Chocolate Slush Cake Recipe - Version 2.0

Last June, I wrote a blog and released a YouTube video about a summertime treat from my childhood - Chocolate Slush Cake. In the post and the video, I pointed out that this isn't the healthiest recipe because it contains some processed foods like instant pudding and Cool Whip, so this isn't a dessert I would recommend having more than every once in a while. And still, I received a comment gently chastizing me for sharing a processed food recipe on my "holistic" site.

At first, this irritated me. I eat very healthy, most of the time. When I have a sweet treat, I try to keep it homemade or high quality. But one of the messages I was trying to share is that there is no shame in occasionally indulging in something not-so-great-for-you, simply because it's delicious, and in my example, also brings with it wonderful childhood memories. Healthy living should not be an exercise in deprivation, but instead it should be about intentional choices and moderation.

However, it did get me thinking. The only two processed ingredients in the recipe are the pudding and the Cool Whip. At the time when I made the original dessert, I had never made a homemade pudding before. However, since then, I have tried it and found it easy and delicious.

Here is to letting a commenter lead me to create a less processed version of my favorite childhood dessert!

Watch Me Make It

The Original Recipe (13x9 pan)

Crust

1 cup flour (make this GF by using a GF all-purpose flour)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

-Combine until crumbly like sand. Pat into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the fridge. It has to be cold before you can spread the next layer on top of it.

Layer 1

8oz cream cheese, room temp

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 -1 cup Cool Whip [replace with freshly whipped cream]

-Combine and spread over the crust.

Layer 2 [replace with 3+ cups homemade pudding pie filling]

2 pkgs instant pudding mix

3 cups milk

-Combine until thickened. Spread over layer 1.

Layer 3

The remainder of the 8oz container of Cool Whip [replace with freshly whipped cream]

Chopped nuts/mini chips/any other garnish that sounds good to you

-Top the slush cake with the remaining Cool Whip. Garnish as desired.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving, but it's even better if you make it the day before.

The Homemade Substitution Recipes

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 vanilla extract

-Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (3-5 minutes). Use some of this for layer 1. Refrigerate the rest until you are ready for layer 3.

Pudding Pie Filling (I decided to take it up a notch and made Espresso Chocolate Pudding)

This recipe comes from a chocolate pie recipe I found. You can see that recipe HERE.

1/3 cup corn starch

2 TBSP dark cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, organic if you can find them

2 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tsp vanilla extract

-Mix cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

-In a medium saucepan, combine cream, milk, sugar, and chocolate chips. Cook over low-medium heat until the chocolate melts. Stir constantly.

-Remove from heat. Take 1 cup of the warm liquid and whisk it into the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth.

-Return the 'dry' ingredients to the saucepan.

-Return the saucepan to heat and continue to cook, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. Cook for 4-5 minutes until it pudding is thick and coats a spoon.

-Remove from the heat and add in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature.

-Spread the pudding over the first layer of the slush cake, cover with plastic (let the plastic wrap touch the pudding to avoid skin. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for several hours (5-6) before adding the final layer of whipped cream.

Summary

Holy cow, this dessert was super yummy!!! However, it is important to note that it also took me at least triple the amount of time to make the scratch version than the original. There are a couple of reasons for this.

• Of course, while making homemade whipped cream is not difficult, it does take longer than opening a tub of Cool Whip.

• The pudding layer is not hard to make, but it takes more time to make than instant pudding.

• There was more refrigeration time. In addition to chilling the crust, layer two needs to be chilled before adding layer three, and then layer three needs to be chilled before adding the final layer of whipped cream. There was a lot more waiting time between layers.

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