Not particularly humid. I would say average. I just made it yesterday, and it was a fairly nice day. I am guessing the crystalization of the powdered sugar has something to do with they process.... ie... Heating the chocolate too much before adding the sugar, or... Heating the chocolate and sugar mixture too much.... or... not heating the chocolate and sugar enough. The "Heat just a little" part of my mom's recipe has always been the most vague to me.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake * Prep Time: 10 mins * Total Time: 50 mins * Servings: 8 About This Recipe "Magically making its own fudge sauce this cake will become one of your favorite last-minute desserts. Serve it with ice cream for an extra special treat. Note: if you use a dutch process cocoa you will have a richer, darker result. TIP: some reviewers have recommended "baking" this in a crock pot on High for about 2 1/2 hours and then letting it cool slightly before serving. Thanks for the tip!" Ingredients 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided 1 cup all-purpose flour 7 tablespoons cocoa, divided 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup butter or 1/3 cup margarine, melted 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 1/4 cups water, hot whipped topping Directions Heat oven to 350'F. In medium bowl stir together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 3 Tbs. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Pour batter into 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. In separate bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top; do not stir. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes; spoon into dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. Garnish with whipped topping. This is one of my favorite chocolate cakes. Sue

Trisha Yearwood was on Rachael Ray on Tuesday and here is her recipe and Garth's favorite cake. It will be in her; Trisha's new cook book Trisha Yearwood's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Frosting Ingredients 4 ounces sweet dark chocolate (see Shopping Hint below) 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup warm milk 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 medium egg whites 2 cups sugar 5 medium egg yolks, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken For the coconut frosting: 1 cup sugar 4 medium egg yolks 1 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut 1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds Yields: 12 servings Preparation Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottoms only of three 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt. Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside. In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well. With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting. To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note below). Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake. Note: You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake easily. Shopping Hint: For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the chocolate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com. Choose La Equatoriale  Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your friends who bake.

Sounds very much like a cake my grandmother used to make. I know lots of people who add coffee to their chocolate cake...I have even used cold coffee to a box mix and loved the result. Linda C