I have been resisting chocolate since the beginning of winter, thinking that if I can forego cream cheese brownies or Maida Heatter’s Queen Mother’s Cake, an amazing chocolate torte, I will be a better (looking) person for it; but Spring is taking its sweet time and as I am standing in front of my cooking library, righteously thinking hearty soups or flavorful stews, the chocolate dessert books beckon me with brighter colors and bolder characters than any other books on the shelves.

Lots of well-intentioned pundits, no doubt with a sweet tooth, will swear that, second to drinking eight glasses of water a day, eating chocolate may be just what you need to live a long and happy life: Maida Heatter, who died last year at the age of 102, wrote a book titled: “Happiness is Baking”.

I have many dessert books so it is of no surprise to me that, leafing through one, I still can find a recipe I don’t remember having ever tried or even read. But there it is, a warm mocha pudding cake, with ingredients readily available from my pantry and which preparation will fit perfectly into my afternoon of winter discontent.

Warm Mocha Pudding Cake

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Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• 8 inch round cake pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, divided
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tbsp instant decaffeinated coffee granules, divided
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup milk
• 5 tbsp butter melted
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup boiling water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven at 350 F.
  
• Grease an 8 inch round cake pan.
• In a bowl, combine flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon coffee granules, baking powder and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon.
  
• In another bowl, beat milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until blended.
• Add flour mixture and stir till combined.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan.
  
• Combine remaining sugar, cocoa and coffee granules in a third bowl. Sprinkle over cake batter.
  
• Pour boiling water over sugar/cocoa/coffee mixture.
  
• Bake for 20 minutes or less: A wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean.
  
• Cool before inverting on a plate.
  
• Serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
  

Keyword chocolate, Chocolate cake,, Chocolate dessert,