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Simply The Best Chocolate Cake

Read Reviews (10)

"Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!!!" — christine

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 1 - 9 x 13 inch sheet cake Change Servings

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
2 cups milk
1 (5 ounce) package chocolate pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

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Directions

Prepare pudding mix in a 2 quart saucepan as directed on box, using 2 cups milk. Stir dry cake mix into hot pudding. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread batter into a 9 x 13 inch ungreased pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched.

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My 15-month-old daughter is allergic to eggs. We bake a lot of cakes and cookies with my three-year-old, so I have searched for easy, eggless recipes that actually have a decent texture and taste good. Not easy! This recipe is just what we needed. It makes a nice, dense pudding style cake. Not light and fluffy, but heavy and chocolatey. (No crunchy edges and wet middles like when we try egg replacements that don't bind well.) One hint: use smaller chips than the large "chunks" I tried the first time. Also, instant pudding will work if you don't have cook & serve -- just heat on stove. REVISED: If you are allergic to eggs, I would no longer recommend this recipe. There have been too many recalls of commercial cake and pudding mixes. Search some of my other reviews for alternatives. If allergies aren't a concern, then this recipe is an easy way to get a dense, pudding-style cake.

—TIA

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 12, 2006

I had not read the four reviews before I made this cake. But,I was in a hurry and when I started puting it together I thought that it might need oil and an egg. So I added those. And the instant pudding did not have to be cooked,so I just put it in with the cake mix. Then I baked it in a 12 inch cake pan and added pecans,brown sugar,and cinnamon on top that I had from another cake.After baking I put home made vanilla iceing on top. My husband said it just might be the best chocolate cake that he has eaten.I'm glad I experimented. It probably wouldn't have turned out as well without the oil and egg.

—City Girl

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14 Ratings

Jul 23, 2003

This is quick and easy and good but not "simply the best" chocolate cake recipe. I've made it in a 9x9 for a thicker cake.

—schmerna

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Apr 08, 2007

This is a recipe I have been using for years (minus the pecans because of a nut allergy) due to my husband's egg allergy. My husband would give it 5 stars. If you can have eggs, the cake might leave you a little unimpressed, but it's still good and it's easy to make (hence the 4 star rating). It's even better when you frost it with chocolate or caramel frosting. It's important to note that you really do have to mix the instant pudding with the milk before adding it to the cake mix and the cake comes out better if you let the instant pudding set first (5 minutes in the fridge is sufficient). You do not need to cook the pudding for this to work. I have used similar recipes with yellow cake and vanilla pudding, carrot cake with vanilla pudding (I added a couple spices to the pudding), and pineapple upside down cake (the yellow cake & vanilla with a little pineapple juice added) just to name a few. The cakes turn out well for the most part and are very dense and moist -- good for sheet cakes, but not for layer cakes. My oven always seems to take a longer time to cook than stated in recipes, so i use the toothpick test to know when the cake is ready. This is an easy cake to make with only a few ingredients if you have someone in your family with an egg allergy.

—Amanda123

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Dec 04, 2009

So quick and easy and so chocolatey! I've been making this for years but I save the chocolate chips (I use a whole bag) and nuts and pour them on top of the cake batter after I have poured it into the pan. Just press them down to lock them in place. It's a great cake to bring to cookout or pot luck dinner.

—Irene

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Nov 26, 2007

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes when I'm short on time &/or energy :) I got this out of my TOH mag years ago, & have made it numerous times. There are a couple of differences though, my recipe uses instant pudding, a whole bag of chips, & calls for a 10 x 15 pan. For so few ingredients & so little time to prepare, this recipe rocks!

—MAJEC

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Feb 11, 2005

this was absolutely dissapointing. The cake didn't rise, it was super dense.

—ANGELAKOMLJENOVIC

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May 03, 2007

loved it...nice to eat so much chocolate!!!

—littlecat26

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Nutrition

Calories
255 kcal
13%

Carbohydrates
36 g
12%

Cholesterol
2 mg
< 1%

Fat
12.7 g
20%

Fiber
2.2 g
9%

Protein
3.8 g
8%

Sodium
277 mg
11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Simply The Best Chocolate Cake

Serving Size: 1/18 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 18
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 255
Calories from Fat: 115

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12.7g 20 %
Saturated Fat 3.4g 17 %
Cholesterol 2mg < 1 %
Sodium 277mg 11 %
Potassium 213mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 36g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 2.2g 9 %
Protein 3.8g 8 %
Sugars 21g
Vitamin A 1 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 11 %
Iron 19 %
Thiamin 11 %
Niacin 11 %
Vitamin B6 2 %
Magnesium 14 %
Folate 12 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.