Devona’s Chocolate Pudding Cake
How this cake makes pudding while it bakes, we don’t know. We’re thrilled that it does, though. No bowls are required for this one—you mix it all up in the cake pan and let it do its magic while it bakes. This pudding cake is hands down the most-requested dessert when all of Michelle’s siblings gather and enjoy a meal together. Adults love it, kids love it and—since it’s easy to prep—the little ones can even help make it. DeVona’s original recipe used a boxed cake mix and boxed pudding, so we built this version from the ground up. Read through this recipe a couple of times so that you’ll know how to use the divided maple sugar and cocoa powder accordingly. One portion is for the cake, and the other part creates the pudding while it bakes. Make this cake and be amazed!
Ingredients
- yield: 1 8 x 8–inch [20 x 20–cm] cake
- ¾ cup 100 g cassava flour
- 1½ cups 282 g maple sugar, divided
- 6 tbsp 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
- 2 tsp 8 g baking powder
- ¼ tsp plus ⅛ tsp fine sea salt divided
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ½ cup 120 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp 30 ml avocado oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups 360 ml boiling water
- Dairy-free ice cream or dairy-free whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In an ungreased 8 x 8–inch (20 x 20–cm) cake pan, stir together the cassava flour, ¾ cup (141 g) of the maple sugar, 2 tablespoons (10 g) of the cocoa powder, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of the salt with a fork.
- Add the egg, coconut milk, avocado oil and vanilla.
- Mix the ingredients together until the batter is smooth and the egg is fully incorporated.
- The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup (141 g) of maple sugar, the remaining 4 tablespoons (20 g) of cocoa powder and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of salt on top of the batter.
- Do not stir these ingredients into the batter.
- Place the cake pan on a 13 x 18–inch (33 x 45–cm) baking sheet—in case of spillage—then pour the boiling water on top of the batter and again, do not stir the ingredients.
- Make sure all of the sugar-cocoa mixture is submerged by lightly tapping it down with a fork or butter knife—all of the dry mixture needs to be covered by the water.
- Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake portion comes out clean.
- Don’t push the toothpick in too far, or you’ll end up in the pudding and not the cake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- The pudding will be on the bottom and very hot.
- Serve the pudding cake topped with the ice cream or whipped cream (if using).
