This is combined with some of the cocoa powder to make the hot fudge sauce.
- Hot water: This is poured over top of the cake and is a key component in our hot fudge sauce.
How to make old-fashioned Chocolate Pudding Cake:
Grandma liked to keep things simple, so this recipe is a breeze! For the full list of recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl until a thick batter forms.
- Spread batter into a greased pie plate or a square pan with tall sides.
- Mix brown sugar and cocoa powder, then sprinkle over the batter.
- Pour water over the top (don’t stir).
- Bake until the top is dry and puffed.
- Serve the warm cake with a scoop of ice cream and maraschino cherries for a classic sundae feel!
Variations and Substitutions:
- Spices: Add s pinch of cinnamon or a dash of espresso powder to the batter or cocoa mixture to enhance the chocolate flavor!
- Toppings: Try adding crushed nuts (like walnuts or pecans), chocolate chips, or a drizzle of caramel or peanut butter sauce for an extra layer of indulgence.
- Extract: Replace the vanilla with mint extract for mint chocolatey goodness!
Tips and Notes:
- The fudge sauce will set as the cake cools. If you want more of a gooey chocolate cake and less of a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge sauce, reduce the boiling water to 1 and ¼ cups.
- Want to make a double batch? Double the ingredients and pour everything into a 9×13-inch pan. Bake as directed!
How to store:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm it up!
Can I freeze:
Yes! This cake freezes very well. Scoop out individual servings and pop them into airtight containers. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months! Make sure to let the cake thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave.
Make-ahead option:
You could make the batter, spread it in the pan, top it with the brown sugar mixture, and then cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Then just pour the hot water on top and bake as directed!
Can I make this recipe in the crockpot?
Absolutely! To make a crock pot Hot Fudge Sundae Cake, you’ll need to use the following instructions:
- Make the recipe as directed and set your slow cooker to high for 2-4 hours. Note: All slow cookers are different, so I suggest checking the cake at 2 hours with a toothpick and adding more time as needed.
- Let the cake cool slightly to allow the fudge sauce to set. Serve warm!
Serving suggestions:
It wouldn’t be a Hot Fudge Sundae Cake without a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! Add some whipped cream and cherries on top for a decadent dessert.
More brownie recipes you’ll love:
Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Hot Fudge Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (190g)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (23g)
- 1½ cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate or baking dish with tall sides.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, oil, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. (The batter will be very thick. Don’t fret! You might need to stir it with a metal spoon.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pie plate or baking dish.
Hot Fudge Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cake batter in the baking dish.
- Top with the water and place the baking dish on a sheet pan in case it bubbles over.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is dry and puffed.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Marta says
Twenty years ago my daughter sent out an inquiry(via the internet) for a “Spanish origin” dessert recipe that she could make for her assigned role for her 10th grade “Introduction to Spanish Comfort Foods” that she could parse out to about 75 parents and students for an evening at the High School. A wonderful person on the ‘net responded with this recipe (we were surprised by the water on top of the cake portion, but followed those directions),and we made three of these luscious cakes . We parsed out a dollop of the cake with another dollop of ice cream in those little paper cups so everyone could get a sample. This wonderful recipe was the HIT of the program that evening with so many people lined up for their samples. So much so, that three cakes and two and a half tubs of ice cream disappeared in roughly 20-30 mins!! Thanks to an unknown person on the internet *who my daughter did thank, who generously shared their recipe, my daughter got many compliments for days afterward the evenings events, and the bonus was: it also became family favorite for birthdays and other events.
Maria says
Hi, Can I use cacao powder instead ?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t tried, so I can’t say what the difference would be
Paula A says
Have you tried it with 1:1 gluten free flour?
Ashley Fehr says
Unfortunately I haven’t but I suspect it would work fine.
Catherine says
We had this when I was growing up in the 60’s, but it was called “Devil’s Float”. It’s a heritage recipe in our family, and I’m sure most of my siblings have their own recipe card from our Mother.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a very unique name!
Owen Sandra says
Mine tastes really funny like the cocoa was powdery and not properly cooked
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry, I’ve never had that happen before.