by Paula Johnson
A few weeks ago, I hosted our book group. We were discussing Catherine Ryan Hyde’s Have You seen Luis Velez? (A fabulous novel with plots and twists.)
As hostess, I wanted to serve something that somehow matched the book. During the story, Raymond visited a family and stayed for dinner. They served what was said to be the best moist chocolate cake. Raymond even later took Mrs. G to meet the family and enjoy this marvelous cake.
That was my choice – a deliciously moist chocolate cake as the focal food. I began my search for one made with sour cream and/or mayonnaise.
The group has another gluten intolerant person, so all are very understanding of gluten free foods. There were several choices of cake that I could make with gluten free flour. But my guardian angel was looking over my shoulder as I clicked on something.
Low and behold! The perfect recipe appeared before me. It was easy, both quick and slow, and could remain warm without drying out.
A surprise ingredient – chocolate cake mix! You can use your favorite – regular or gluten free. The surprise step – crockpot!
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Grease a 5-qt crockpot and set on low.
Ingredients
1 regular package chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package of instant chocolate pudding mix (I used chocolate fudge)
2 c sour cream
4 large eggs (at room temp)
1 c water
¾ c canola oil
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. In large bowl, combine all except the chips. Beat on low for about 30 seconds to blend. Then increase speed to medium for another 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased crockpot.
2. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Remove pot from heating element and set on trivet to prevent much further cooking.
3. Serve from the crockpot into bowls (or large mugs). May add ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
I timed the cake to be done around 1 pm for a 2 pm meeting. This allowed for extra baking time, if I needed it. Yet, I also had enough time for it to cool and still be warm without burning the roof of a mouth.
The cake was a hit with recipe requests.
There are many reasons to love this recipe:
1. Few ingredients and fewer steps.
2. “Make it and forget it” is better than ever.
3. It won’t heat up the kitchen on a hot day.
4. No frosting or layering required.
5. It is versatile.
Can you just imagine a strawberry cake with folded pieces of strawberries in the cake? How about a spice cake with tapioca pudding mix and caramel bits? Let your imagination go wild.
Though I haven’t tried this, it might even be possible to line the crockpot with a special bag and bake the cake in the bag. After some cooling, remove the whole cake in the bag from the pot, gently remove the bag, and frost or decorate.
When I think of the early days – before cake mixes – when cakes were delicate in the oven. Any jostling or movement could result in a “fallen” cake.
My mother was heading out the door of our home with a cake in her hands. Our Grandpa John said, “Where are you going with that, girlie?” She told him that it had fallen and she was going to feed it the pigs.
He told her to come right back with that cake. He liked those cakes even better than the regular baked ones. I bet he would like a crockpot cake, too.
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