Hot Fudge Cake

I meant to post this sooner than now, but misplaced the recipe. Until today. Because I'm a forgetful bonehead with eleventy-billion recipe cards and notebooks floating around, full of recipes I will possibly never make. Or find. Moving on.

This recipe is one I came across in a Taste of Home cookbook of casserole and slow cooker recipes. I've heard of cakes from a slow cooker before, but never attempted one. I have made hot fudge/lava cake previously, and it did not turn out well at all, due to the low sugar content of the recipe. So much for dispelling the belief that healthy dessert recipes are a waste of time...and I'd say that one wasn't as healthy as its creator intended, as we had to dump copious amounts of powdered sugar all over it to be able to eat it. We could have gone without, sure, but where's the fun in that?!

My results with this cake were on the generally positive side of mixed. I enjoyed it, overall. It was gooey, fudgy, chocolatey, and everything I think I could have expected from a cake made in a crockpot. Brian's take? "It was the cake equivalent of frozen fish sticks; too gooey in parts, too burnt in others." In truth, there were a few small parts that were overdone. Not burned, just a little well done. Possibly because I suck at not uncovering food in a slow cooker, and possibly because the one I used was not the same size as the one used in the recipe. He was right on about the gooey part, however, as that was kind of the point. So if you are not one for gooey, molten foods, this is not the cake for you. It's also not so much a "dump-everything-in-and-go" type of cake. But enough about mine. Here's the goods!

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup all purpose flour
6 TBSP cocoa, divided (I used Nestlé)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chips
1 3/4 cups boiling water

In a bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 TBSP cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Spread evenly into a 3 quart slow cooker coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. In another bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar and cocoa. Stir in boiling water. Pour over batter (do not stir!) Cover and cook on high 4-4.5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. (I failed to write down the servings yielded, but I would imagine it'd be in the 6-8 neighborhood.)

It's kind of puddingy, but with a bit more texture. I would not really want to eat this cake cold, but piping hot, with a scoop of vanilla Blue Bell, maybe a squirt of magic shell, and you've got yourself a fine dessert that you didn't really have to bother with for four hours. I would make this again. I would serve this to guests. I would stuff it into my face gladly, and probably not share with Brian, because I'm pretty sure he has no idea what good is.

*Final note- I did add some extras to mine. Cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of cayenne, for a Mexican chocolate flavor. I think a blob of raspberry jam would be great, too.