When I was a kid one of my mother’s signature desserts was this throw-together fudge cake called Denver Pudding. She used to make this as a quick and easy treat to end the meal. And, to this day it’s something I make when I need a little comfort – or a lot of chocolate!

This cake has 3 parts: the batter, the topping, and the liquid. This cake batter is made to be thick and rich, so it won’t “pour” into the baking dish like a normal cake batter would. But, that’s all part of this quirky vintage recipe.

The top part will get very dark in the oven- it’s not burned, it’s just a cocoa overload in the pan- in the best way possible.

In the batter is some melted baking chocolate. If you don’t have that on hand you can replace it with cocoa powder. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons per ounce of chocolate as a rule of thumb.

Once the batter is in the dish sprinkle on the topping and then pour hot water over the top. This weird way of doing things results in a fudgey dessert that makes its own sauce. The top becomes crusted with sweet sugar, the middle is fluffy and chocolate-y, and the water in the pan creates a fudge syrup at the bottom.

I’ve heard people liken this a brownie cake, a fudge cake, or a lava cake. But, the truth is it’s somewhere in between all these things. So why is it called a pudding? Well the origin of the name isn’t very clear, but there is a similar pudding called Debden pudding in England. It’s possible the name comes down to a misspelling or perhaps a swap of similar-sounding place names.

Since this is baked with water and can’t be sliced or frosted then it’s more of a pudding in the terminology of traditional English cuisine. The first time this recipe shows up in American cookbooks is the 1940s, but it was also a popular dessert in the 1980s.

Many English puddings are dressed in a custard sauce, but my mom always served this with either evaporated milk or some vanilla ice cream. Each has its place- the sweet milk makes this an even more moist dish. The ice cream is a cool counterpart to the piping hot cake and sauce. But, you can also serve it with some whipped cream.

Any of the above options will enhance the rich and deep chocolate flavor of Denver Pudding or you can serve it plain, too. Serve it bottom side up in the bowl to show that ooey-gooey chocolate sauce on top.

It’s a treat that will delight any and all fans of chocolate.