Life & Style

Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake

If you like your Christmas desserts rich and chocolatey, this classic Anne Byrn recipe is sure to please. Serve this to your guests to finish your holiday menu in decadent, chocolate bliss.

Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake

SERVES: 16
PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES
BAKING TIME: 55 TO 60 MINUTES

Sensory experts tell us we need liquid to help transport flavors to the tongue so we can enjoy them. And so you can see the attraction of pudding cake. However, there is so much liquid here that you may say to yourself, “This is never going to work,” but it does. Much of the liquid is absorbed and makes the cake moist; the remainder forms a wonderful chocolate sauce on the bottom of the pan. Eaten together, the cake takes on a pudding quality. My children and my nephews love this cake served warm with vanilla ice cream. We have even reheated it in the microwave the next day for round two! (Reheating keeps the sauce saucy.)

Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food cake mix
1⅓ cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 large package (5.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Vanilla or peppermint ice cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 13- by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Set the pan aside.

3. Empty the package of pudding mix into a medium-size bowl and whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the pudding over the batter, taking care not to let it touch the sides of the pan. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake until it is firm around the edges but still wiggles in the middle, 55 to 60 minutes. A crack will run through the center. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

5. Spoon the warm pudding cake into bowls, and top with vanilla or peppermint ice cream.

Store this cake, covered with aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.