Savannah chocolate cake usually refers to a moist, old‑fashioned chocolate sheet cake served with a rich hot fudge sauce—often called Savannah Chocolate Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce. It’s a classic Southern dessert and especially well‑known from recipes that originated in or around Savannah, Georgia. (Paula Deen)
🍫 What Makes It Special
- Moist Chocolate Cake: A single‑layer, sheet‑style chocolate cake made with brown sugar, buttermilk, and melted unsweetened chocolate for a deep flavor and tender crumb. (Paula Deen)
- Hot Fudge Sauce: A warm, indulgent chocolate sauce made with German chocolate, butter, evaporated milk, and powdered sugar, poured over slices before serving. (BigOven)
🧁 Savannah Chocolate Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce
🧾 Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all‑purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt (Paula Deen)
For the Hot Fudge Sauce
- 4 oz German chocolate
- ½ oz unsweetened chocolate
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1⅔ cups evaporated milk
- 1¼ tsp vanilla extract (BigOven)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F).
- Cream brown sugar with shortening; add buttermilk and vanilla.
- Stir in melted chocolate, then add eggs one at a time.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the mixture.
- Pour into a greased 13×9-inch pan and bake about 40–45 minutes. Cool slightly. (Paula Deen)
2. Make the hot fudge sauce
- Melt German chocolate and unsweetened chocolate with butter over low heat.
- Stir in powdered sugar and evaporated milk alternately, blending well.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and creamy (about 8 min).
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. (BigOven)
3. Serve
- Cut cake into squares and pour hot fudge sauce over each piece while still warm. (Paula Deen)
🍽️ Serving Tips
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- It’s great warm — the hot fudge sauce melds into the cake for extra richness.
- The recipe yields a classic, old‑school chocolate dessert perfect for gatherings. (BigOven)
Want a simplified version or a layer cake twist on this Savannah classic? I can give you that too! 🍰
