If you want to impress your holiday guests, you need to make this decadent and indulgent chocolate Budino cake. Made with rich chocolate and a creamy, dense pudding-like filling, this dessert is the perfect addition to any festive celebration.
Chocolate Budino (Budino al Cioccaolato) is Italy's version of chocolate pudding which uses flour as a thickener. Chocolate Budino can be made like American-style pudding (or even like my (Italian rice pudding recipe) where it is chilled after cooking on the stovetop, it can be frozen or it can be baked in a water bath (bain marie). This recipe is the baked version and it is so delicious.
I love to bake this Italian chocolate pudding in a Saverin mold for a beautiful presentation during the holidays. You can see what this pan looks like with my lemon ricotta cake recipe. You can also use a bundt cake pan for this one or any pan with a hole in the center for even cooking.
This dessert is so delicious and a cross between a pudding and a cake. It is definitely an Italian dessert you need to try.
Ingredients And Substitutions
(full ingredient list and quantities below):
- Whole milk: You want the fat from whole milk so try not to use fat-free.
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Semi-sweet chocolate: If you love a really rich chocolate flavor, you can use dark chocolate.
- Vanilla extract: You can also use vanilla bean paste.
How To Make Baked Chocolate Budino
(full recipe and steps below)
- Prepare the Saverin Mold (or bundt pan): Butter the inside of a 9-inch Saverin pan or bundt cake pan
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar then add the egg yolks and mix well.
- Melt chocolate: Heat the milk then add the chocolate and stir to melt the chocolate.
- Combine: Add the chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture and add it to a saucepan.
- Cook: Add the flour and vanilla to the saucepan over medium heat, whisk well, and bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking continuously.1
- Cool: Cool completely making sure to stir it a few times.
- Beat egg whites: With a hand mixer, stand mixer, or whisk, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
- Add egg whites to the chocolate mixture: Fold the egg whites into the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Prepare bain marie (water bath): Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared Budino pan. Place the Budino pan inside of a large roasting pan then fill it with hot water halfway up the sides of the Budino pan.
- Bake: Bake the chocolate pudding for 25-30 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven until fully cooked or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: When done baking, place on a cooling rack to cool.
- Serve with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar or cinnamon.
Storing And Serving
You can serve this Budino cake cake warm or cold. If you are making this ahead of time, it is best to serve it cold or at room temperature since it does not heat well.
To store, allow the chocolate Budino cake to completely cool then flip it out of the mold onto a plate and gently cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cake for up to one week.
This cake does not freeze well.
Recipe Faqs
The main difference between Budino and pudding is Budino uses flour as a thickener and pudding often uses corn starch.
Budino means pudding in Italian.
More Italian Holiday Favorites!
If you love this baked chocolate Budino, you will also like these:
Baked Chocolate Budino For The Holidays
Equipment
- 9 inch round saverin pan or bundt cake pan
- Large pan for placing the budino pan in to steam
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs separated
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup All purpose flour plus more for pan.
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature plus more for greasing the pan.
- 3 ½ ounces Semi sweet chocolate (chopped) This is about 2 bars
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rub butter all over the inside of a 9-inch Saverin pan or bundt cake pan making sure to get all the way up the sides.
- Set aside
- Cream butter in a large bowl.½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- Now add the egg yolks and sugar to the butter and mix well then set aside.3 large eggs, ½ cup Granulated sugar
- In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium heat.2 ½ cups whole milk
- Slowly add in the chocolate whisking often until melted then remove from the heat.3 ½ ounces Semi sweet chocolate (chopped)
- Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the creamed butter and eggs, whisking as you pour.
- Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and place on the stovetop.
- Sift in the flour and vanilla and whisk well and bring to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking continuously.½ cup All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely making sure to stir it a few times.
- With a hand mixer, stand mixer, or whisk, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
- Fold the egg whites into the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Pour this into the prepared budino pan.
- Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan then fill it with hot water halfway up the sides of the budino pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into about 3 inches from the outside of the pan comes out clean.
- Remove the budino pan from the roasting pan and place on a cooling rack to cool.
- Flip out the Budino cake on to a large plate.
- Serve with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar or cinnamon.
Meg
Thank you for sharing this recipe