YOU ASKED FOR IT

I am looking for a hot cocoa cake recipe.

Kim Odom, Odessa

Stacey Whalen of Plymouth, Minn., reads the column online and happens to have a recipe. Her version is called a hot chocolate cake. It's interesting because you use a packet of hot chocolate. This recipe was a bit of a challenge. It is not a difficult recipe to make, but trying to find the appropriate pan was hard. The recipe calls for a 6-cup Bundt pan. If you own a Bundt pan, it is more than likely a 10- or 12-cup. I could only find online sources for the smaller version and therefore had to use my 12-cup and make some adjustments. It will work with a 12-cup pan, but it will be very thin. Delicious and presentable, but thin. The recommended baking time in Stacey's recipe is 35 minutes. I shortened it by 5 minutes baking for 30 minutes with a nice, tender result. Stacey also suggests that to change up the recipe a bit, add a half a cup of chopped nuts with the packet of hot chocolate. Serve with a hot mug of cocoa.

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Recipes tested by Times correspondent Ellen Folkman unless otherwise noted. Send requests to You Asked For It, P.O. Box 1159, Crystal Beach, FL 34681 or e-mail youaskedforit@tampabay.rr.com. Include your name, city and phone number.

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EASY

Hot Chocolate Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup milk

1 envelope instant hot chocolate without marshmallows

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, beat shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla until mixture is fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing until just combined after each addition. Spoon half of batter into a well-greased 6-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle hot chocolate mix evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining batter and spread evenly in the pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and then turn onto serving plate. Serve warm or allow to cool and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Serves 8 to 10.

Recipe submitted by Stacey Whalen