Chocolate Pudding Cake/Brownie Cake

Cake, anyone?

I aim to please around here, and when Chris mentioned the other night that he wanted some cake, and not just any cake, but chocolate cake with chocolate pudding between the layers, I went to work. The next evening, he didn't have exactly what he asked for, but he did get a lovely chocolate pudding cake AND some brownies. (That should get me an automatic nomination for Wife of the Year, no?)

I adapted the recipe for "Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding Cake" that I found here. I made some slight changes: I added a dash of cinnamon and a few pieces of dark chocolate (from our trip to Grenada) to each ramekin before baking.  And, I skipped the whipped cream topper, since Chris isn't a huge fan. And, I didn't fill eight ramekins -- I only did six, and then poured the rest of the batter into a greased, round cake pan, which I baked and then topped with Nutella for a quick, cake-like brownie, or I guess you could call it a brownie cake?

The cocoa and addition of the dark Grenada chocolate gave both of these a lovely chocolate flavor that goes beyond any boxed mix. The pudding cakes are best served right out of the oven, or re-heated quickly in the microwave. They reminded me of my favorite Soufflé au Chocolat dessert, but weren't as decadent. And the brownie cake was rich and gooey and the perfect balance of chocolate and hazelnut. After Chris and I sampled the cakes (yum!), I put the extra ramekins in the freezer (another reason why it's fun to make individual servings) so the next time there's a request for chocolate cake, I can just open the freezer and pop the ramekin in the oven or microwave to reheat once thawed.

It didn't take very long to make these desserts -- I had everything I needed in my pantry and fridge.  I know boxed mixes are convenient, but when you can, try to make it from scratch, folks. You won't be sorry.

xoxoxo