Tunnel of Fudge Cake

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The Tunnel of Fudge Cake is a rich chocolate cake that makes it’s own layer of fudge in the center while it bakes.   Studded with walnuts and topped with a chocolate glaze, this cake is for chocolate lovers everywhere!

Do you ever think about foods you had when you were a kid?   How about foods that are now considered “retro”?

What is a retro recipe?

I don’t have a ton of retro recipes on my blog so I was excited to put another one on here.  I do have the classic Porcupine Meatballs which are a meatball made with rice and beef and were popular in the 40’s and 50’s.    I also have a recipe for my favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies which have been around since the 60’s but are still popular today.

But back to the retro recipes.  After looking long and hard on many lists, in old cookbooks, and asking other foodies, I came up with the Tunnel of Fudge Cake.

What is the Tunnel of Fudge Cake?

Back in 1966 a woman by the name of Ella Helfrich entered her chocolate cake that made its own fudge center in the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Ella won second prize and $5000 for her creation while the first prize winner won $25,000.

Days after Ella came in second place people wanted to know where she got the pan to make her cake.   Apparently no one had ever heard of a Bundt pan before.  While the Bundt pan was invented in the 1950’s, it didn’t really become popular until the Tunnel of Fudge cake came out at the 1966 Bake-Off.  Suddenly these pans were super popular!

What is a Bundt Pan?

The funny part about the Pillsbury Bake-Off is that the winner that year entered a yeast snack cake and almost everyone has since forgotten about it.   The Tunnel of Fudge Cake has withstood the test of time and is still popular today.

What is the Pillsbury Bake-Off?

The Pillsbury Bake-Off is a cooking contest sponsored by Pillsbury.  Pillsbury is a brand known for its baking products. The contest goes back to  1949 when it was first held. The Pillsbury Bake-Off typically invites home cooks from across the United States to submit their original recipes using Pillsbury products.  Contestants compete for cash prizes, and the top recipes often receive widespread recognition.

In fact, Pillsbury updated the recipe in 2004 because one of the main ingredients, Double Dutch Fudge Frosting Mix, was no longer being produced.  They have revamped the recipe with products available today.

Ingredients:

• butter (I use salted butter to help cut through the sweetness but you can use unsalted)
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• powdered sugar (make sure it is sifted and not clumped)
• all purpose flour
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• walnuts (you can substitute pecans)

I couldn’t wait to get started on this cake.  I actually made it 9 years ago and it was a huge hit.  Everyone was shocked that the fudge center didn’t need any special ingredients, it was simply part of the cake.  I was really hoping that

One very important note before I talk about how this cake is made.  It is important to realize that you can not skip the nuts.    Without the nuts the fudge tunnel will not appear in the middle of the cake.  I have no idea why that is but it’s the truth.

To make the cake preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar and mix until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.  Stir in the vanilla.

Next, add in the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, stirring after each addition.

Finally, carefully stir in the flour and cocoa powder.  It’s going to get hard to stir so you may want to use a mixer.  Beat until the batter is smooth.

Fold in the walnuts then carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.  When I poured the batter in the pan I thought for sure it would overflow in the oven.   The batter in the pan weighed over 5 pounds.

Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan.  Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 90 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges and turn the cake onto a plate.   Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting.   If desired make the glaze and pour over top.

I can honestly say that this is one of the prettiest Bundt cakes I’ve ever made.  It came out of the pan cleanly and looked amazing.    The first time I made it I used the glaze but this time I didn’t because it’s such a rich cake.

I was nervous to cut it so I closed my eyes as I took out the first piece and…success!   There was a clear tunnel of fudge in the middle of the cake.  I was psyched.

The cake was rich, fudgy, and delicious.  The nuts added a nice crunch and contrast to all that chocolate.   The cake was moist and the fudge in the middle was awesome.  I will definitely be making this again as a special occasion cake for someone who loves chocolate.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This runner up from the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off is a chocolate cake that magically makes its own tunnel of fudge in the center while it bakes.

4.70 from 23 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. butter softened (3 1/2 sticks)
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 c. walnuts chopped

For the chocolate glaze:

• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 - 6 teaspoons milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan. I used baking spray instead of greasing and flouring.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
• Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, beating after each addition.
• Stir in the flour and cocoa powder, beating until the batter is smooth.
• Fold in the walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt Pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges start pulling away from the pan. Do not stick a toothpick into the cake as it will not come out clean even when the cake is cooked.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool, in the pan, for 1 1/2 hours.
• After 1 1/2 hours, run a knife around the edges of the Bundt pan and turn the cake onto a plate. Allow the cake to cool 2 hours.
• In a small bowl combine the glaze ingredients and mix until smooth. Drizzle over top of the cooled cake, allowing some to run down the sides of the cake.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Pillsbury and Ella Helfrich

Retro Recipes

• Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with No Cook Fudge Frosting from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kielbasa and Cabbage from Art of Natural Living
• Lighter Waldorf Salad from That Recipe
• One Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Porcupine Meatballs from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Quiche Lorraine from Jen Around the World
• Tunnel of Fudge Cake from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box

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