Chocolate Lover's Bundt Cake

The little man had a daycare picnic this week, and we were supposed to bring a dessert. Which was convenient, because if there's anything the little man loves, it's dessert.

This tried-and-true Betty Crocker recipe is perfect for picnics because it travels well, doesn't need to be refrigerated, and sure is purty. It's a cinch to make -- just to be sure to grease that ol' Bundt pan very well, and get in all the nooks and crannies.

Chocolate Lover's Bundt Cake
Serves 16

Cake
1 pkg. butter-recipe chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. chocolate milk
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding mix
2 c. chocolate chips

Glaze
3/4 c. chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

I read a tip once about how if you're making a chocolate cake, you can grease and flour the pan using cocoa instead of flour, to avoid any unsightly flour streaks on the lovely, brown surface of your cake. I tried this. Cocoa just doesn't seem to sweep around the pan like flour does, so I gave up and switched to flour. Just thought I'd mention that. Carry on.

2. Combine cake mix, chocolate milk, butter, eggs, sour cream, and pudding mix.

Although you can use a mixer for this task, it's just as easy to grab a whisk and stir everything together. That allows you to multitask and talk on the phone while baking your cake. Note that this sequence of events does not, however, allow you to photograph the cake-mixing process. My apologies.

3. Stir in chocolate chips, and spoon batter evenly into Bundt pan.

4. Bake cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the trusty toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert the pan onto a cooling rack or serving plate, and remove cake from pan. Cool for 2 hours.

5. To make glaze, heat chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until mixture is smooth, and then pour over the cake.

Feel free to store this baby, covered, at room temperature. And while it's heavenly when it's all nice and warm, it's even better the next day!