This Easy Chocolate Dump Cake is rich, fudgy, and made with just a few simple ingredients. For about $4.75 a pan, it is a quick dessert that comes together in minutes for an indulgent chocolate treat!
Unlike most dump cakes, this recipe doesn’t need butter or eggs and uses just a box of chocolate cake mix, instant chocolate pudding, and milk stirred right in the pan. It bakes up rich and gooey like a chocolate cobbler. This is the kind of simple chocolate dessert I love making for my family when my kids are craving something sweet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Easy to make: Everything comes together right in the baking dish, so there are fewer dishes to wash.
- Rich chocolate flavor: The chocolate cake mix and pudding make every bite soft, gooey, and chocolatey.
- Budget-friendly: The whole pan costs about $4.75, making it an affordable dessert for the family.
- No butter or eggs: You only need a few simple ingredients to make this dessert.
- Great for sharing: It makes a warm, comforting dessert that is easy to serve straight from the pan.
Baking for my kids and family has taught me that a good dessert does not have to be complicated to be a favorite. After making countless desserts in my kitchen over the years, I know how valuable it is to have recipes that are easy to prepare, use everyday ingredients, and still give you that homemade dessert everyone looks forward to.
You may also like to try Pecan Pie Dump Cake and German Chocolate Dump Cake.
Why This Version Is Cheaper and Easier
Most chocolate dump cake recipes add a stick of melted butter and sometimes eggs. This recipe skips both. The instant pudding and milk give it that rich, gooey texture on their own. That’s one less thing to buy, one less thing to melt, and why it’s just $0.40 per serving!
Ingredients
- Chocolate cake mix (or Devil’s Food cake mix): Use a standard 15.25-ounce box. Some brands have shrunk their boxes to about 13.25 ounces, so check the weight before you buy. A smaller box with the same amount of milk can bake up runnier.
- Instant chocolate pudding mix: Make sure the box says instant, not cook-and-serve as it won’t set the same way. Use the small (3.9-oz) box, dry. Don’t make the pudding first.
- Milk: This dissolves the instant pudding and is the only liquid in the cake, so measure it carefully. Whole milk and 2% milk gives the richest result.
- Chocolate chips (optional): Add extra gooeyness and pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cake. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are most common, but milk or dark chocolate chips also work well for different levels of sweetness.
You can see the entire ingredient list in the recipe card.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Next, go ahead and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 2. Pour the milk in the pan.
Step 3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix and pudding mix evenly over the milk. Stir everything together with a fork, getting into the corners and edges, until there are no dry pockets of mix. The batter will be thick.
Step 4. If you are using the chocolate chips, go ahead and add those on top of the cake. While this is optional, I highly recommend it because it just adds such an amazing layer of ooey gooey chocolate.
Step 5. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the edges are set and start pulling away from the pan. The center will still look a little soft and gooey but that’s what you want. Let it cool 10 minutes before serving.
Toppings
- Ice cream. I love this No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream and Red Velvet Ice Cream.
- Try different ice cream flavors. Chocolate fans might like No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream for double the chocolate flavor!
- Whipped cream. Try Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe.
- Drizzle Homemade Caramel Sauce or Hot Fudge Sauce on top.
- You can also top with nuts. Pecans or walnuts are great.
This reminds me of a hot fudge sundae. My favorite is a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of caramel and hot fudge sauce.
Variations
- Peanut butter: Swap half the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.
- Toffee crunch: Sprinkle toffee bits over the top before baking.
- Caramel swirl: Drizzle caramel sauce over the top before it goes in the oven.
- Nuts: Stir in or sprinkle on chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Mint chocolate: Use mint chips or add a few drops of peppermint extract to the milk.
- Mocha: Stir 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the milk to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- White chocolate: Mix white chocolate chips in with the regular chips for a sweeter top.
Want a full twist? Try my German Chocolate Dump Cake or Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake.
FAQs
Because this cake is meant to be gooey in the middle. Pull it when the edges are set, lightly browned, and pulling away from the pan. The center will still look soft, and that’s what you want.
Leftovers: Cover the pan tightly or move the cake to an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend the fridge because it dries the cake out, but if you’d rather refrigerate it, a quick warm-up in the microwave brings back the gooey texture. Microwave each serving for 10 to 15 seconds. If needed, continue heating in 5 to 10 second intervals until warm and gooey.
In the Freezer: You can freeze the leftover cake in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the refrigerator overnight when you are ready to serve. Then reheat in the microwave or oven.
I love this cake warm, so I recommend reheating your leftovers slightly before enjoying them.
Use two 9×13 pans. In one pan, it’s much thicker and needs a longer bake time.
I don’t recommend it. This cake is soft and fudgy and won’t hold its shape when you turn it out.
Yes. Devil’s food or dark chocolate fudge cake mix both work. Just stick with a 15.25-ounce box so the milk amount stays right.
Yes, you can halve the recipe and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan. Use half of the cake mix and half of the pudding mix, along with half of the remaining ingredients. Start checking the cake around 25 minutes, since the smaller pan may bake more quickly.
Yes, you can make Easy Chocolate Dump Cake a day ahead and store it covered at room temperature. When you’re ready to serve, warm individual portions in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, adding 5 to 10 second intervals until warm and gooey.
More Easy Dump Cake Recipes
Bake this Easy Chocolate Dump Cake when you’re craving something rich, fudgy, and low effort but big on flavor. It comes together fast and disappears even faster—don’t forget to leave a review and star rating to share how it turned out!
Chocolate Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 instant chocolate pudding 3.9 oz
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips optional
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour milk into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle chocolate cake mix and instant chocolate pudding mix evenly over the milk.
- Use a fork to gently stir the ingredients together in the baking dish until combined.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top, if using.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are set and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool before slicing.
- Serve as is or top with ice cream, caramel sauce, or whipped cream.
I know this is for already cooking the cake. But I have a question before making it!
Can I make this.in a Bunt Pan, then can I add 1/2 of the chocolate chips in the bottom first, then add 1/2 the of the chocolate chips through the middle, then add the rest.of the cake on top of the chips?
Can you give me your thoughts?
Thanks in. Advance! ❤
Jolene – Based on the texture of this cake, I don’t think that it will work in a bundt pan as the cake has a very fudgy texture and I don’t think it will hold it’s form in a bundt pan. I hope you try it out in the 9X13 pan and let me know what you think!
I have a box of the Oreo cake mix. Can I use that instead?
You can swap other types of cake mix in dump cake. Let me know if you try it!
OMG my daughter and grandkids went crazy over it! Definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy your daughter and grandkids loved it! 😊 That’s the best compliment. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, and I’m thrilled it’s a keeper!
If I want to double the recipe do I need to use two 13×9 pans?
Hi! Yes, I would recommend using two 9×13-inch pans if you’re doubling the recipe. 😊 That way the cake bakes evenly and you still get that delicious gooey center with the crisp topping. If you try to fit a doubled recipe into one pan, it will be much thicker and will likely need a much longer bake time. I hope you enjoy it! 💕
This is an AWESOME recipe. I changed a couple of things to make it more diabetic friendly- 2 boxes of sugar-free brownie mix and sugar-free chocolate pudding mix- but it is SO yummy!!
Thank you so much for sharing your modifications! I’m so glad it turned out so well for you. I really appreciate you letting us know how you made it more diabetic-friendly. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, and I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
The box mixes were definitely a selling point for me. Sounds rich and indulgent. I wish I could sample right now..
Cons – They make it so easy! Can’t wait for you to try it.