I could eat Chocolate Pudding Cake all day long. Now, I finally understand why they call it “Death by Chocolate.” I could eat this stuff til I burst and collapse, but what a glorious way to go. This “self-saucing” little number is going to surprise you.

I love chocolate. Really, who doesn’t? Well, I know a guy, but he’s a bit strange and I don’t trust him. Neither should you. So, you’d never guess that I always skip over the chocolate cake on the restaurant dessert menu. It’s never really chocolaty enough and, so, I like to make my own at home, because, that way, I control the amount of chocolate that goes into it (which is never enough).

This recipe for Chocolate Pudding Cake neither requires eggs nor instant pudding. In England, pudding means something quite different than to us here in The States. To the Brits, pudding usually refers to some kind of gooey confection oozing sweetness and, so,  It is named so due to the luscious pool of chocolate sauce that magically forms beneath the fluffy butter cake. This is called self-saucing, if you want to get technical.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Serves: 6
Prep: 5 mins
Oven: 350*F
Bake: 30 mins

Ingredients
Cake
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup good chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Topping
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups hot water

Instructions
Put the kettle on and heat some water.
Preheat oven to 350*F.

Melt butter and chocolate.
Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder over the bowl and mix by hand just until incorporated.
In another bowl, mix brown sugar, chocolate chips and cocoa powder.
Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.
Pour hot water over top.
Transfer to the hot oven and bake 30-35 mins
Serve warm with ice cream and fresh berries. An espresso martini would be a nice touch, too.

Can’t Get Enough

Chocolate cake is something I never stop baking at home. I guess I’m still on the quest for the perfect one, with a good punch of chocolate flavor. There are several I have made at home that are quite good. The warm chocolate cake is one I’ve been making for years and does well microwaved for those desperate times when the craving strikes without warning. Then there’s the divine double-chocolate espresso number that I made twice for Daisy’s birthday, one tiered cake on her actual birthday and a bunch of sweet little cupcakes at her party. I’m already eyeing Ludo Lefebvre’s recipe, although I’m not too sure about the olive oil drizzle at the end. He’s a famous guy, so I guess I should trust him. But, right now, all I want is another Chocolate Pudding Cake for a bedtime snack, a tall glass of ice milk, then off to bed!