Tunnel of Fudge cake

Tonight is another meeting of my book club (we're discussing "Identical Strangers"), so that of course means that it's time to bake. I baked one of my favorite goodies, Tunnel of Fudge cake, for tonight's festivities, and boy, I can't wait to cut into it and enjoy it.

I've made a lot of different Tunnel of Fudge cakes over the years. Lots were boxed-cake-mix recipes, but none of them really delivered the actual tunnel of fudge. Until this recipe. This recipe has a real tunnel of fudge running through the center, and tastes awesome if you heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds before eating it. It tastes so yummy when it's warm. It also tastes awesome with a nice scoop of ice cream on top. Best part of all? It's totally an easy recipe to make. There's nothing complicated about it, except perhaps greasing a bundt pan perfectly (a skill that sometimes seems to elude me). If you like molten chocolate lava cake, you will love this cake! So on your way home tonight, pick up what you don't have in the pantry to make this cake. Your family will totally thank me.

Here's a snap of my cake, pre-glaze

Tunnel of Fudge cake
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Printer-friendly recipe

1/2 cup boiling water
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan by fully greasing it.
2. Whisk the boiling water and chocolate together in a small bowl until melted and smooth; let the mixture cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt together.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the chocolate mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly beat in the flour mixture until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top feels springy when pressed with a finger, about 45 minutes.
5. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, at last 2 hours. Drizzle the chocolate glaze (optional) over the top and sides of the cake. Let the glaze set, about 25 minutes, before serving.

Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup heavy cream, hot
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth and let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake after it has cooled completely, letting the glaze drip down the sides. Let the glaze set before serving, about 25 minutes.