Rocky Road Crock Pot Cake

Original Recipe found at: http://blessthisfood.blogspot.com/2010/11/rocky-road-crock-pot-cake.html

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-oz.) package chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix 
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional - I didn't put them in)
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chocolate morsels (I used milk chocolate)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)


Directions:

1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer (used my Kitchen Aid) 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
2. Mix in the cook and serve pudding mix with the remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
3. Slowly pour hot milk and pudding mixture over cake batter in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
4. (optional if using pecans) Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted.


Hot Mama's Notes:
I incorporated the Bless This Food blogger's recipe updates into the original recipe.  I made the recipe as listed above.  It was good.  Very gooey.  :)  I think next time I will try using vanilla pudding mixes for both the instant and cook and serve pudding types.  Still, I bet it is good no matter what type of pudding you use.  I used milk chocolate chips instead of the semisweet listed in the original recipe because I prefer milk chocolate.  I also used devil's food cake mix.  And my miniature marshmallows were the rainbow kind, so that was a nice touch of color.  :)


The top picture is the picture I took of my crock pot cake.  The second picture is taken from the link listed above. 


I made this cake on the same day as the General Tso's chicken.  I was feeling ambitious!