This Chocolate Pudding Cake is probably the easiest chocolate cake recipe out there. There are only 4 ingredients! One of the best tasting chocolate cakes I have ever had.
Chocolate Pudding Cake
I got this recipe at a women’s retreat many years ago and it has been a favorite ever since. It was a suggested dessert for holiday entertaining because it is so easy to make, yet it tastes so good. You can put it in the oven right before dinner and it is ready right when you are ready to serve it for dessert. In this recipe, I usually use a Devil’s Food Cake mix, but a German Chocolate mix or regular chocolate cake mix work just as well. If you like nuts on your cake, you can also sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top with the chocolate chips.
The amount of pudding used in the recipe makes the cake so moist and delicious. What I love most about this cake is that you don’t need to frost it. The cake itself is so rich that you can eat it as is. You can also simply add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. One of my favorite treats during the holidays is to serve it with a scoop of peppermint ice cream or with a big mug of hot cocoa. I think this cake is best served warm right out of the oven. It makes the house smell wonderful. However, if you need to make it ahead to serve later, it is every bit as moist and delicious served cold.
Easy Desserts That Start With a Cake Mix
Using a cake mix for a dessert makes preparation quick and easy, but you don’t have to settle for a basic cake. There are so many fun and fancy desserts that start with a cake mix. These are some of our favorites.
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake – A rich, moist, and delicious chocolate cake that tastes just like the cake you can buy from the Nothing Bundt Cake store.
- Raspberry Lemon Cake – This cake is so cold and refreshing. The Jell-O gelatin in the cake makes it so moist and flavorful.
- Better Than You Know What Cake – Turn a basic chocolate cake mix into a decadent dessert. A chocolate cake filled with sweet, caramel filling and topped with toffee bars.
- German Chocolate Cookie Bars – These bars have a chewy chocolate cookie layer topped with gooey homemade German chocolate coconut frosting.
- Cake Mix Coffee Cake – If you like coffee cake, you are going to LOVE this Cake Mix Coffee Cake! I am a big fan of coffee cake and I am even a bigger fan of it when I can skip a couple steps to get it done quicker!
How To Make Chocolate Pudding Cake
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix dry
- 5 oz chocolate pudding mix cook and serve, not instant
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pour contents of cake mix box into a large bowl.
- Stir dry pudding mix and milk together in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Fold cooked pudding into the dry cake mix.
- Pour mixture into a 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- This cake is delicious served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
Video
Nutrition Information
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I’ve been making a version of this cake since the early 70s and it was old when it was passed down to me. Instead of chocolate cake mix, I use yellow cake mix with pudding in it. Then stir in cooked chocolate pudding and add chocolate chips and chopped pecans on the top. It’s gooey when done. Toothpick test to test doneness does NOT work. If it passes the toothpick test, it’s over baked. Can be served with vanilla ice cream or a cold glass of milk.
This cake recipe was one I grew up on. My mom used to call it Chocolate Lunchbox Cake, because she would take each slice and slice it horizontally, then put the bottom on the top and wrap in plastic wrap to put in our lunchboxes . This was so the chocolate chips would not stick to the plastic. It was the best cake. I am in my 60’s now and I can still remember the taste. Thanks for the memories!
This is by far the best cake I have ever eaten. I might try it with vanilla pudding and a lemon or orange cake mix with white chocolate chips and see how that turns out
Do u still add the cake mix ingredients, like eggs and oil before you add the cooked pudding?
No, you don’t add the ingredients on the cake box, just the ingredients in the recipe!
Hi my mom has made this for as long as I can remember she got it out of the old Betty crocker Cookbook we add walnuts with the chocolate chips I don’t have cook and serve pudding so going to try instant hopefully it still turns out. I have never thought to do other cakes with other chips that’s an awesome idea thanks. If it turns out I will post update
This cake is delicious! I love the simple ingredients. Instead of chocolate chips I used reeces pieces in miniature Reeces cups. Since there’s no egg in it I actually under baked it just a little bit to to make it extra gooey
Can this recipe be baked in a bundt pan and for how long? Thank YOU.
We haven’t tried it that way, but let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Made it for the first time yesterday ! So easy and very delicious! Should this stored in the refrigerator?
You can store it in the fridge, or just in an airtight container on the counter!
Holy cow, this cake is to die for! Love all the chocolate chips on top!
This cake couldn’t be any easier to make! I love chocolate cake & this is so moist & gooey!
This cake is dangerously good! So rich and chocolatey, totally fabulous!
This was a favorite recipe growing up- my parents got it in the late 70s from a co-worker of my mother’s, she called it Rickie Dickie cake. Only difference is we’d top with half butterscotch and half chocolate chips and always serve with a scope of vanilla ice cream. Just brought me back to my childhood!
We also have made this cake from the beginning of time. I am SO mixing up the chips next time. Sounds great. We also do a butterscotch version with butterscotch chips, butterscotch pudding and white or yellow cake. Amazing!
Came across your recipe looking for a chocolate birthday dessert for my wife that she would really enjoy. She is a chocolate lover and this was fantastic. Delicious cake that the whole family loved with or without ice cream. We especially enjoyed no frosting because we both enjoy the cake more anyway. Thank you!
Save a bowl, dump the dry cake mix straight into the pan of cooked pudding!
Best chocolate cake ever; so easy, so chocolatey, so moist!
Super easy to make, DEEEE-licious to eat. A winner all around!
Oh my goodness that is wonderful I learned how to make this 25 years 30 years ago and never forgot the recipe and I just started making it again for the grandkids and they just go crazy over it so thank you for helping me to remember my favorite recipe thank you Mary Smith
I’ve baked this cake multiple times. My family prefers it with peanut butter chips
That sounds delicious! Can’t go wrong with peanut butter chips. YUM!
I didn’t even know there was such a thing! That sounds fantastic!!