Hot Fudge Cake
This Hot Fudge Cake is a copycat recipe of the classic cake at Big Boy restaurants. A tender chocolate cake is topped with homemade hot fudge, ice cream, whipped cream, and of course a cherry on top! Every bite is moist and rich in cocoa flavor, perfect for serving a crowd!
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 15.25 ounce box chocolate or chocolate fudge cake mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup neutral oil vegetable, canola, or avocado
For the Homemade Hot Fudge
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
For Assembly
- vanilla ice cream
- whipped cream
- maraschino cheeries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, whole milk, and oil until smooth and well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
- While the cake bakes, make the hot fudge. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the heavy whipping cream, stirring until combined.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder until completely smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- To assemble, cut a square of chocolate cake and slice in half horizontally. Lay the bottom half on a saucer. Top with a generous scoop or square of vanilla ice cream, the top half of the cake, a ladle of warm hot fudge sauce over the top, a dollop of whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry to finish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note: The hot fudge thickens as it cools. If it gets too thick just warm it back up on the stove over low heat or microwave in 15-second intervals stirring between each.
Storage:
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes then add fresh ice cream and whipped cream. The hot fudge sauce also stores nicely too in the fridge for up to a week and reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop.
You can also freeze slices of this cake for up to 2 months, just be sure to let them thaw fully before enjoying. It's also the perfect dessert to make ahead of time if you are planning to serve it for dessert when entertaining.
Tips:
- Don't over-boil the hot fudge. Once it thickens and coats the back of the spoon nicely, it's ready. It will also continue to thicken as it cools.
- Warm the cake before serving. You can easily pop the whole tray into the oven at a low temperature for a couple of minutes before serving.
- Don't bake the cake for too long. Use the toothpick test to determine if it's baked through or not.
- Make it easy to scoop the ice cream. Place hot water into a glass for dipping the ice cream scoop in between scoops for perfect presentation.
- Make a homemade chocolate cake mix. Whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.
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