Killer Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake

Sometimes you need a quick chocolate fix and only a gooey, fudgey, dark, down and dirty chocolate cake will do. So I'm going to share one of my favorite, never fail antidotes for chocolate angst. This absolutely killer recipe comes from Kraft foods and contains three of the staples of what I like to call church lady cooking; cake mix, Jello pudding, and Cool Whip.

And the frosting is so good and easy you might want to make it your "default" chocolate frosting recipe. (I hate to admit it, but sometimes I keep a tub of it in the freezer to use in case of an "emergency," and find myself eating it out of the container with a spoon!)

Not the fanciest chocolate cake in the pantry, but it's so simple and so tasty I almost guarantee you'll make it again. (And BTW, if you tell anyone you got this recipe from me and ruin my reputation as a bona-fide scratch cook, I'll hunt you down like a dog.)

KILLER CHOCOLATE FUDGE LAYER CAKE

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 package Jello Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup water
2 1-ounce squares semisweet baking chocolate
Sliced almonds for garnish

Frosting: (Good for ANY chocolate cake)

6 1-ounce squares semisweet baking chocolate
1 16-ounce (or 2 8-ounce) tub Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or prepare with baking spray) 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Stir in 2 squares (2 ounces) of the chocolate, chopped. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 t0 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Place remaining 6 squares (6 ounces) of chocolate and Cool Whip in microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir until blended and shiny. Cool. (It will be liquid at first. I put it into the freezer until it returns to the consistency of Cool Whip.) Place cake layer on serving plate, spread with 1/4 of the chocolate mixture. Place second layer on top. Spread remaining chocolate mixture over top and sides of cake. Garnish with almonds.

Note: If you want to lighten up the recipe, you can use fat free sour cream, fat free whipped topping, and even sugar free pudding mix, but I say, why bother.