Well it’s official. Last week I joined the legions of chair hauling, bag toting, sports drink carrying parents and became a soccer dad. I was a little nervous about it at first, but we’re really enjoying watching these little guys run around. I’ve always been frustrated about the parents who take kids sports too seriously, but we don’t have that yet. It’s great at this age because they don’t have the pressure that older kids feel to perform. These kids are really just having a good time. Some will be in the game and others might be picking flowers or watching a plane go by, but it’s just not a big deal. I’ll admit that I will never be the kind of parent that thinks every kid should get a trophy (I’m afraid that it might teach kids that you don’t have to work hard for success), but it’s nice at this age for it to not be only about winning. Sometimes it’s just nice to have fun just for the sake of having fun. You know?
Y’all know how much I love things that are easy and use things that I already have in the pantry. This old recipe here is no exception. The end product is a rich, gooey cake that has an intense chocolate flavor – it’s like the best fudgey brownie/cake thing ever. The best way to serve this is warm with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream. It also makes a great base for a serious ice cream sundae!
Recipe Card
Gooey Chocolate Spoon Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Mix well to combine. Stir in the milk, butter, and vanilla. Mix well and pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 35 minutes. The center will still be jiggly. Allow to cool slightly, then spoon into serving dishes and serve warm alongside vanilla ice cream.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Kat Lamphiear
Getting ready to make this-can I double recipe?
Hi Kat! I’ve only ever made it the way it’s written, so I can’t say for sure. I’d guess it should turn out just fine doubled, but I’m not sure of the exact cook time.
Amanda
If I double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 how long should I bake?
I can’t be for sure as I’ve not done it that way, yet.
Dianne Johnson
I can’t wait to try this, but I will have to. I have no vanilla ice cream> Aargh!! But I will have some in a couple of days.
Oh no!! Well, it’s worth wait.
Jezi
This looks and sounds fantastic, but I have a question. Other comments are mentioning cocoa and brown sugar sprinkled on top, but the recipe just says to mix it into the regular batter. Has the recipe changed since you originally posted it?
Actually, it has! Several folks found that the recipe was a bit confusing, so I simplified it and the end result was even better! I just made this for dessert again last night. Enjoy!!
Dawn McCormick
I made this cake tonight and was very disappointed. I saw another comment that described my experience. I followed the recipe exactly, but the brown sugar and cocoa on top stayed dry and powdery. I only baked it 30 min because the topping was starting to smell burned. I wondered if maybe there was a misprint and an ingredient (butter?) was left out of the topping. Made me sad because the picture looked so tasty, but I ate the ice cream anyway!
Well at least you got to make a positive out of a bad situation! The recipe’s correct. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you.
Leah
This recipe is awful. I followed the recipe exactly. Highly do NOT recommend.
Goodness! Help us out here… what was it about it that you didn’t like? Just saying it’s awful doesn’t really tell us anything.
Angela
I love this recipe! So easy to whip up at the last minute when you need to have something chocolately!
BTW…I miss all those years of soccer games and softball games and volleyball games….enjoy.
Thanks, Angela! I’m certainly trying my best. 🙂
With Wings
Sounds really good!!! My mom would make the regular ole’ homemade chocolate sheet cake with homemade chocolate frosting. Yum!!! My dad used to pour milk over it (forever ago) and eat it with a spoon. I eat it that way once every ten years or so. Sounds different, I know, but it ain’t that bad!!! 🙂 My husband’s grandfather used to eat cornbread and milk for supper! And then say he’d “done et”!!! Oh, the Southern slang. LOL This recipe sounds like you would not need frosting! I always enjoy reading your blogs and the comments too! God Bless “Y’all”!!!
Thanks! I’ve actually been eating chocolate cake with milk poured over it for years! How funny! My Dad always did it and I picked up the habit. I know it sounds strange, but I love it that way. 🙂
With Wings
That’s way too funny!!!
Tharu
Hi Stacey,
Just I want to know what is butter milk
Hi Tharu! Here’s a great description… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk You can make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of whole milk.
Fiona
Hi Stacey, this is Fiona from Vienna/Austria. Today i saw this receipt and i was thrilled. I must prepare this for my family next weekend. But now my question: What is vanilla extract ? In Austria we have Vanilla-Sugar. Powdersugar with Vanilla. Can i take this also? I hope you understand my English.
Greetings from Austria
Fiona
Hi Fiona! Welcome from across the globe! Vanilla extract is a liquid flavoring that is sometimes also called vanilla flavoring or vanilla essence. It is not essential to the recipe and I think you can make the recipe without it. Good luck! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Dana
Just finished serving this and I’m not quite sure what went wrong…I followed the recipe exactly, but the batter was the consistency of water. Went ahead and baked it, but the cocoa and brown sugar sprinkled on top didn’t blend with the batter so it was kind of a powdery mess. Taste was edible, but definitely not something I’d ever make again….unless, of course, there was a missing ingredient or something along those lines that would explain what went wrong. I love to bake, love trying new recipes but absolutely hate giving a negative review. I genuinely appreciate the effort you put into sharing your recipes and I’m sorry I couldn’t rate this one in a positive light. 🙁
OH, Dana! I just hate to hear that. I’ve had numerous emails and comments about how much folks love this recipe. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. The batter is supposed to be very watery. What usually happens is the liquid bubbles up and over the cocoa and brown sugar and incorporates it into the cake. Some is usually left on top which give it s little crunch. I’m just not sure what happened with yours. I made it again this weekend and mine turned out just fine. I do appreciate all of the feedback on the site, so thanks for letting me know.
jennifer
what is self rising four? also what can I use instead of milk not to make the cake dairy?
lookd delishhhh!
Self rising flour is flour that has the ingredients added into it already that will cause it to rise. Here’s a quick video to show you how to make your own: https://southernbite.com/2010/11/08/turn-all-purpose-flour-into-self-rising-flour/
If you’re going to make it non-dairy, you could use some liquid non-dairy coffee creamer or even just water.
Debbye
Don’t know what I did wrong but my Father in law said it was hard and horrible! Used dark brown sugar and Nestlé Toll House Cocoa, was that my mistake????
Uh oh! I wish I could have been in the kitchen with you. I’m not sure what happened. Those changes shouldn’t have affected the outcome at all.
Debbye
The brown sugar and cocoa stayed dry on top of the cake, yours looks moist?!?!?
Debbye
Never mind, I went and got the dessert and tasted it myself, I think it’s yummy, just think father in law doesn’t appreciate chocolate!!!
That’s hilarious!! Well, at least we know what happened! 🙂
Mary
Love chocolate, and this looks great! Will be making it this weekend. Thanks for sharing…….looking forward to your cookbook!!!!
Thanks, Mary!!
Jessica
I’m a full time working Mom & wife. I commute an hour, sometimes more one way to work. If it tells you anything- I work in Atlanta. This means my commute can be easy sailing, or hours of bumper to bumper traffic. To top it off, I’m also pregnant with our second child. I said all of this to say- clearly my time is limited and precious.
So THANK YOU so much for posting easy, simple, and delicious recipies for people like me. I love to cook, I’m a hobby baker. But sometimes I just don’t have time. This cake is in the oven now, and it took me all of 10 minutes to whip up! I’m looking forward to trying it once it’s done.
Bless your heart. That’s about all I can say about ATL traffic. I hope the cake turned out great for you!