CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE from Pretty.Simple.Sweet.

This comes from Pretty.Simple.Sweet. My only complaint is that the pudding part is very bitter from way too much cocoa powder. It only needed no more than half the amount called for but I stuck with the recipe and used the full amount. I shouldn't have and I'm ticked at myself. I've been making these cakes for 15 years and have had to adjust the amount of cocoa most of the time.

I used half the amount of vanilla and it was enough. The full recipe called for almost one tablespoon (2/3 of one, anyway.) I like the combination of both brown and white sugar in the pudding and for that reason alone I'll make this again. The amount of salt and cocoa in the cake was perfect and I added a pinch to the pudding mixture too since I always do. I put my piece of cake upside down in the bowl so you could see the pudding and I always eat it with vanilla ice cream.

I grade this an A- and not an A solely because of too much cocoa in the pudding.