Question about CL's Hot Fudge Cake

[CHRIST1NE]

I made this for the first time yesterday. For those of you that have made it, is the "fudge sauce" under the cake supposed to be a thick hot fudge type substance or more of a hershey's syrup consistancy?? Mine was more like hershey's, but it seemed like it should have been a lot thicker.

It tasted fine, but the end product was quite different that what I was expecting.

Here's the recipe:

Hot Fudge Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 cups hot water


INSTRUCTIONS:
Estimated Total Time: 50 minutes
Preheat oven to 350

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla extract. Spoon the batter into a 9-inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa, and sprinkle over cake batter. Pour water over batter (do not stir). Bake at 350&176; for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Serve warm.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
calories: 172 carbohydrates: 40.3 g cholesterol: 0 mg fat: 0.5 g sodium: 63 mg protein: 2.2 g calcium: 79 mg iron: 1.4 mg fiber: 0.3 g

[JJeannette]

With most pudding cakes of this type, the sauce will usually be a bit thin while hot or very warm and then thicken up as it cools. When I make them the type of sugar used seems to make a difference as well. Brown sugar seems to make a thicker sauce for me.

[Linda in MO]

I made that cake, but I can't remember how thick the sauce was. All I remember was that I didn't care for it all that much and the recipe below is a lot better.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 9 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cake or Pie , Dessert


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa -- divided
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups HOT water

Stir together in a bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and 2 T. cocoa.

Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour batter into a 9 inch square or 8x11 inch pan.

Mix brown sugar with 4 T. cocoa and sprinkle on top of the batter.

Pour over entire batter the 1 3/4 cups hot water. DO NOT STIR. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 35 to 40 minutes.



NOTES : During baking, cake mixture rises to top and chocolate sauce settles to bottom. Cut squares of cake and dip sauce from pan over each serving. Serve warm with whipped or ice cream.

[valchemist]

the only real difference between those two recipes is the amount of cocoa and the addition of vegetable oil. that just shows you that minor tweaking in recipes for baked goods can have more of an effect than you might think.

[Linda in MO]

Actually they both call for 6 T. of cocoa. It's just worded differently. I think the one I posted was an old Betty Crocker recipe, but it also called for walnuts. It's worth the "splurge" to use the 2 T. of oil, IMHO.

[Linda in MO]

Oh, and serving ice cream with this it not optional, it's a must! :D

[valchemist]

oops. I missed that part about the cocoa being divided.

that is even more amazing, then, that 2 tbsp of oil can make such a big difference. definitely sounds like it is worth it!

[CHRIST1NE]

Thanks everyone.. and yes, Linda, I agree about the Ice-cream being required -- it turns it into a brownie sundae of sorts.

I read the reviews on the CL recipe page and someone mentioned that they has decreased the water from 1 1/2 cups to only 1 cup and had much better results.