Not-So-Velvet Chocolate Trifle

It seemed like a good idea - Chocolate Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Butter Pecan Frosting - a clipping from Southern Living 2003.  I needed a baked item for a school function, but sometimes things don't go as planned.

And so we began ...

Chocolate Velvet Cake

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 cup hot water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave at 30-second intervals until melted, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir until smooth.

In a large mixer bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar at medium speed for about 5 minutes or until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add melted chocolate, beating until blended.

At this point, I just wanted to grab a spoon and pull up a chair.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mix.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.

Gradually add hot water in a slow, steady stream, continuing on low speed until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Spoon batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until it tests done.

Now, if by chance you forget to add the last two ingredients, a.k.a., hot water and vanilla, and the batter is already in the oven happily baking away, then this comes out of your cake pans ...

As it turned out, the crumbled heap of cake had the consistency of a brownie and actually tasted pretty good.  So, plan B kicked in ...

2 small packages white chocolate instant pudding

8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup Heath English Toffee Bits

Mix instant pudding with milk according to package directions.  Let sit for a few minutes then fold in whipped topping.  In a large bowl layer crumbled "brownies" alternately with pudding mix, two layers of each.  Sprinkle toffee bits on top.

And there you have it ... a Not-So-Velvet Chocolate Trifle.

Although not what I intended to finish with, it turned out to be a decent finish after all.  The school function got another dish and this one stayed at home where it was enjoyed by all.

I'm still going to make that Chocolate Velvet Cake.


Linked at Trick or Treat Tuesdays ...