Dear reader, have I astounded you beyond expression at my weekly culinary find? Yes there is cake, there is pudding and why not, let's throw hot fudge into the mix. If one must indulge, it is best to do it without any reservation whatsoever. Therefore this simple but exhilaratingly satisfying pudding can be made within an hour and can sit majestically on your dinner table shocking your dinnertime guests into an astonished silence of culinary amazement. The hot fudge pudding cake must be introduced to your family and friends immediately. Enjoy. 

Ingredients 

· 1 cup all-purpose flour 
· 2 teaspoons baking powder 
· 3/4 cup white sugar 
· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 
· 1/4 teaspoon salt 
· 1/2 cup milk 
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted 
· 1 cup chopped cashew nuts 
· 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
· 1 cup brown sugar 
· 1 ¾ cups of hot water 

Method 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. 

Stir in milk and butter until smooth. 

Fold in cashew nuts until just combined. 

Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan. 

Mix 1/4 cup cocoa and brown sugar in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture on top of the batter. 

Pour hot water over the batter. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the center of the cake is almost set, about 45 minutes. Brown sugar, cocoa, and hot water will combine to form a chocolate sauce that will settle to the bottom of the cake during baking. 

Best served warm. 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe