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Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake

By Lainey Seyler

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

1 to 2 hours on high

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup whole milk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled1 large egg yolk, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup boiling water

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount.

Instructions

  1. 1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips (batter will be stiff).
  2. Scrape batter into prepared slow cooker and spread to edges. Combine remaining ½ cup sugar and remaining ¼ cup cocoa in clean bowl and sprinkle evenly over top. Slowly pour boiling water evenly over top. Do not stir. Cover and cook until cake is puffed, top is lightly set, and center is gooey when pierced with toothpick, 1 to 2 hours on high.
  3. Discard foil collar. Turn off slow cooker and let cake sit, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Kendra McKnight.

Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake

Headshot of Lainey Seyler
By Lainey Seyler
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Time

1 to 2 hours on high

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup boiling water

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup boiling water

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup boiling water

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe for slow-cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake may sound, well, like a recipe for disaster—combine dry ingredients with wet, scrape into the slow cooker, sprinkle with sugar and cocoa powder, and then pour boiling water over the whole thing—but trust us, all will be well and delicious. The cocoa and sugar on top of the batter bubble as they cook to form a pudding-style chocolate sauce on the bottom, while a chewy, brownie-like cake rises to the top. The batter is a simple mixture of pantry staples—flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt combined with milk, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla. We folded in a handful of semisweet chocolate chips to add another layer of flavor and ensure plenty of gooey pockets in the baked cake. 

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount.

Instructions

  1. 1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips (batter will be stiff).
  2. Scrape batter into prepared slow cooker and spread to edges. Combine remaining ½ cup sugar and remaining ¼ cup cocoa in clean bowl and sprinkle evenly over top. Slowly pour boiling water evenly over top. Do not stir. Cover and cook until cake is puffed, top is lightly set, and center is gooey when pierced with toothpick, 1 to 2 hours on high.
  3. Discard foil collar. Turn off slow cooker and let cake sit, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

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