I’ll “tunnel” through fudge any day

Minneapolis is home to the Nordic Ware Company – manufacturer of bakeware, kitchen tools and more. The company is best known for creating the bundt pan after being approached by a woman seeking the pan she used in her native Germany. The tubular cast iron cake pan debuted in 1950 but it wasn’t until 1966 that the bundt pan gained worldwide notice – after one of the winning recipes in the Pillsbury Bake Off that year was a bundt cake – namely the Tunnel of Fudge. Even though baking is not my forte, I couldn’t resist replicating that award winning recipe and I found a version in Bundt Cake Bliss (2007) by Susanna Short (a gift from my friend Randee). It’s a rich cake but totally worth the effort. Not sure how it happens but as the cake settles, it creates a “tunnel of fudge” in every bite. As is always the case with baking, do follow the directions!  

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Cake

2¼ cups flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1¾ cup sugar

1¾ cup butter, softened

6 eggs

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

Glaze

¼ cup cocoa powder

4 to 6 teaspoons of milk or half-and-half

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan using butter and flour or Baker’s Joy and set aside. Combine flour and cocoa powder and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Gradually add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in flour mixture by hand until well blended. Gently stir in the nuts. Spoon the rather thick batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is set and edges are beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool upright in pan on wire rack for 1½ hours to allow the fudge to set. Invert onto serving plate to cool thoroughly.

To make the glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder with 4 tablespoons of milk or half and half. Mix thoroughly and add only enough milk to create a smooth, but pourable glaze. Spoon or brush the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing some to run down sides.

Note: I am fortunate to live in Minneapolis, home of Nordic Ware and more importantly, a factory outlet store!