Is this the prettiest cake you’ve ever seen? … Nah.
Is it totally and absolutely amazing despite its homely appearance? … Definitely yes.
You see, this cake is not so much of a cake as it is an ooey-gooey chocolatey brownie and hot fudge combo in one. And it mixes up in minutes. In the pan you bake it in.
Are you on board yet?
It’s an old Betty Crocker recipe, which means it’s timeless and it’s tried-and-true. And it’s simple. You take a few basic pantry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa) and mix them up in the pan before mixing in some milk, vanilla, and butter. (The original recipe calls for oil, but we just like the taste of butter better! Can you blame us?) From there you sprinkle the top with more cocoa powder and brown sugar and pour some hot water over the whole thing. And then magic happens…
As it bakes, the bottom turns into an oozing fudgy sauce, while the top becomes a chewy chocolate cake, almost like a brownie.
You spoon some – piping hot out of the oven – into a bowl, and top it with ice cream, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and maybe some chopped nuts or even rainbow sprinkles. And spooning a bit more of that fudgy sauce over the top definitely would not be a bad plan.
Oh Mylanta, is it good. That warm and gooey chocolate combined with the chewy cake and cool ice cream is… well, it’s everything a hot fudge sundae should be. Except it’s also a cake. And we think it’s pure magic.
Hot Fudge Cake
50 minutes to prepare serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
For topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups very hot water
Garnish: ice cream, whipped cream, chopped nuts, cherries
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350° F.
In an un-greased 9×9 baking dish, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, and salt with a fork.
Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla and mix with fork until well combined. Spread evenly around the pan.
Sprinkle brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder over the top of the batter. Pour hot water over the top.
Bake until the top of the cake is dry, about 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, and your favorite sundae garnishes. Enjoy!