SLOW COOKER CHOCOLATE LAVA PUDDING CAKE

My friend Effie sent me this recipe several weeks ago. It sounded perfect since I have changed to the first shift at Hillcrest Thrift Shop. It could be cooking in the slow cooker while I was "working" and then would be ready for me to serve the volunteers at lunch. It smelled so good cooking. I could hardly wait for my shift to be over.

It is best served hot. You could set the temperature to Keep Warm if you weren't serving everyone at the same time. I used sugar free products to save on calories, but you don't have to. Effie didn't.

SLOW COOKER CHOCOLATE LAVA PUDDING CAKE

1         chocolate cake mix such as Devil's Food or Chocolate Fudge (I did use a sugar free Devil's food cake mix) + ingredients to mix 
1         large (6 - serving size) instant chocolate pudding (I used a sugar free one) + ingredients to mix
2        cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup semi-sweet and 1 cup dark chocolate chips)

Mix up the cake mix following the instructions on the box. 

Pour into the bottom of a 6 - quart slow cooker. (I sprayed the bottom and sides with cooking spray.)

Mix the pudding following the directions on the package.

Spread over the cake batter. (Do not mix)

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.

Cover and bake on LOW for 3 hours or until cake is set and the pudding is beginning to bubble out of the cake. (I like to start cooking anything in the slow cooker on HIGH to begin. So I cooked it for 1 hour on HIGH and then 2 and a half hours on LOW.)

Dip out with a large spoon. Serve warm.