I bake a lot of cakes and chocolate happens to be a particular favorite, go figure. Although I have quite a few in my repertoire there are several that I go back to again and again and again and this cake is one of them.
What I love about it is that it is:
A. It's chocolate
B. It has a fabulous chocolate fudge icing.
C. Is moist and stays that way for days.
D. And it mails well, yes I have mailed this cake to several friends and it always arrives in one piece and is still fresh!
This recipe is one that I found while perusing Pinterest. What did we ever do without Pinterest by the way? The recipe is from Sifting Focus, it is a little long but worth it.
Wellesley Fudge Cake
Wellesley Fudge Cake
Cake
21/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
2 sticks of butter cut into 16 pieces, softened
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting:
31/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 stick of butter cut in half and softened
11/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake: Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 8" square pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and the hot water until smooth. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Reduce speed and slowly add the cocoa/water mixture and the vanilla, until incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out to cool on a rack.
Frosting:
Sift together the powdered sugar and the cocoa. Set aside. Heat 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of half and half in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until bubbles occur around the edges. About 4-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens and turns golden brown about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add 4 pieces of butter, stir well then add the remaining half and half with the other ingredients. Add the chopped chocolate and vanilla, then stir until smooth. Slowly whisk in the cocoa/powder sugar until incorporated. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Then refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Assembly:
Place 1 layer of cake on a platter, spread a cup of frosting over the surface. Add second layer and the frost the rest of the cake. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Serve and enjoy.
What do you think? Doesn't this cake look fabulous? I hope you enjoy it!
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