9/16/14

Chocolate Cobbler

An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
  2. 7 REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY IT
  3. THE FEW INGREDIENTS NEEDED
  4. RECIPE NOTES WORTH READING

There are some recipes that have been around forever because they are good. They’re more than good, they’re practically perfect. They’re iconic.

This is one of those recipes. It goes by several names… Chocolate Pudding Cake, Molten Lava Cake and Hot Fudge Cobbler are a few I’ve heard.

That’s what happens when an old recipe is this good… people like to call it something new to freshen it up (and - dare I say - pretend it’s an original recipe).

Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

The first time I ever made this for the family, I got exactly one little serving and those hoovers I live with sucked the rest of it down before it even cooled to room temperature.

Lesson learned? Make two! I almost always make two of these because it cooks in a smaller 2-quart dish so two easily fit side-by-side in the oven. We will literally knock one out in one setting, so why not go ahead and make two then save one for later??

This is great to bring to a potluck or covered-dish dinner because it doesn't have to be refrigerated and it always elicits ooohs and ahhhhs once someone spoons out that first serving and all that yummy fudgy sauce spills out all over the place!

Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

7 REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY CHOCOLATE COBBLER

  1. You likely already have the ingredients on hand.
  2. It’s a pretty cool recipe because the second half involves pouring boiling water over the ingredients (like… what?? how does that even work?)
  3. It’s SUPER simple to whip up. You won’t need to sift anything or dirty up a bunch of bowls. You don’t even need a mixer. 
  4. You won’t need to melt or temper any chocolate – this is made with cocoa powder.
  5. It’s amazing hot or cold.
  6. It eats JUST like the fancy, complicated Molten Lava Cakes that require ramekins, water baths and melted chocolate.
  7. Spooning the hot, fudgy sauce that’s hiding under the cake-like cobbler onto vanilla ice cream is the stuff of dreams!
Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR CHOCOLATE COBBLER

I list the ingredients separately in the recipe card (base and topping) to make it easy to follow but all you need to make this dessert is:

  • Cocoa powder
  • Sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Boiling water
Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes, like Molten Lava Cake!

NOTES ON MAKING CHOCOLATE COBBLER

  • I prefer to use half boiling water and half hot black coffee when making the topping.
  • My original recipe calls for brown sugar in the topping but I’ve been using regular white sugar so long, I’ve updated my recipe to use white sugar. You can use either.
  • You can use self-rising flour instead of AP flour, baking powder and salt (add an extra tablespoon of SR flour to the cup).
  • There is supposed to be a chocolate lake under the cobbler. Don’t panic if you’re not expecting it, that’s where the magic is.
  • This cooks in a 2-quart dish. A standard 13x9 baking dish is 3 quarts so you’ll want to use something smaller. If you’re unsure which pan to use, you can pour 8 cups of water into one and see how it fits. 
  • The best way to tell if it’s done is when you can smell it. I find that’s true for most baked desserts. If your sniffer isn’t as fine-tuned as mine, you’ll know it’s done when the top looks uniformly set. When gently shaken, there should still be a little wiggle in the middle.
Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

TWO MORE CHOCOLATE DESSERTS MADE WITH COCOA POWDER

There's a reason this and the two recipes below are so outstanding even though they're made with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. Each of these recipes employs the technique of blooming the cocoa powder with boiling liquid. Read more about what that means in the pound cake recipe, where I go into pretty good detail about what it is and why it makes a difference.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE - A true southern chocolate pound cake recipe that’s moist and fudgy and packed with rich chocolate flavor. 

THE BEST CHOCOLATE TEXAS SHEET CAKE - A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm. 

Recipe for Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate Cobbler - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes like Molten Lava Cake!

Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate Cobbler
Yield: 9 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes.

Ingredients

Base:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
Topping:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the base:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ceramic or glass dishes don't need to be greased. If using a metal pan, spray with cooking spray.
  2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl then mix well; set aside.
  3. Add milk and melted butter to dry ingredients then mix by hand or with an electric mixer set on low until just combined and smooth (some small lumps are OK). Spread mixture into a 2-quart baking dish.
Make the topping:
  1. Combine sugar, cocoa and salt in a small bowl then mix well. Sprinkle mixture evenly over base batter.
  2. Add vanilla to water then pour water slowly over sugar mixture. Do not stir.
Bake:
  1. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until cobbler is nearly set in the middle. When you can really smell it but there’s still a little bit of wiggle in the very center, it’s ready!
  2. Cool 10 minutes then serve warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a special treat!

Notes

  • I prefer to use half boiling water and half hot black coffee when making the topping.
  • You can use self-rising flour instead of AP flour, baking powder and salt. Add an extra tablespoon of SR flour to the cup.
  • Any other questions are likely answered in the post above the recipe card.
chocolate, cobbler, dessert, easy, sauce, sundae, best, gooey, fudge, lava, cake, molten, recipe, pudding, old fashioned, how to
dessert
american, southern
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34 comments:

  1. Oh my gooodness that sounds delicious! Laughing about the part where you said the "hoovers sucked it all down" LOL - so glad I found your blog! Following on Twiiter also @jett2whit

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  2. This recipe reminds me of my Mom. She made this a lot, and we call it 'Baked Devil's Float'. Whatever name it is called it is truly yummy !

    Kathy

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  3. This looks absolutely delicious! I never imagined chocolate in a cobbler!

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  4. O!M!G! I could take a BATH in this cake/pudding/cake!!! It is the BEST EVER!

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  5. I NEED this! Right now! I'll give it a try this weekend - your fried ice cream cake recipe was a HUGE hit with my family, friends and co-workers... I've made it for 6 different occasions now!

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  6. Is this with plain or self rising flour!! Im gonna make this now!

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  7. This looks wonderful! I'm thinking of making it for my son's birthday and am wondering if it would feed six college students? Can it be doubled or should I make two? thanks

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    1. You'll need more than one batch! I've never doubled it but I can't think of a reason it wouldn't turn out well if you did. I might play it safe and make two if you have two dishes. Just to be on the safe side!

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    2. Make 2 and hide one!!

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    3. Did you ever double it? Thinking I will double it to feed 15 and put it in a 9x13 pan. Wondered how many it feeds normally?

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    4. I had to double it. Hubby loves this!!!

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  8. Chrissy Armstrong10/3/14, 11:58 AM

    This is one of my very favorites since I was very young. We serve it with ice cream or my fav Cool whip...it melts and makes it even better. But we call it Mud Brownies in my house but I think the original recipe calls it Hot Fudge Brownies. Yummy!

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  9. We've made this for years, but with cake mix and icing mix. We call it Fudge, Fudge Pudding cake.

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  10. Tried ur recipe n it turned out absolutely amazing..... tasted nothing less than apple bees molten lava..tastes best with icecream...in LOVVVVVEEE with it...will try again tomm ;)

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  11. A chocolate lovers dream! Thank you for sharing

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. I'm not really a fan of chocolate (seriously!), but I had such a craving for it tonight. This recipe was an absolute dream! So quick to whip up, and satisfied my craving!

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  14. Chocolate and cobbler in one yummy dish?!?!?!?! Shut, I mean OPEN, my mouth!!!!

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  15. What brand and type of cocoa power do you recommend using? I have Hershey's dark, but curious to know what you used and/or which would be best? Thank you!

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  16. Hey People! I have made this twice and it turned out great both times. There are other Chocolate Cobblers out there on the web but this tastes great and works! This girl can cook! One little technique hint: When it comes to pouring the hot water on the other ingredients, I poured it on the back of a spoon over the baking dish containing the other ingredients. This lessens the impact of the water hitting the other ingredients. You want to disturb them as little as possible. Hope this helps. I used Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa.

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  17. Just made it! Snowed in with almost a foot of snow in Kentucky so I needed chocolate and something hot. So good with Bryers vanilla ice cream! The best!

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  18. I want to make this for a little Super Bowl Party ---how much does it serve? and can I put together most of it and then finish baking it at my friends house so it will be warm?

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  19. Oh my gosh! This stuff is amazing! Hubby and I had to force ourselves to save some for our boys. I love making something that doesn't come from a box. Directions were spot on and easy to follow. Thanks for sharing this delicious treat.

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  20. When you take this to a pot luck, do you serve it at room temperature?

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  21. Could this be made a few hours in advance, and re warmed before serving?

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  22. Could this be baked afew hours in advance and re warmed before serving?

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  23. That sounds like my Mom's pudding cake. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing it!

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  24. I have been searching for this recipe. My Mom used to make it for me when I was little. She called it Chocolate Cake Pudding. I am going to surprise her and make it for her birthday. Thanks!!!!

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  25. Boy does this bring back childhood memories.

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  26. This is 2nd time I have made this this month and my husband is addicted to chocolate now!!! Lol

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  27. Quick question, have you tried this recipe with Almond flour as yet? Just wondering if it will work.
    I visited you via The Country Cook: OLD-FASHIONED SLOPPY JOES – WEEKEND POTLUCK #621
    My links: Keto Almond Flour Pancakes with Almond Butter and Scrumptious Crispy Crunchy Oven Fried Fish. We will be delighted if share your post links with us at SeniorSalonPitStop. Link under BLOGGING

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy