Fudge Dessert Cakes

Two versions of serve-right-away dessert cakes that bake with their own sauce in the pan bottom.

I remember my mom making one of these the we were kids, and Diane really liked it because it was sweet and chocolate! Mom  preferred plain scones or pound cake or yellow custard to saucy chocolate desserts, and didn't make it again. Years later somebody submitted a cake recipe like this to a grocery chain's original recipe competition and won! The prize recipe was distributed as a boxed frozen dessert in all their stores. My mom tried it and said, "Didn't I make this once?"

9" Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake

1. Grease a 9" square pan with butter.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. Cream together:

• 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp. butter

4. In a separate bowl, stir together:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups pre-sifted white flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp cocoa

5. Mix the cocoa mixture into the creamed sugar and butter.
6. Spread the batter into the greased pan. Set aside.

7. In a separate bowl, mix:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa

8. Sprinkle the sugar/cocoa mixture over the batter.
9. Over top, pour but do not mix in:

• 3 cups boiling water

10. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven 35-40 minutes.
11. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

8" Hot Fudge Pudding Dessert

Serves 8.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1-3/4 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, stir together: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt.
3. Pour in milk and butter, add nuts (if using) and stir.
4. Spread the thick batter over the bottom of a nonstick 8" square cake pan.
5. Mix the brown sugar and cocoa together and sprinkle over the batter.
6. Pour the boiling water evenly over the surface but don't mix it into the batter.
7. Bake in 350 degree oven 30 minutes or until puffed and bubbly.
8. Serve immediately with the sauce that forms in the pan bottom and ice cream or whipped cream,