Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

 

Unfortunately, I could only take one picture of this sinful dessert because I ate it so fast. I was super duper scared while making this recipe because it looked like a watery mess before I put it in the oven, since you pour hot water on top to get the "pudding" consistency.  But it comes together very fast and the result was so perfect.  It's amazingly chocolatey, rich, sweet, fudgey, and totally blissful.  There's a rich chocolate pudding layer below the moist, chocolate cake layer.  This tastes the best warm from the oven (I recommend topping it with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for a full hot fudge brownie sundae affect), but it's also very good as a pudding, cold in the fridge the next day. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Stir in milk, vanilla and butter until smooth.
5. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
6. Mix 1/4 cup cocoa and brown sugar in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture on top of the batter.
7. Pour hot water over the batter.
8. Bake in the preheated oven until the center of the cake is almost set, about 45 minutes. Brown sugar, cocoa, and hot water will combine to form a chocolate sauce that will settle to the bottom of the cake during baking.
9. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
10. Best served warm.  Top with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream if desired.