This mocha pudding cake for two is so easy to make. You only need a baking dish, a few simple ingredients, and the patience to wait for it to bake. As it bakes it becomes two desserts in one: chocolate cake and mocha pudding. When you dig in you get spoonfuls of warm pudding in every bite. Top it with ice cream, share it with someone you really love or keep it all to yourself as a special treat.

Mocha Pudding Cake

I’m afflicted with sudden onset chocolate cravings that most often strike on cold nights deep in winter. Or, maybe I’m just more susceptible to them when it’s frigid outside. It’s easy to enjoy a dessert guilt-free when one is swathed in many layers of clothing and therefore shielded from the effects of indulging in something rich and chocolaty. I’ll deal with the consequences when the weather warms up, I tell myself.

And in the last few weeks, pudding cake has been the culprit of my cold-night-cravings. It’s a simple dessert that you can make in one baking dish (no bowl required) in about 30 minutes start to finish with most of the time spent hovering around the oven to wait for it to bake (and to keep warm).

I discovered this self-saucing decadent dessert a few years ago after my friend Rosemary shared a recipe for it on her blog An Italian in My Kitchen. I printed the recipe, spent all of ten minutes preparing it, and waited impatiently for it to bake. One bite of the rich chocolate cake sauced with creamy pudding and I was hooked. I have not stopped thinking about it since.

The only problem is that when you live alone and you make an 8 x 8 chocolate cake with warm pudding you want to eat the entire thing. So, here I am today to share my scaled-down pudding cake that serves two. I also added a coffee twist taking what was a chocolate pudding cake and turning it into a mocha version.

How to Make a Pudding Cake for Two

This cake is so ridiculously easy to make but the process is a little different from a standard cake which can trigger “Am I doing this right?” anxiety, so I captured the step-by-step photos to help ease any potential worries.

collage photo showing the steps for making the pudding cake

(1 ) First, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, but you can use regular cocoa powder), and baking soda. I used a 16-oz baking dish, which is a great size for small-scale desserts. You can mix all of the ingredients in it so you don’t need to worry about using another bowl.
(2) Once you’ve whisked the dry ingredients, add the milk and oil and stir until it’s well combined. I like to smooth the batter into an even layer. This is the cake part of the dessert and the next two steps are all about the pudding part.
(3) Sprinkle brown sugar, some more unsweetened cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips over the top of the cake batter.
(4) The last step and perhaps the most important one is to pour hot coffee over the top. It will look weird. You will wonder how this will all turn out right. You will want to stir it, but if you do the magic that is the pudding part won’t work. Just pour it over the top and have faith. It will work, I promise.
I like to use brewed decaf coffee because it does two things: first, it makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey, and it adds a note of bitterness that really works with the rich and sweet pudding and cake. That said, you can pour hot water over the batter for a chocolate-only pudding cake. I’ve tested it both ways and enjoy both.
Bake the pudding cake at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes. You know it’s done when the center is jiggly, but the edges of the cake will have started to pull away from the sides of the baking dish. I like to let the cake stand for a few minutes before digging in.

Overhead photo of a mocha pudding cake in a baking dish

It is at this point when you first dig your spoon into the chocolate cake that the wonder is released. While the cake baked a rich and decadent pudding was created on the bottom. Serve it as is or top it with some vanilla ice cream.

Save this one for that next chocolate craving which, if you’re like me, will probably be tonight.

Happy small-batch baking,

close-up photo of a mocha pudding cake topped with ice cream

More Dessert Recipes

Inspired by a restaurant dessert these peanut butter pots de creme are an old favorite. The peanut butter creme is topped with chocolate ganache and I like to serve them in individual ramekins for a très sophistiqué dessert experience.

For a quickie solo dessert my 5-minute molten chocolate mug cake is so easy you’ll want to hide your mugs to keep from making all the time!

One of my guest-worthy go-to chocolate desserts is a flourless chocolate cake that I’ve made many times over the years. You only need a few simple ingredients and I share all my best tips for making it.