Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake
By Jan D'Atri
Gail Atkins poses with some of her peanut confections |
It’s ooey and gooey and chocolaty and addictive. Shall I go on? (I thought so! I had you at ooey, right?)
This wonderful and warm chocolate goodness is called Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake. The wonder, I’m sure, comes from the fact that during the baking process the cake will rise to the top of the pan and a scrumptious chocolate sauce will settle to the bottom. Then, you’ll turn the cake upside down and you’ll wonder how this cake ever made its own topping. Sounds a bit complicated, but actually the Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake is one of the easiest desserts you can make. It’s also been mom-and-everyone-else-in-the-family tested, and it’s a runaway winner!
This sweet and treasured recipe was sent to me by Patricia Stout of Phoenix. The Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake got her family through some very difficult times. Here’s Patricia’s story:
“This recipe was a favorite of my sister, Brenda. It was the treat of choice while we were growing up and, as you can imagine, had many happy childhood memories attached to it.
“Brenda was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, and after numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and trial studies, Brenda lost her battle with IBC, leaving behind three children.
“In the last few difficult days, the one dish Brenda requested from her family was her childhood comfort food, the Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake. The dessert that so delighted Brenda as a little girl would now comfort her during her final days with hospice.
“This was our delicious comfort food during happy and sad times. Please try the recipe—it’s terribly addictive!”
Patricia’s Fudge Wonder Pudding Cake
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons margarine melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the first five ingredients into a bowl and stir in milk, margarine, and vanilla. Add nuts, if desired. Turn into a 9-inch square pan. Mix brown sugar and cocoa and sprinkle evenly over the top. Carefully place pan on rack and then add the hot water very slowly over the entire top of the batter. Bake for 45 minutes.
During baking, the cake will rise to the top of the pan and a wonderful chocolate sauce will settle to the bottom. Remove from oven. You may cool it slightly and invert it onto a deep serving platter. We just scooped it straight from the pan and added vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt on top. Serve while the pudding is still warm and the sauce will be nice and hot and yummy! Serves 6 to 8.
A personal note from Jan:
My sister, Vicki, was also diagnosed with stage 3B inflammatory breast cancer, a deadly and quickly spreading form of breast cancer that is extremely difficult to detect and diagnose. She is a survivor of IBC, and I can promise you we spend a lot more time together sharing our own family favorite recipes.
Thank you, Patricia, for sharing yours!
(By the way, for information about the signs symptoms and treatment for inflammatory breast cancer, please visit www.ibcresearch.org.)
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