This is my go-to recipe for Slow Cooker Pudding Cake, or what I like to think of as the laid-back cousin of lava cake. It's a totally underrated dessert. It takes less than 15 minutes to prep, delivers deep, satisfying chocolate flavor, and is next-level when served warm with a scoop of cold ice cream, so every bite offers that wonderful contrast of temperatures.
Slow Cooker Pudding Cake & Brown Sugar
This particular version uses a lot of brown sugar which you can really taste in the finished product. If you don't want molasses flavors in the background, just swap out some of it for granulated. Using coffee in place of water adds even more flavor. Another thing I like about it is it's egg-free. I'm fine with eggs, but a lot of people don't eat them so this is a fine option. And lastly, it doesn't have a ton of butter -- just 2 tablespoons of oil. It's still very chocolaty, but a little less rich (and not in a bad way).
Recipe
Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder cocoa, divided (35 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk (120 grams)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar (150 grams)
- 1 ½ cups hot water
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Grease or spray the bottom third of a 2 ½ to 3 quart slow cooker.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Spread batter evenly in slow cooker.
- In the same bowl you used for that mixture, combine the brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in hot water until smooth. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat setting for about 2 ½ hours.
- When ready to serve, spoon ice cream into bowls, keeping all the ice cream cold as you serve each portion. With a big spoon, scoop up cake and sauce and set next to the ice cream
Anna says
Actually, I bought it at H.E.B., but my friend in NC bought some at Kroger. Believe it or not, we don't have Kroger here in Austin.
TG says
Did you get it at Kroger's? They blazed the trail in TX for stocking Graeter's, I appreciate that they'll do stuff like that - it seems like they're willing to take risks that other chains won't.
Jackie says
I had never heard of Graetner's ice cream till you wrote about it here. So of course I made the mistake of looking in our local Kroger out of curiosity. And there it was so I now have a pint of Coconut Chip ice cream in the freezer. 🙂
Katrina says
Just went ahead and whipped it up and it's cooking in the crockpot. 😉 Too bad I can't/won't have any.
Katrina says
Love those simple desserts. Maybe I'll whip one up since there is nothing for after dinner tonight.
Nancy says
Graeter's is amazing! I would never have bought it because it is so pricey, but one day they were sampling it at Kroger, and I was bowled over. Of course, there's still room in my heart for Blue Bell.
Karen says
I LOVE hot fudge pudding cake. When I was in college, several other dorm dwellers and I would have tasting contests every couple of weeks to see whose version of hot fudge pudding cake was the winner. We did not try a slow cooker version.