Chocolate Chip Crunch Cake (New and Improved!)

When I was eating my second piece of Sour Cream Hazelnut Bundt Cake, I was thinking, This cake reminds me of something. Naturally, I had to have a third piece to be sure.

"Chocolate Chip Crunch Cake" was one of my favorite desserts growing up. My mom took a Pillsbury recipe around 1970, adjusted it a little to her taste, and voila - a Younce classic! It's a basic 2-egg white cake sprinkled with a topping of brown sugar, melted butter, nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. While the cake cooks, the brown sugar and marshmallows make a topping that is both gooey and crunchy, while the sugary nuts and chocolate chips create luscious sinkholes throughout, and you just pray to be lucky enough to get a few in your piece.You really live for the sinkholes because the rest of the cake is totally dry, and you need a very tall glass of milk with each piece. Until now, my friends.

I realized that the Sour Cream Bundt cake had just the right vanilla flavor, and a waaaay better texture - so dense and moist! - and would be the PERFECT replacement in this favorite of mine.

So here it is, my Mom's improved classic, improved upon. Whether my kids like it or not, now that it's perfect, this is going to continue to be passed on as a family classic. Yay - I have made a tradition!

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (16 oz.) carton fat-free sour cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 T melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, and/or hazelnuts)

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream; beat until well blended.

3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.

4. Create topping. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows in a small bowl. Snitch a taste - this topping is delicious! Use your hand to sprinkle topping evenly over cake. Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Burn your tongue having your first bite because you just can't wait for it to cool.