Recipe: Fudge Pudding Cake

by Stephanie Zonis

Fudge Pudding Cake

6 to 9 servings

I grew up on a version of this recipe; it was a popular dessert years ago, but seems, alas, to have fallen out of fashion. It is an easy, one-bowl cake spread in a pan, and a thin, boiling mixture of sugar, cocoa, coffee, and water is poured all over the top. During baking, the thin mixture sinks to the bottom and thickens beautifully, while the cake rises to the top. The dessert can be served warm or at room temperature, but it is not a good "keeper"; it is best eaten within a day or so of making. Store at room temperature, tightly covered. This will freeze (in the pan, covered tightly), but to me there is a slight diminishing of flavor after freezing. To thaw, leave in wrappings, and let sit at room temperature until no longer cold. This is homelike and unsophisticated--and absolutely wonderful. Nice for a beginning baker to help with, too. Great served warm with good vanilla ice cream!

Cake:
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder,
preferably Dutch process
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter,
(1/2 stick) melted

Topping:
3/4 cup firmly packed light
brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
preferably Dutch process
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
Pinch salt
1 cup water

For Cake:
Adjust rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8" square cake pan, at least 1-3/4" deep.

Into medium bowl, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add vanilla to water, then add to dry ingredients along with melted butter. with hand-held electric mixer at low speed or a large whisk, beat until ingredients are well-mixed and most lumps are out of batter. Turn into prepared pan; spread level, then push batter slightly higher in corners. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the Topping.

For Topping:
In small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine all ingredients except water. Mix well, pressing out as many lumps as possible with back of spoon. Add water. Place over medium heat; stir almost constantly until mixture comes to a boil, scraping sides of pan occasionally and pressing out any lumps with back of spoon. Remove from heat; immediately but carefully pour boiling hot mixture all over cake batter. Don't pour too much in any one place. Using pot holders, very carefully transfer the hot pan to the preheated oven.

Bake 24 to 31 minutes, or just until cake tester inserted into center of cake emerges with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Cool on rack at least 1 hour before serving.

I Love Chocolate

Mother's Day Chocolates

Recipes

Current I Love Desserts
I Love Chocolate Archive

Stephanie Zonis provides the above information to anyone, but retains copyright on all text. This means that you may not: distribute the text to others without the express written permission of Stephanie Zonis; "mirror" or include this information on your own server or documents without my permission; modify or re-use the text on this system. You may: print copies of the information for your own personal use; store the files on your computer for your own personal use only; and reference hypertext documents on this server from your own documents.