Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Cake
3⁄4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder plus extra for dusting pan
1⁄2 cup water, boiling
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or equal amount of chips
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped fine (optional)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1⁄2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Chocolate Glaze
3⁄4 cup half and half
1⁄4 cup light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or equal amount of chips
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 *F. Grease 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.
2. Pour boiling water over chocolate in medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk cocoa, flour, nuts (if using), powdered sugar, and salt in large bowl.
4. Beat eggs and vanilla in large measuring cup.
5. With mixer on medium-high speed, beat sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed add egg mixture until combined. Add chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
6. Scrap batter into prepared pan, smooth batter, and bake until edges are beginning to pull away from pan, about 45 minutes. (Due to the fudgy center, testing the cake with a toothpick doesn’t work well.) Cool upright in pan on wire rack for 1 1⁄2 hours, then invert onto serving plate and cool completely, at least 2 hours.
7. For the glaze: Cook cream, corn syrup and chocolate in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in vanilla and set aside until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake and let set for at least 10 minutes. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Comments
This recipe is from the 2007 Cook’s Country Annual and it is rich! It was hard to finish the pieces I cut because of how rich this was! The fudge center/layer was hard to see at first, but after a few bites it became clear that the cake had separated, leaving a delicious fudgy center in the middle. It was absolutely delicious and I served it with vanilla ice cream on the side.
Apparently this is the cake that is credited for the success of Bundt pans in America. The original recipe was a Pillsbury contest winner and Nordic Ware quickly sold out!
Cook’s Country 2007