Brownie Pudding Cake

Brownie pudding cake is deep, dense, moist, and a little decadent! And it features an unusual method that’s part science, part just plain fun for kids young and old.

Let me be clear up front – this is not simply a cake that has a pudding mix added to it for moistness. Oh, no. This is a completely scratch cake that makes its own delicious, fudgy sauce underneath the cake layer. This type of cake goes back at least into the 1950s, if not before. IMHO, it deserves to be rediscovered in this century!

This version came from the Ladies’ Home Journal (does anyone remember that magazine?). I subscribed for years and years, but in the end, they seemed to be going for a younger (ahem) readership. The last issue was in 2016, I heard, and I’m sorry to see it go. It was first published in 1883 (wow!!). What an incredible run for a really informative and useful magazine!

About Brownie Pudding Cake

While I’ve tried multiple pudding cake recipes, this one is my favorite by far. Brownie pudding cake is crowned by a dense but light, almost fudgy cake layer with a classic, crispy brownie-like top. Underneath is a layer of fudge sauce that keeps the cake incredibly moist. The secret?

You “drown” the cake!! Let me explain.

First, you make the cake batter, though it’s a lot stiffer than a normal batter. Next, brown sugar and more cocoa are sprinkled over the top of the batter. And then, boiling water is poured over it all, and you DON’T mix it into the batter!

Yup, you “drown” the cake. And this is where the science part comes in.

The cake batter, powered by baking powder and baking soda, becomes lighter than water. It rises through the liquid, absorbing some of it, while most of the water, brown sugar and cocoa powder from the second and third layers sink to the bottom.

It’s a total blast to make with kids. I made it for my sister and her three daughters (my nieces) when they visited one time. The looks on my nieces’ faces were priceless – as if they were certain that their auntie had finally lost her marbles! But the proof is in the pudding… cake, as it were.

An Everyday Cake with a Great, Big Flavor

This brownie pudding cake is what I consider an everyday cake. It’s really simple and quick to put together, so you can serve it hot from the oven in well under an hour. It’s not a fancy cake, or a birthday cake, or a showstopper cake – until you dig into it along with your ice cream.

You really need to use top-quality cocoa powder in this one. I use only premium cocoa in this cake – my favorite is Ghirardelli, though this time around I used fair-trade cocoa from Divine Chocolate. It’s a cool little company that is owned mostly by women farmers in Ghana. My friend Fawn received a couple of small tins as part of a sampler kit and graciously shared them with me. Like its name, I found this particular cocoa to be divine, especially in this cake!

And let me tell you – this little cake is so intensely chocolate that it practically begs to be served with ice cream. (If cakes could talk, that is ;)) So serve it warm right out of the oven, or reheated for 30 seconds or so on medium heat in the microwave. Topped with your favorite flavor of ice cream, of course.

How to Make Brownie Pudding Cake

I took a few photos the last time I made this cake just so you can see how it goes together. Spray an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the dry cake ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, breaking up any lumps of cocoa powder. Combine the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl or measuring cup, then add the liquids all at once to the dry cake ingredients. Stir by hand just until evenly blended, then scrape and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top as best you can.

Next, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of cocoa and the brown sugar, stirring and mashing to break up any large lumps. Sprinkle the mixture over the batter, shaking the pan gently to be sure it’s evenly distributed. Heat the water to boiling (about 3 minutes in the microwave on full power), then carefully pour the water over the cake and topping. Do not stir it!

Be very careful at this step. The baking pan will be quite hot, so use oven mitts or potholders to transfer the cake to the preheated oven. Actually, if your oven rack glides out easily without catching, it’s safer to pull the rack out, place the cake pan on it, then pour the water over it. If that’s not possible, try to put the cake pan on the counter closest to your oven before pouring the water over. it and transferring it to the oven. This minimizes the chance of getting burned by the hot water.

Baking Notes

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sides are pulling away from the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. The center of the cake will feel quite jiggly because of the sauce layer underneath it. Below is the finished cake, ready to be served after it cools just a little bit.

If you have kids in your life (or someone that acts like a kid!) I do hope you’ll try this brownie pudding cake!

Print