Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Brownie pudding cake

This cake recipe has been in my family for a long time. I can’t believe it took me 2 and a half years to write about it – maybe because it’s not the most photogenic of dishes. However, it tastes amazing, I always have all the ingredients in my pantry, and the whole recipe only contains 3 tablespoons of fat. How can you go wrong with that?

So where does the pudding come from? A thick layer of cocoa powder and brown sugar goes on top of the cake batter. Next, a few cups of boiling water are poured over the whole thing.



chocolate pudding cake When the cake bakes, the base layer of batter rises to the top to create a cake topping and the pudding sauce ends up on the bottom.

chocolate pudding cakeThis cake can be eaten hot, at room temperature, or chilled. The consistency of the pudding sauce will vary depending on what temperature it’s served at. If you serve it right out of the oven, the pudding is more of a thin chocolate sauce. As the cake cools, the pudding layer starts to thicken. The cake is great served with ice cream, or simply eaten as is.

chocolate pudding cake Brownie pudding cake
Serves 4-6

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups boiling water
powdered sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch square baking dish or round souffle dish. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and 1/3 cup cocoa in medium bowl. Add milk, butter and vanilla, stir until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish.

Combine brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour boiling water over entire mixture; do not stir.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top layer comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

101 comments:

La Bella Cooks said...

Sara, this looks absolutely divine! It might not be photogenic for you, but I think it looks amazing. You have me craving a piece!

Barbara Bakes said...

I love the picture with all the chocolate on the plate! Yum!

Mrs. LC said...

That cake looks so cool - I have never made anything quite like it. I bet that's something kids would have fun with - almost like a "magic trick". :)

Anonymous said...

talk about a decadent bomb! this is one cake that looks best as dark as it can be!

Heather said...

ohhh. that looks deadly. and amazing!!

Anonymous said...

Sara-this looks too sinful!

:-)

I got your email regarding photos...I will respond just as soon as I have a few moments.

Manggy said...

Well, I think it looks gorgeous, so there :)

Unknown said...

Doesn't it always seem to figure that the tastiest things are the least photogenic?? I think this dessert looks fabulous - I will definitely try it when the weather gets cooler.

♥peachkins♥ said...

That cake looks amazing and I'm sure it tastes amazing as well. No wonder your family has been cooking it for a long time

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a nice cake. I love your presentation. This brings back memories of my childhood, my mom used to make a similar cake.

Melanie said...

I love desserts that are delicious yet only require simple pantry ingredients. This look wonderful!

Dewi said...

Sara, how could you say it is not photogenic? it just the opposite! I want to eat the screen ...

Look absolutely mouth watering, I'll have to try this.

Maris said...

Sara, I could kick you for making this. NOW I WANT SOME!!! :))

Lyndas recipe box said...

Sara, my Mother used to make this and I've kept it alive in our family- It's to die for!Really, it's so good!
Your picture certainly does it justice as the cake looks amazing!

Tyler said...

Holy chocolate!! I want some of that :)

Donna-FFW said...

Oh Yes, now youre talking my language.. heaven on a plate, Sara!!

Angie's Recipes said...

oh, man.....this is just awesome!!

Monica H said...

Ooh, self-sauced cake! I love it!!!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

OMG, that looks so scrumptious with that sauce!

Cheers,

Rosa

Angela Mears said...

Yumm. I am at peak stress-eating time (finals week) and that looks heavenly. Unfortunately for me, all I've got is... hmm.. frozen burritos, lucky charms, diet coke.

jeng said...

The chocolate makes me drool ; )

LaDue & Crew said...

~*sigh*~ can you Overnight this to me ;-) ?

Selba said...

I'm drooling!!! It looks wonderful!

Julia said...

This looks great! And actually a lot easier than the ubiquitous restaurant "molten" cake.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Sara - I made a chocolate pudding cake like this years ago and I loved it - I wonder why I haven't made it since. Now that you've jogged my memory, I want to try your recipe. looks terrific with all that chocolate puddled around the cake.

Lucy..♥ said...

Simply decadent!! And.... I want some ;-)

lubnakarim06 said...

Iam all in dear.....looks delectable, scrummy and tempting......

Cathy said...

Yum! I'm so making his for hubby - he's a bit of a chocoholic so it'll be perfect!

Olga said...

This looks fabulous and reminds me of a Dove chocolate wrapper my sister sent me. It said "indulge in dark" ... how fitting! :)

Christo Gonzales said...

this is an excellent recipe - I am going to try and duplicate it for my fathers day cake - I think my son will love it!

Cassie said...

Oh, wow. I'm salivating over here! I think I'm going to make this TONIGHT.

Allie said...

Oh wow this looks so good! I think it looks amazing!!

Culinary Wannabe said...

This looks totally sinful! And so little fat - that means I get to eat more! :)

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

I remember finding a recipe for brownie pudding cake as a teen and I thought it was the best thing ever because it's easy to make and it has all kinds of great textures. Thanks for reminding me that this recipe exists. Now I want one!

stephchows said...

I had this cake for the first time at a little B&B in vermont! It was so good!! We managed to get the recipe out of the chef haha but I still haven't made it at home yet!

Debbie said...

That is one delicious looking brownie cake.....

Reeni said...

How decadent and sinful-looking!! It's a beautiful sight!!

Jennifer said...

Wow Sara, that is one amazing looking cake, I cant wait to make it!

Delicious Dishings said...

I wish I had this cake in front of me right now! Those pictures are so tempting. This recipe is going right to the top of my to-make list!

Jeph said...

Yuuuuuuum!!! I want that. NOW!

NKP said...

What an interesting recipe, seems almost English.
Looks tasty!

Cathy said...

My family would love this. Warm with ice cream...yum

The Duo Dishes said...

How does it do that? Food magic for sure. Please pull out the softened butter pecan ice cream, so we can get down!

Juliana said...

Oh! This cake look so yummie...moist and so rich...lots of chocolate...can only imagine how must taste. Great pictures...

Esi said...

This sounds fantastic and even better that it's low-fat!

Claudia said...

This is totally photogenic! I want it. Hot and cold. All that yummy chocolate in different consistencies. Perfect!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

My girls would go crazy if I made this. I am bookmarking this to make next week!

Amanda @ Mrs.W's Kitchen said...

Wowza! Must... have... pudding cake!

teresa said...

Gorgeous! It looks like a chocolate paradise, I am going to have to try this!

The Food Hunter said...

Oh My! that looks awesome.

Anonymous said...

Oh, that cake looks so rich and decadent! Love it!

unconfidentialcook said...

Thank god you found time to write about this. It looks right up my alley--thank you!

Heather S-G said...

I'm going to have to vote for this looking divine! Holy cow...ecstasy on a plate :D

Jessica604 said...

Sara, we obviously have different definitions for "photogenetic" because the pudding with the sauce pooled around it makes me want to slurp my screen right now. If only it weren't so hot, I'd make a batch right now!

Cathie said...

Absolutely gorgeous cake and pics!
I LOVE great food pics and yours are great!

Sean said...

You've combined 2 of my greatest weaknesses into 1 amazing dessert! Looks fantastic!

oneordinaryday said...

I think your pudding cake takes a great photo. : ) Sounds delish too.

Soma said...

I just finished my dinner.. how i cam craving something as decadent as this.. I think it is extremely photogenic!

Creative Classroom Core said...

Excuse me while I drool!!!
AMAZING!

Jan said...

Chocolate pudding and chocolate sauce all in one - sounds to die for.

Jenna said...

ohhh you are bad!! That plate of chocolate cake looks AMAZING!!! Great looking recipe Sara!!

Yasmeen said...

Decadent pudding looks melt-in-the-mouth delicious:)

Robin said...

This is a classic favorite around here. Once I took it to a picnic and all the chocolate pudding slid out from under the brownie when we turned the corner, it was a delicious mess!

Dewi said...

Sara, just made it last night, but instead of bake it in a large pan, I used ramekins but could figure out how much batter for each, I put too much and the batter puffed out all over the baking sheet. Still really good, and my family like it. Will make it again with less batter on each ramekin, then I'll post about it. Thanks for the recipe.

Marta said...

I'm so glad you DID post this!!!!! It looks deliciously moist, I think I'll make it soon because i'm captivated by its low-fatness... and it only has 1/2 cup of sugar too, so not to bad on that department either! I'm a lover of all things cinnamon, so I'm feeling good about including it here! Thanks for sharing this family recipe :)

Unknown said...

wow... how inviting!!! :)

Wendy Mueller said...

YUM! My mom always made this cake for us as kids but I haven't been able to find the recipe in her files to make it for my own kids. Thank you. I know we're all going to enjoy it.

Sara said...

Elra - I've thought about trying to convert it to ramekins, let me know if you figure it out!!

Diana said...

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got my version of heaven on a plate. :)

My family makes a chocolate chip bundt cake with pudding mixed in, but it certainly doesn't come out looking like that!

Netts Nook said...

My kind of cake I can't wait to try this one thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it took you 2 and a half years, either! This is freaking amazing! Tall, dark, handsome...just the way I like it! ;-)

Steph said...

Wow, that looks really good. I can't believe all that sauce came from the cake.

Kerstin said...

I love reading about family recipes. It looks completely decadent and delicious - yum!

Bharti said...

Oh I've made this. Its really good and your pics are just gorgeous.

The Food Addicts said...

I'm always looking for new inspiration when it comes to baking - my goal is to bake something every weekend! Great post on brownie pudding cake, yuM! (PS. I'm having a give-away on my blog - check it out!)

Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

Sara this brownie isn't pretty photogenic??

This look absolutely wonderful and with a dulce de leche ice cream turns out super :)

Have a great weekend!

Gera

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Now THAT looks (& sounds) insanely good and I don't really like chocolate go figure! :) Thanks for sharing Sara!
~ingrid

pigpigscorner said...

This is my kind of dessert!! It looks amazing! Definitely a must try.

LK- Healthy Delicious said...

wow! this looks like it would be super complicated to make, but it looks so easy! I love the addition of cinnamon in it too.

Nutmeg Nanny said...

Chocolate brownie oozing out onto a plate has to be good! Fantastic pictures:)

RecipeGirl said...

Oh my Lord! Wow! I had to laugh at the non-photogenic thing bc I think I made something similar once and couldn't blog it bc of it's muddy look. This looks amazing though- truly!

Cakelaw said...

This looks super Sara. We call this chocolate self-saucing pudding, and I love these things like there's no tomorrow. Yum!

Melissa @ For the Love of Health said...

chocolate heaven!!

Deeba PAB said...

Its absolutely photogenic sara...& I'm glad you blogged about it! I've heard of a self-saucing pudding but have never tried it. Yours looks 5 star good! WOW!!

Katrina said...

Yum Sara, that looks so good!

♥Rosie♥ said...

Sara, this looks absolutely decadent just how I like my cake mmmmm

Karine said...

It looks so decadent!!!

nora@ffr said...

sara m already craving for piece.. love the all the chocolates seen on the plate.. yumm!!

test it comm said...

Those look so decadent and chocolaty and good! I am drooling here just looking at them.

Jeph said...

Sara - I made your recipe last nite. WOOOOW was it good! I think I like it best once the sauce has set and firmed up a bit. I want to hurry up and polish off this batch so I can make it again, only next time I think I want to try adding some orange oil/flavor to it? Hm. And what about almond extract in a batch (and coconut?). Or mint?

Wow - can't wait. Thanks for such a great recipe!

Anonymous said...

A lot of comments on how it looks... would like to see more posts on how it tastes, and what, if anything, people did to alter it. Thanks for sharing.

Irina said...

WoW!!!! Gr8 recipe Sara, my kids just love brownies, especially when served hot! I put my entire dieting regime aside and had a good bite at it along with my kids. Thanks Sara!!!!!!!

Alicia said...

Sara - I always keep these ingredients in my cupboard. I have a recipe that allows it to cook in your microwave. I think it takes about 10 minutes to bake. It is absolutely delicious with ice cream, whip cream or a cup of milk. Thanks for posting the oven version!

bren said...

Sara... had Chocolate Pudding Cake years back... but never considered making it with Brownies until today. Thanks for posting this... (since I am doing other baking today, and don't want to take the time to measure), am gonna make this with a brownie mix and add your topping to it. Plan to sprinkle some walnuts over half of it as hubby does not like them in brownies, but I do... *wink Ever tried Brownie Mix Cookies? (bought some Dark Fudge Brownie mix on sale and am making gifts with it).

Thekid23 said...

I made this 5 years back when I was 12, it was one of the most awesome deserts I've ever fumbled together. thanks for keeping it around.

Devin said...

I made this last week. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!

Kim Wagner said...

Dear Sara,
Thank you for reuniting me with one of MY favorite recipes as a teen! The aunt who taught me to cook showed me how to make it one day and after that I was a goner. The "magical" flipping of the ingredients, the rich chocolate taste and the oh-so-easy prep...I had lost the recipe in a move and am so happy to have it back! It used to reside on one of those recipe cards covered with stains from spilled ingredients and dog-eared from use so many times. I highly recommend!Thanks again!

Unknown said...

This cake just made me hungry! I just love this one! I am so excited to make one.
dining room table

Elaine said...

99 comments but I have to add my comment, too. I make this (just a little variation--oil, not butter) ALL THE Time!! Why don't I have it memorized in all these years? Well, I am old now and forget everything I know. So, at my "away" house and I need this for potluck tonight. Thank you for having it where I can find it. So good! My mother maid it; I make it; kids make it;
teaching grandkids to make. So easy.

Laura said...

This is exactly the recipe I was looking for! Thanks so much for posting this. I found a recipe like this many years ago, called Black Magic cake (I think that was the name) but lost it. So I was so pleased to find this. I just made it and it was fabulous!

KandJMommy said...

I just finished baking this and cannot wait to try it. My whole house smells wonderful. I was craving lava type cake and came across your recipe and I liked your recipe best.