Easy No-Frost Pudding Cake

I’m pretty easy to please.

I appreciate the simple things in life: a warm fire, fuzzy socks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and naps on rainy days.  I like lounging on the beach, plain noodles, and walks through the neighborhood. There is a unique beauty in things that are simple, straightforward, and satisfying because of their simplicity. 

That sounded really deep considering this relates to the cake I made for you.  But seriously though, this cake is one of the easiest things I have ever made.  It is simple, yet satisfying in every way.  It’s nice and chocolatey, but not overly rich and sweet.  It is one of those things that’s best enjoyed in big pieces and served with a tall glass of milk.

I would encourage each of you to take a little break from the stress of daily life and take some time and enjoy the simple things.  Go take a walk outside and appreciate the birds chirping and the beautiful fall leaves.  Reread that book you’ve read over a dozen times.  Do a jigsaw puzzle.  Drink some tea or hot apple cider.  Whatever it is, take some time for the simple things in life.  Because more often than not, those are the things that bring us the most joy.

What you need:

1 (3.75 oz) package chocolate pudding (must be the cook and serve kind NOT instant)

            Note: I bought a 5 oz package, so I just eyeballed about 2/3 of the powder and used that. I combined the rest of the pudding with one cup of milk and saved that as a snack for later.

2 C milk

1 pckage chocolate cake mix

1 C chocolate chips

Chopped nuts, optional

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 cake pan.

Combine pudding and milk in saucepan and heat over medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens and boils.

Remove from heat and stir in cake mix.  The batter will be thick.

Spread batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.  Add nuts if desired.  Don't worry if the batter is spread thin.  It will puff up like a charm in the oven.  

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  See, look how much better that looks. 

You can really use any combination of pudding, cake flavor, and toppings.  A good variation is to use a German Chocolate cake mix with coconut and pecans on the top. One time my mom used a butterscotch pudding and spice cake mix and sprinkled nuts on the top.  You don't even have to put anything on top- it just looks nicer.