Over-the-top chocolate cake a summer treat
Fourth in a series on summertime recipes.
For some reason, chocolate cake is associated in my mind with casual summer meals. Cold fried chicken, potato or pasta salad, sliced tomatoes or grilled vegetables and then, once you've digested for a while, a slice of gooey chocolate cake, eaten from a paper plate with your fingers, and licking the plate afterward. Come to think of it, such a lineup was common among my Southern relatives in summer, when we'd have family reunions by the lake near where they lived.
If you don't own a good cake carrier, it's worth the investment for occasions such as this. Get one with a top and handle, big enough to hold a 9-by-13 sheet cake.
No need to be embarrassed by serving a "semi-scratch" cake; we're all doing it. This cheater recipe combines pudding, cake mix and chocolate chips for a moist, over-the-top treat for the chocolate lover. Instant pudding won't work in this recipe, so you must make it from scratch (either using a cooked pudding mix — getting harder to find all the time — or the recipe below).
If you want to kick it up a notch, use high-quality dark chocolate chips and a premium Dutch process cocoa.
TRIPLE FUDGE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour, or spray with baking spray, a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine warm pudding with cake mix and mix well. Pour into baking pan; sprinkle with chocolate morsels and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on rack. Sift powdered sugar over or scatter with angel flake coconut.
If you're taking this cake to the beach or camp site, keep cool in a cooler.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Per serving (based on 16 servings and not including powdered sugar or coconut): 300 calories, 15 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 26 g sugar, 5 g protein
Cooked chocolate pudding: In a saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup white sugar, 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/8 teaspoon salt and stir in 2 cups whole milk or half and half. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons. butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cool to warm and use with cake above, or serve warm or chilled.
