Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake is delicious and so simple to mix together, making it an easy weeknight dessert. The flavour combination of orange and chocolate is a match made in heaven. My brother-in-law says it reminds him of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. You can’t beat that!
I love the combination of textures with the spongy chocolate cake and creamy molten chocolate sauce. Fudgy Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake is the most foolproof way to make a dessert reminiscent of lava cake but that several people can enjoy together.
It is ideal for the holidays. The chocolate and orange flavour combination is so classically Christmas. I love serving it for dessert after a bowl of my Cranberry Wild Rice Soup. I recommend serving pudding cake warm with either a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I’m excited to share this recipe from my mother-in-law’s kitchen. I’d never had a dessert like this before having dinners with Geoff’s family. His mom, Rita, makes this pudding cake frequently in the colder months for a quick dessert after a weeknight dinner. Rita pops this dessert in the oven right as the family sits down to eat so it’s done at the perfect time to enjoy a warm chocolatey after-dinner treat.
Geoff’s family calls it “Mhairi’s Dessert”. Mhairi is the name of the acquaintance that first served it to them. I considered titling this blog post “Mhairi’s Dessert” but I realized no one would know what I'm talking about! I kept going back and forth between calling it a baked fudge dessert or a pudding cake. In the end, I decided to call this recipe a pudding cake and I do think that's the best description!
This dessert would also make a beautiful canvas for many different flavour combinations. Instead of orange zest, you could pair chocolate with a variety of different options. Here is a list to spark your creativity.
- Coffee/espresso
- Peppermint Extract
- Seedless raspberry or strawberry jam
- Peanut butter
- Add in some nuts such as hazelnuts or almonds
- Add in a splash of Rum or Grand Marnier or Amaretto
I'm looking forward to experimenting with various flavour combinations in the future!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two Textures in One: Enjoy a fluffy, spongy chocolate cake paired with a creamy, molten chocolate sauce.
- Crowd-Friendly: It’s like a lava cake but sized to serve multiple people—ideal for sharing!
- Easy to Make: This dessert comes together quickly with simple ingredients, making it perfect for weeknight baking.
- Kid-Approved!
How To Make Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.
Step 1: Prep and stir together dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill the kettle with at least 2 cups of water and turn it on now so your water is boiled when you need it. Butter an 8 x 11 casserole style, oven safe dish.
Directly in the casserole dish, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, salt and stir together thoroughly.
Step 2: Create batter.
Pour 2 tablespoon of melted butter, milk and vanilla extract over the dry ingredients and stir well. This will make a thick, paste-like batter.
Step 3: Create chocolate sauce and pour over the batter.
In a separate small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, mix together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, orange zest, orange juice and boiling water. Stir until all the sugar dissolves. Pour this hot mixture over the dough in the casserole dish. Do not stir at all!
(note: I do not have a photo of the hot water mixture being poured over the dough)
Step 4 & 5: Bake and serve.
Place the dish immediately in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle on some icing sugar for a pretty finish.
Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use Fresh Juice: Fresh orange zest and juice provide the best flavor.
- For best results, serve this dessert immediately.
- When using the zest of an orange or lemon for a recipe, I recommend choosing organic produce.
- Butter the baking dish before stirring the dry ingredients in.
- This is a great week night dessert option. You can put the pudding cake in the oven just as you sit down to eat dinner with your family and the dessert with be perfectly baked and ready to serve hot as soon as you're done your first course.
- Add a Touch of Liqueur (Optional) For a grown-up twist, replace 1-2 tablespoons of orange juice with 1-2 tablespoons of orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier or Cointreau) to the sauce mixture.
Recipe FAQs
Espresso powder is optional, but it enhances the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have it, you can skip it or add additional vanilla.
Absolutely! Use a larger baking dish (such as a 9x13-inch pan) and increase the baking time slightly, checking for doneness after 30 minutes
Pouring the sauce on top creates the pudding-like layer at the bottom during baking, which is the magic of this dessert!
If you tried this Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Cake Portion
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder optional
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill the kettle with at least 2 cups of water and turn it on now so your water is boiled when you need it. Butter an 8 x 11 casserole style, oven safe dish.
- Directly in the casserole dish, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, salt and stir together thoroughly.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour 2 tablespoon of melted butter, milk and vanilla extract over the dry ingredients and stir well. This will make a thick, paste-like batter.½ cup milk, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate small bowl or pyrex measuring cup, mix together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, orange zest, orange juice and boiling water. Stir until all the sugar dissolves. Pour this hot mixture over the dough in the casserole dish. Do not stir at all!½ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon orange zest, ½ cup orange juice, 1 cup hot water
- Place the dish immediately in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle on some icing sugar for a pretty finish.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use Fresh Juice: Fresh orange zest and juice provide the best flavor.
- For best results, serve this dessert immediately.
- When using the zest of an orange or lemon for a recipe, I recommend choosing organic produce.
- Butter the baking dish before stirring the dry ingredients in.
- This is a great week night dessert option. You can put the pudding cake in the oven just as you sit down to eat dinner with your family and the dessert with be perfectly baked and ready to serve hot as soon as you're done your first course.
- Add a Touch of Liqueur (Optional) For a grown-up twist, replace 1-2 tablespoons of orange juice with 1-2 tablespoons of orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier or Cointreau) to the sauce mixture.
Nutrition
If you make this recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went! Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!
‘Til next time,
Christy
Jennifer says
This was one of the best and easiest desserts that I’ve ever made at home. I baked it at 350 degrees in a 9 by 9 glass dish for 32 minutes. Let it sit for an hour & served with vanilla ice cream. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
April says
The ingredients say use vanilla extract but the instructions show nothing about mixing it in. I did not notice until we had already put it in the oven and I didn’t use the extract. Hope it turns out good. Making this for a banquet.
Christy Faber says
Thank you for letting me know April -- I have added vanilla extract into the instructions now. The orange and chocolate flavour is so strong in this recipe so I do hope you didn't miss the vanilla extract too much and that it was delicious for your banquet!
Kristy says
Just made it n me n hubby both had 2 helpings. Soooo yummy n so quick n easy to make! Thank u!
Tianna says
Very delicous and easy to make! Had it with coconut whip cream Definitely a comforting dessert for the cold season!
Meg says
I've made this twice now! Once I took it to a friends home unbaked as the dessert offering. It baked while we ate her meal and was hot and fudgy when we were ready for it! Loved that! And the second time I made it for when we had company over and double the recipe and served it with vanilla ice cream. Everyone enjoyed it so much!
Kat says
It sounds so delicious and I can't wait to try it. I was wondering however, can I substitute the sugar with some healthier option? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you
Kat
Christy Faber says
Hi Kat! Thank you for your question! You could definitely swap the sugar in the cake portion for coconut sugar and I think it would work well to swap the brown sugar in the sauce portion for maple syrup but I haven't tested that myself. I do think it would work well! If you make it let me know 🙂
I have done coconut oil instead of butter and dairy free milk as well with success.
monika says
would a 9″ x 13″ pan work?
a 9″ x 9″?
Christy Faber says
A 9x13 pan would be too large for this recipe. You could use a 9x9 pan if it has really tall sides (because the cake will puff up as it bakes) and then just adjust the cooking time for maybe an extra 10 ish mins. This recipe is pretty forgiving! I just don't want you to have a mess at the bottom of your oven because of a smaller dish. Hope this is helpful! Thanks for the question.
Allison W says
This looks so yummy! I've never made anything like it, so I've very excited to try!
Christy Faber says
It's a very unique dessert! I hope you love it!