Layered Chocolate Cake

A recipe for chocoholics, this was found in the 2008 cookbook, Taste of Home Baking Classics. Preparation time include neither the time needed for the cake to cool before slicing it into layers, nor the time needed for the pudding mixture to cool.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) package  German chocolate cake mix
• 1 1⁄3 cups water
• 3  eggs
• 1⁄3 cup canola oil
• 1 (3 ounce) package vanilla pudding mix (cook-and-serve)
• 1  teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2  cups milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar
• 3  tablespoons  baking cocoa
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then grease a 15"x10" baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, water, eggs & oil until well combined.
3. Pour into the prepared pan & bake 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
5. In a large saucepan, combine pudding mix, gelatin & milk, cooking according to the package directions for pudding. Cool.
6. When cake has cooled, cut it into three 10"x5" rectangles, placing one on a serving platter & spreading half of the pudding mixture over the top of it. Repeat this layering, then top that off with the 3rd layer of cake.
7. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter until fluffy, then beat in the sugar & cocoa & then the vanilla until smooth.
8. Frost top & sides of the cake. Store in the refrigerator.