Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine













Hot Cocoa Pudding Cake Recipe

3 cups flour

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup oil

4 1/2 ounce squares of bittersweet chocolate chopped

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt





1 batch of chocolate pudding any box kind you like to package instructions cooled





Garnish :





Whipping cream sweetened with 1 tablespoon sugar and whipped

Cocoa powder put through a fine mesh sieve

Cookie cutter in the shape of a tree

Sliced almonds tinted green using two drops green food coloring a 1 teaspoon water soaked and blotted dry

dried cranberries for the lights on the tree

assorted sugar decorations for the tree ( I used wiltons)

Hot fudge in a jar

Rolo wrapped candy for the base





In a large saucepan add the butter, oil, chocolate with 1 cup water, heat until melted.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar and cocoa powder. Pour the mixture of chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk together.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl whisking in the eggs in one at a time just until all blended.

Pour into heavily greased pans of your choice, I used a 13x9 pan and left the cake in the pan . Bake at 350 preheated oven until middle springs back or use the toothpick method around 30 minutes. Cool completely on wired rack if using two 9 inch rounds or other cake pan that you will need to remove the cakes from.





In the meantime tint the sliced almonds. Make the whipped cream and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Put pudding on top of cooled cake,( if your using two rounds then it goes in between the layers.)

Frost with whipped cream.



Center the cookie cutter in the middle, add the sliced tinted green almonds and trim with dried cranberries and assorted sugar decorations.





Drizzle the top with hot fudge topping and dust with cocoa powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

No matter what kind of design I put on this cake underneath better be chocolate. That's what is expected every time I make a cake. I use a cookie cutter to design whatever theme is going on. This time is a Holiday Christmas cake. Just think of all the possibilities you can do to design your cake to whatever theme is going on. A delicious cake you will make time and time again. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!