Double Chocolate Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Decadence: A literary movement especially of late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations.

This post is about true decadence and self-indulgence. A Tough one for me to pander to, especially when it comes to food; my indulgences are more often to do with clothes and shoes or travel J and that usually leaves me feeling content enough and rejuvenated. There are very few food items that make me feel indulgent- Cookies and Cream ice-cream, being one and variety in food, of course. For Ak however, it’s simple- All it takes is a piece of chocolate. Anything brown is sufficient to coddle the taste buds. Come sickness or health, good times or bad- a piece of chocolate caters to all moods.

About a week back, my sis-in-law and the nieces sent me a recipe for a double chocolate fudge cake, as a must-do for Ak. They had tested it out- and of course, had loved it; hence the recommendation. The cake recipe is a mix of coffee and chocolate, and it seemed to me as the perfect end to a weekend. Thus, I began the act of indulgence- post dinner, on a Sunday night. To give me company in the act, Ak tried out the Manhattan Cocktail. To coincide with the really hot summer day, Brown became the colour of the evening.

A couple of really wonderful things about the recipe; it is literally a 1 pan and 1 cup task, it is eggless, the blend of coffee and chocolate is perfect etc. Last but not the least, I think it would be a great dessert serving for a larger gathering, if done in individual portions- I may try that soon. It really is so simple, that at moments like this I realize- simple pleasures in life are not tough to achieve.

The recipe makes 9 servings- tough for 3 people to polish off. I halved the ingredients for my version, however, I am putting down the complete recipe (for 9 servings) here.

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoons salt

½ cup chocolate or regular milk

2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup walnuts or pecans (toasted if desired)

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup baking cocoa

1 ¾ cup hot strong brewed coffee or hot water

Ice cream to serve with if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C. In an ungreased 9 inch square pan, mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add the milk,  butter and vanilla and mix with a fork. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Sprinkle with brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa. Pour hot coffee evenly over batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is dry. Cool 10 minutes. Spoon warm cake into dishes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desirable. Top with the sauce from the pan if desired.