Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Delicious chocolate cake that makes its own hot fudge sauce while it bakes, right in the pan! This is amazing served with any flavour of ice cream: mint, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry -- you name it!

Ingredients

  • all-purpose flour)

    (130g

    1 c
  • granulated sugar)

    (150g

    ¾ c
  • milk
    ½ c
  • unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 tbsp
  • oil
    2 tbsp
  • baking powder
    2 tsp
  • vanilla extract
    1 tsp
  • salt
    ¼ tsp
  • brown sugar

    ), packed (190g

    1 c
  • unsweetened cocoa powder)

    (23g

    ¼ c
  • hot water
    1 ½ c

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate or baking dish with tall sides.

  2. 2

    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.)

  3. 3

    Spread the batter into the prepared pie plate or baking dish.

Hot fudge sauce

  1. 1

    In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cake batter in the baking dish.

  2. 2

    Top with the water and place the baking dish on a sheet pan in case it bubbles over.

  3. 3

    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is dry and puffed.

  4. 4

    Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream.

Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Grandma’s Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

271 cal

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About this Recipe

Imagine a rich, moist chocolate cake that magically creates its own warm, gooey hot fudge sauce right as it bakes. This Grandma's Hot Fudge Sundae Cake recipe delivers that dream dessert, making it perfect for an effortless yet decadent treat.

What makes this chocolate pudding cake truly special is the ingenious layering: a simple cake batter topped with a mixture of brown sugar, cocoa, and hot water. As it bakes, this topping sinks and transforms into a luscious, bubbling hot fudge sauce underneath a tender chocolate cake layer, setting it apart from typical chocolate desserts.

You're in for a delightful dessert experience with this hot fudge sundae cake. Each spoonful offers a harmonious blend of fluffy, rich chocolate cake perched atop a warm, velvety hot fudge sauce. The texture is wonderfully comforting—a tender crumb giving way to an irresistibly smooth, molten fudge beneath. It's a surprisingly simple bake that delivers complex chocolate flavor and a truly impressive presentation, especially when paired with your favorite scoop of ice cream.

While delicious as is, you can easily adapt this chocolate sundae cake. For a richer chocolate cake base, consider using a higher quality unsweetened cocoa powder. You could also experiment with a hint of espresso powder in the cake batter to deepen the chocolate notes. If you're out of regular milk, a plant-based milk can often be substituted in equal measure for the cake portion.

This hot fudge sundae cake is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert for any gathering, from casual family dinners to celebratory occasions. It's truly spectacular when served warm, straight from the oven, with a generous scoop of your favorite ice cream – be it classic vanilla, refreshing mint, or even strawberry.

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