Hot Fudge Cake

Ooey, gooey and chocolatey to its core, this hot fudge cake is pure decadence. Our recipe bakes a homemade fudge sauce right into the tender chocolate cake—so there’s no need to whip up a cake and cook a separate hot fudge sauce to drizzle on later. It’s kind of like one big chocolate lava cake with its pool of molten chocolate swirled all the way through. Like I said, pure decadence.

Ingredients for Hot Fudge Cake

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• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour gives the cake its structure.
• Sugar: You’ll need 3/4 cups of granulated sugar for the cake and 1 cup of packed brown sugar for the hot fudge mixture.
• Baking cocoa: Love chocolate desserts? When you use the best cocoa powder you can find, you’re guaranteed a velvety, deep chocolate flavor. You don’t have to purchase an expensive one to get these results, but a splurge-worthy one is worth every penny if you do choose to go that route.
• Milk: We call for 2% milk, but feel free to use any type of milk you have in your fridge, whether it’s half-and-half or non-dairy milk. This is a pretty forgiving recipe.
• Canola oil: A neutral-tasting oil like canola oil adds fat and richness without imparting flavor. Feel free to substitute melted butter in its place, if you prefer.
• Vanilla extract: Along with the cocoa powder and sugars, vanilla extract flavors this hot fudge cake with a subtle floral sweetness.
• Hot water: The hot water, brown sugar and cocoa powder mixture is what creates the built-in hot fudge!
• Toppings: The best toppings for a hot fudge cake are sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the cake batter

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Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, the baking powder and the salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and vanilla until they’re blended.

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Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, and stir just until moistened.

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Transfer the batter to an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.

Step 2: Add the brown sugar and cocoa powder

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In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and the remaining cocoa powder. Sprinkle the mixture over the batter.

Step 3: Add the hot water

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Pour the hot water over the pan. Do not stir.

Step 4: Bake the cake

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Bake the hot fudge cake for 35 to 40 minutes. You should be able to see pools of hot fudge swirled throughout the baked cake. Serve the hot fudge cake warm with ice cream and/or whipped cream on top.

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Recipe Variations

• Toss in nuts: Sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans into the cake batter for a little crunch and nutty flavor.
• Add your favorite candy: Make this treat extra decadent with your favorite mix-ins. Stir chopped Oreos or Reese’s, mini M&Ms, toffee pieces or crushed candy canes into the cake batter.
• Make it in a slow cooker: This is really fun dessert to make for guests, but stopping mid-party to make, bake and monitor this cake isn’t ideal. Instead, make it in a slow cooker so you can prep before guests arrive and enjoy it a few hours later when it’s time for dessert. A hot fudge cake is best served warm and right from the oven, so use our slow-cooker hot fudge cake recipe if it fits your timeline better.

How to Store Hot Fudge Cake

To store hot fudge cake leftovers, let the cake cool to room temperature, then cover the pan in storage wrap. Refrigerate it for up to four days.

How do you reheat hot fudge cake?

Reheat hot fudge cake leftovers in the microwave until the cake is warmed through and the hot fudge is gooey.

Hot Fudge Cake Tips

Why isn’t the liquid absorbing into the cake?

If you feel like your hot fudge cake isn’t absorbing all that hot water you poured, don’t worry—that’s the point! The hot water, brown sugar and leftover cocoa powder mixture are meant to create the lava-like hot fudge. Do not over-bake this cake.

Can I bake this in a different pan?

You absolutely can use a different pan for this hot fudge cake recipe. Instead of a 9-inch square pan, opt for a 10-inch round pan, an 11×7-inch baking pan or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.