Chocolate Pudding Cake

I love chocolate but chocolate cake is not my favorite thing on the dessert menu. I find it to be too dry and prefer a yellow cake with chocolate ganche instead of a ordinary chocolate cake. Well, if all chocolate cakes were as rich and good as this one I might change my mind. But then again, I wouldn’t call this a cake in the traditional sense–it’s more like a souffle because it’s super light and airy but dense with rich, chocolate flavor at the same time.

I’ve made a few chocolate cakes/cupcakes and I have never really been thrilled with them. I think I can nail a good chocolate ganche frosting but the cakes, while good, are just never really the home run I’ve been hoping for. But this one I was really, really pleased with. It came out just like I imagined it would! It was super simple and straightforward and I’m proud to say I did not have one kitchen related meltdown or even feel a tinge of baking stress while working on this cake. And from someone who stresses out wayyyy too much in the kitchen, that means this recipe is sure to be a complete no-brainer to all the mellow Martha Stewart-like bakers out there.

Double Chocolate Fudge Cake

First of all, I have to say that I am not a big chocolate cake fan. I love chocolate anything except cake. I would rather have a good red velvet or even vanilla cake before I’d want a chocolate cake. Chocolate in the form of a cake just doesn’t do it for me the way a good old-fashioned chocolate bar does. It’s probably the same reason why I love grapes but hate grape flavored anything or why I hate cherries but love anything cherry flavored.

So now that you know that this cake wasn’t my favorite thing that I’ve ever made, I have to say it was pretty darn good for a chocolate cake. All of the chocolate lovers in my family loved it and they are some tough chocolate critics.

Making the frosting!

I got the recipe from Ina Garten who always seems to know what she’s doing with a cake. Or anything. Ina’s always so cool and calm in the kitchen–the complete opposite of me. She talks about how Jeffrey lovesssssss everything she makes. How is that possible? Does he not have any opinions? Or taste buds? I’m sorry–either Jeffrey is a freak or he is terrified of pissing off Ina…who knows what’s below her tranquil cooking exterior. I’m probably just a little bit jealous that people I make food for, have a plethora of things they won’t eat, can’t eat, hate, really hate, etc.

ANYWAY. The cake. Once again, excuse the photos. This cake is huuuuuuge. You can cut the recipe in half and still have enough to feed all of the Kardashians. It was fairly simple and the end result was amazing.

I think a big reason for this cake’s success was using the fresh cocoa powder from Whole Foods. It made such a huge difference compared to other chocolate baked goods I’ve made with run-of-the mill cocoa powder. I can never go back to my old cocoa powder ways after this…

Would it be wrong to have a slice now for breakfast!?