Equipment Needed
- 9×13 inch baking dish (glass or ceramic is ideal)
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
- Oven
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grab your 9×13 dish. There’s no need to grease it—the butter in the recipe takes care of that. Now, for the infamous “dump.” In your large bowl, combine the dry cake mix and the dry instant pudding mix. Whisk them together thoroughly. This isn’t just mixing; you’re ensuring every future bite has that perfect marriage of cakey and pudding flavors. I learned this the hard way when I didn’t whisk enough and got a pocket of plain pudding mix that never fully integrated. Once combined, slowly pour in the cold milk. Start whisking immediately. You’ll see the dry ingredients drink up the milk and transform into a thick, glossy, irresistible chocolate batter. The smell at this stage is already promising.
Pour this luxurious batter directly into your waiting baking dish. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl clean and spread the batter into a mostly even layer. It will be quite liquid, and that’s exactly what you want. Now, here comes the second “dump.” Evenly sprinkle the entire cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the surface of the batter. Don’t stir them in! Let them rest on top like little chocolate islands. As the cake bakes, they will partially sink, creating delicious pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the layers.
The final step is what creates the magical top layer. Take your melted butter and, in a slow, steady stream, drizzle it evenly over the entire surface of the batter and chocolate chips. I like to use a spoon to help distribute it. Do not stir. This is crucial. The butter will pool and seep down through the chips and batter, and in the oven’s heat, it will fry the top layer of cake mix just enough to create that iconic, craggy, crisp-top texture. It feels wrong to just pour butter on top, but trust me, this is the alchemy.(See the next page below to continue…)