Ooey Gooey Goodness - Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Our first recipe for the summer was decided by what we had on hand!  This one is simple and yet magical...during the baking process, what started at the bottom rises to the top and what was once on the top slides down to the bottom, creating not just a pudding, but a yummy sauce to go with the cake!  Combine the pudding-like sauce with the cake, which bakes into a moist, crumbly layer with a crunchy topping, and you have all of the textures you could think of in this dessert.  Add your favorite tart fruit, such as sliced strawberries, and you have one fabulous combination, sure to please the palate of any age!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake - Recipe - 2007 The Hershey Company

1 1/4 C granulated sugar, divided

1 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C Hershey's Cocoa, divided

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 C milk

1/3 C butter (or margarine), melted

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 C hot water

Whipped topping, strawberries, raspberries, or whatever other fruit you like with your chocolate!

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Baby Girl Sweet Tooth & the ingredients

CAKE

2. In a large bowl, stir together 3/4 C granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 C cocoa, baking powder and salt.

blending the dry ingredients

3. In a small bowl, blend together milk, butter and vanilla.  

mixing the wet ingredients
(in baking, it's the rule of thumb to mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then mix together!)

4. Pour in milk mixture; beat until smooth.

little brother watching the action!

5. Pour batter into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.

smooth and thick!

Lick away!  No raw eggs in this batter!  Woot!

TOPPING

6. In another bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 C sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 C cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter.

Understanding the difference between white sugar - which pours freely -
and brown sugar - which is more like damp sand - and must be packed.

7. Pour hot water over top. DO NOT STIR.

Looks like mud, smells like hot cocoa!

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. 

Little brother, once again checking the action!

Let stand 15 minutes, if you can!  The smell at this point is so amazing, you'll want to eat it right now.  If you do cut into it, just know that the pudding will be very liquid-y and not very pudding-y...this makes a great sauce, but you don't get the pudding thing going on! 

Spoon into dessert dishes (or if you're having one of those days, just dig in!), slather the cake with the sauce from the bottom of the pan and garnish with whipped topping and fruit.

Rich, delicious, thick, delicious, warm, delicious, tasty, delicious...
did I mention delicious?  Amen.

We hope you get a chance to try this yummy dessert...if you love pudding and cake, this is a win-win for you!

-the girls of the Sweet Tooth