Taste and See that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8) - UPDATED

I recently tasted a most amazing and wonderful cake. I've had wonderful cakes before, but this is possibly among the most delicious of my entire 42 years of life!

At work a couple of weeks ago, we all received an e-mail from Brad, one of our summer interns (a 19-year-old college student) saying his Mom had sent in cake in honor of his birthday. He said he had left some in the kitchens of every floor of our office. I immediately thought, "Wow! how nice...that's a lot of cake!" In an effort to "be good," I quickly decided to forego a trip to the nearest kitchen and resumed work on my task. Moments later, a co-worker of mine came bursting in saying "I brought you some of Brad's cake!" For a split second I was disappointed, but then quickly decided it was only right that I should partake. After all, she HAD made a special trip trip just to deliver the goods...it was such a kind gesture...how could I say no? ; )

Let me just say as soon as I took the first bite, I knew I was in trouble. Wow! In a matter of moments, the cake was gone and I was literally sad! It was that good! Soon thereafter, I saw Brad. I said..."that cake..." He just started smiling and nodding... "yes...I know." I decided to be bold..."Do you think I could get your Mom's recipe?" "Sure" he said. I walked away thinking I better start searching the Internet, because 19-years-olds have a lot more important things on their minds than recipes. After searching every conceivable description of the cake on Google, I gave up. Would you believe a couple of days later, he stopped by to see me...recipe in hand?! I was so impressed. My happiness spilled over when I looked at the recipe for "Brad's Cake" and realized that it was incredibly simple. I've already made it...twice! It's pretty much foolproof, and perfect for those times you need to whip up a quick dessert. In honor of your sweet friendship (and with Brad's blessing), I'm sharing this deliciousness with you! Enjoy!

1 white cake mix
1 can "Thank You" brand chocolate pudding
(I found this near the instant cheesecake mixes at our Kroger)
2 eggs

Combine these three items until smooth. (Batter will be thick) Spread in 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, combine:
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and chopped them very fine)

Once well blended, sprinkle over the cake batter. (There is enough to cover the top of the entire cake). Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. That's it!

(Variation: You can also use 1 box of yellow cake with butterscotch pudding and chips in place of chocolate.)


One other sweet blessing that came about because of this cake...I spent more time talking with Brad. I learned he is a Christian (which I should have suspected based on his demeanor around our office). He's a great guy. The Mom heart in me then thought of his Mom. I asked how she was doing with his fast-approaching return to college. He said, "She's doing well...she's quite a tough cookie." He then went on to tell me how she fought two different types of cancer during his high school years, and now is cancer free. She is considered quite a miracle. Her oncologist even nicknamed her, "Lazarus." Seeing her faith through such a difficult journey has obviously made quite an impact on this young man. His love and admiration for her is evident, as is his gratitude to the Great Physician who brought about her healing. I can't tell you how much that blessed this Mom's heart. Something tells me I'm going to think about Brad and his Mom each time I bake that cake, making it even sweeter than ever before.

UPDATE: I'm so sorry for those of you who haven't been able to find the canned pudding. Our local Kroger carries it, but I had to enlist the help of a manager in order to find it. My first suggestion would be to ask at the service desk, or ask a manager. (Only because I had looked so carefully and felt certain they didn't have it.) Another option is to try using chocolate pudding made from a mix, or better still, the predone style. (Thanks Elaine!) The can size is 15.75 ounces, so if you simply measure out about 16 ounces, it will be about the same amount in volume...I'm hopeful that it would still taste good, as well. (If you do try this option, would you let me know how it turns out?) One final option...here's a link where you can actually order the pudding online!