Crock Pot Hot Fudge Cake...really, in the crock pot!

Okay, so I was perusing my “Light” Crock Pot cookbook for about the 100th time, looking for something new to try and spending most of my time in the dessert chapter, stuck on a recipe for Hot Fudge Cake, huh? Love Hot Fudge, love cake, but no way in a crock pot? My craving for something chocolaty got the better of me, so I gave it a try last weekend.

Friends – try this, try it now! Amazing, decadent, delicious, ooey, gooey and satisfied everything I needed in the chocolate department. Had to share…according to the book, credit must be given to an Evelyn in Greeley, CO...Evelyn, I love you!

Hot Fudge Cake, 8 servings

1 3/4 cups brown sugar, divided
1 cup flour
3 tbsp, plus 1/4 cup, unsweetened cocoa, divided (I used Hershey's)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup skim milk (I replaced with Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Milk)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups boiling water

1. Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt.
2. Stir milk, butter, and vanilla into dry ingredients.
3. Spray crock pot w/non stick cooking spray, pour batter into crock pot.
4. In separate bowl, mix together the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over batter in crock pot.
Do not stir.
5. Pour the boiling water over mixture. Do not stir.
6. Cover, cook on high 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours, or until toockpick inserted in cake comes out clean.

I used a larger, oval shaped crock pot. Took about an hour 45 to finish, and by some sort of amazing crock pot magic, the cake baked perfectly...and then I discovered this awesome hot fudge goodness somehow appeared underneath the cake. I figured I'd screwed it up, why is the cake floating on something? But when cut, and removed from pot, there was this yummy fudgy sauce underneath to be scooped and globbed on top of each piece.

Cake was about 1 inch thick, since I have an oval pot, I first cut into 4, and then cut each in half...most were triangle/pie shaped and pretty substantial portions, could probably have been cut into 10 or 12, but I was too much of a gluttonous piggy for such nonsense.

Super easy to put together and then just let it go on the counter...but you do need to check on it and turn off when done. I just took the lid off and let it cool there. Also froze a few of pieces that have so far thawed and reheated great.

When I entered everything into MFP how I made it, the recipe calculated at 200 calories per serving.

The cookbook has it at 280 per serving, 3.5 total fat, 10mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 63g total carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 48g sugar, 3g protein, 0% vitamin A & C, 10% calcium, and 15% iron.

Was definitely a fun experiment, will absolutely make again, but not often...that kind of willpower has not yet been learned.
Even at 280, would still be worth the splurge!