Hot Fudge Cake is such a fun dessert. Is it or is it not the coolest thing ever when a cake can make it’s own hot fudge sauce. I had this cake at a Pampered Chef party once and now I always keep the ingredients on hand because it is so good and so simple to throw together if we have last minute company for dinner. It really is the Worlds Easiest Hot Fudge Cake and quite possibly the worlds easiest dessert too.
Now I said it was the Worlds Easiest, not the Worlds Healthiest…..part of what makes this recipe so easy is that the only ingredients are a tub of chocolate frosting and a chocolate cake mix (made as directed on the box.)
When I saw this cake demo’d at the Pampered Chef party it was made in the microwave in the Deep Covered Baker. I have that pan and usually use it when I make this recipe because when you use that pan in the microwave it only takes 11 minutes to cook.
If you don’t have one of those pans you can still make this cake, you can also bake it in your oven. To do it in your oven you will either need a pan that has a tight fitting lid. (I have a dutch-oven-type pan I use that has a nice tight fitting lid.) If you don’t have something like that you could use a deep baking dish and put a cookie sheet over it.
The most important thing is for it to be covered so the warm moist air stays inside keeping the cake moist as it cooks.
To make the cake you pour the prepared cake batter into your lightly greased dish/pan and then you evenly place spoonfuls of the frosting over the cake. (I use my cookie scoop for this step). Once you have the frosting scoops evenly distributed you cover the pan with the lid.
Bake the covered cake in the oven or microwave depending on what type of pan you are using. In the microwave it only takes 11 minutes. In the oven in takes about 40-45 minutes depending on how big the pan you are using is. start with thirty minutes and then check it. Stick a toothpick down 1 inch in the very center. If it comes out clean the cake is done.
While the cake cooks, the frosting blobs melt and go to the bottom of the dish, when it comes out of the oven it has a delicious, warm, sweet and chocolaty hot fudge sauce under the fluffy chocolate cake. Serve it while it is warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. YUM!
*I have noticed that if you let the cake sit too long before serving a lot of the sauce mixture soaks into the cake. It still taste great but if you are hoping to have lots of sauce to drip over the ice cream, make sure to serve it soon after it comes out of the oven.
I serve this a lot. It’s the best for when you want to have something a little impressive but have zero time. Enter: Worlds Easiest Hot Fudge Cake.
More super simple desserts
- 1 chocolate cake mix, made according to package directions
- 1 tub of chocolate frosting
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- This cake can be cooked in the microwave or the oven (see post for more details to help you decide how you want to cook yours.)
- If using the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees
- Lightly grease whatever pan you are using and pour in the prepared cake mix.
- With a cookie scoop or spoon, evenly disperse spoonfuls of the frosting over cake batter.
- Cover with lid and if cooking in the microwave cook on high for 11 minutes
- If cooking in the oven bake at 350 degrees (for 40-45 minutes if using a round dutch-oven style pan) or if yo are using a 9x13 pan reduce cooking time to 28-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted an inch down in the center of the cake comes out clean. Be careful not to go too far down with the toothpick because the bottom part of the pan will be the hot fudge sauce and might make you think the cake is not done.
- Serve warm cake with vanilla ice cream.
Ever tried this in a crockpot? It would sadly take away the instant gratification part but I don’t trust my persnickety gas oven with a covered cake ?
I haven’t ever tried it in the crockpot but I bet it would work really well. If you try it just stick close so you can check on it every so often to get a good gage of cooking time for future reference. If you do come back and let me know how long it took. 🙂