Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated July 23, 2024

Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(1,628)
Comments
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Making a cake in the microwave may not be traditional, but it makes the whole process easy and superfast — and this recipe produces a warm, gooey, pudding-like dessert. Simply mix the cake ingredients together, top with the cocoa, sugar and boiling water, and microwave on high. (Don’t forget to take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften slightly while the cake cooks.) In the microwave, the bottom sets into a supermoist chocolate cake while the topping transforms into a rich chocolate sauce. As microwaves and dish size can vary, knowing when to pull the cake out is the only tricky part. It’s done when you can see a firm cake start to bubble to the surface. Don’t worry: A little underdone is just fine, too. This dessert will continue to set a bit while it cools. The instant coffee is optional but it really does add depth to the chocolate flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Cake

    • 6tablespoons/86 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces
    • ¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk
    • 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • ½teaspoon instant coffee or espresso (optional)
    • ¾cup/165 grams packed dark brown sugar
    • 1cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
    • ⅓cup/32 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • ½teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼teaspoon baking soda

    For the Topping

    • ½cup/110 grams dark brown sugar
    • ¼cup/24 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • ¼teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • ¾cup boiling water
    • Ice cream, to serve
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

387 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 45 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 309 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the cake: Add the butter to a 1½- to 2-quart microwave-safe soufflé dish or casserole, then melt the butter in short bursts in the microwave.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk in the milk, vanilla and instant coffee, if using. Whisk in the brown sugar, then add the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk until just combined.

  3. Step 3

    Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Sprinkle over the cake batter.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the boiling water over the top.

  5. Step 5

    Cook in the microwave at full power until you can see the set cake start to emerge through the sauce in various spots and the sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. (It’s OK to periodically stop and check doneness partway through cooking.) The cake will continue to set as it cools.

  6. Step 6

    Serve warm, with ice cream.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,628 user ratings
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Comments

queenbnyc

Let’s be real-the majority of us will be making this alone at 1 AM and need cook times for individual ramekins.

Michael Sklaroff

Is it OK if I eat the whole thing at once, or is it better to consume it over the course of an hour? Thanks.

Marcia

Here's what I did for individual ramekins. I had 6-ounce ramekins. Melted a slice of butter in each as directed. Halved the recipe and mixed in separate bowl. Put 1/4 of the cake mix, then 1/4 topping in each ramekin. Poured an estimated 1/4 of the boiling water into each one. Baked in my microwave for 5 minutes. They turned out great. I haven't made this in a bigger dish, so I'm not sure how it compares, but there was dense cake and gooey molten chocolate. Worked for me!

CJ

While I was in college I tried multiple “mug cake” recipes and was always disappointed - this is what I dreamed they would be like. I mostly followed Marcia’s directions - I 1/4’ed all the ingredients for a single serving which fit in my large-ish ramekin (14.5 oz). It actually bubbled over and made a mess after only a minute and a half in the microwave, so keep an eye on it! I ended up doing multiple rounds of 30 seconds or so until it seemed like the right consistency.

Annie

substitute olive oil for butter for dairy free—quarter the recipe for single serving and microwave for 2 mins in a small, shallow bowl.

Elspeth

Easy and delicious - but you need to dirty two containers and it needs a medium bowl IMO!

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