I followed the recipe as written, except I substituted garlic salt when I seasoned the meat initially. I used regular salt for the gravy. I also used canola oil, since I made 12 servings and don't keep that much lard around. I don't know if it was a function of making so many servings, or if maybe I am just heavy-handed when it comes to seasoning, but I used way more than 3 times the amount of salt and pepper for the initial seasoning. I think each piece is 12 Weight-Watcher points, for those of us who are counting, but everybody LOVED it.

Reviewed On: Jul. 19, 2010

My 16 y/o daughter makes this all the time - it is extremely simple. We do follow the recipe exactly and the results are consistently wonderful. The fudge is smeary-creamy smooth. We have also added melted chocolate chips to the top after the fudge cools and that is also a big hit. Thanks for a great and foolproof recipe!

Reviewed On: Jul. 5, 2007

I have made this recipe four times as written except I just added canned whipped cream on each piece when I served it. I read others' concerns about the cake being too dense to absorb all the liquid and made sure to sift the flour and baking powder and that helped a lot. Also, I softened the unsalted butter on the counter just a little before I whipped it with the sugar and that cut down on some of my prep time - it still took a while to reach "light and fluffy." I would definitely make this cake a day ahead so it could sit in the fridge and get super cold and the flavors could marry. The cake as made should still have some liquid in the bottom of the pan. Thanks for the great recipe!

Reviewed On: Jul. 5, 2007