No-Fuss Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake takes the shortcut approach and runs with it. Cake mix, instant chocolate pudding, eggs, oil, and water get mixed directly in the baking pan with a fork. No bowls, no mixer, no mess. Scatter chocolate chips on top and the oven does the rest.

The instant pudding mix is what makes this different from a standard box cake. It adds moisture and density to the crumb, so the cake comes out fudgy and rich rather than light and fluffy. Combined with the melted chocolate chips studded throughout, every bite delivers chocolate from three sources.

Serve it warm with a dollop of whipped topping. No frosting needed because the cake is moist and intense enough on its own.

Kitchen Tips

• Mix thoroughly with the fork, getting into the corners and edges of the pan. Unmixed dry pockets will bake into chalky spots.
• The oil spread on the bottom of the pan serves double duty: it greases the pan AND gets mixed into the batter.
• Check at 35 minutes. The pudding mix keeps the center very moist, so a few damp crumbs on a toothpick are fine. Overbaking dries it out.
• Serve warm, not hot. Give it 10 minutes to cool so the chocolate chips set slightly.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter contrast.
• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso to the dry mix to deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Swap the whipped topping for a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a warm-cold combo.