Recipe: Cook's Country Tunnel of Fudge Cake

COOK'S COUNTRY TUNNEL OF FUDGE CAKE

Serves 12 to 14.

Note: This is the Taste section's favorite version of the Tunnel of Fudge Cake. For additional flavor, toast the nuts (spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, shaking pan once or twice during baking, until they begin to give off an aroma). Dutch-processed cocoa is a richer, darker cocoa, treated with alkali to neutralize cocoa's natural acidity. Adapted from Cook's Country magazine. Glaze adapted from "Baking" by Dorie Greenspan.

• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 1/2 c. boiling water

• 3/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra for pan

• 2 c. flour

• 2 c. powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• 5 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 1 c. granulated sugar

• 11/4 c. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan

For glaze:

• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1/2 c. heavy cream

• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions

To prepare cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Place bittersweet chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Add boiling water, whisk until smooth, cool to room temperature and reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, walnuts (or pecans), powdered sugar and salt and reserve.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract and reserve.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add egg mixture and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add chocolate mixture and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Remove to a wire rack and cool, upright, for 11/2 hours. Invert cake onto serving plate and cool completely, at least 2 hours.

To prepare glaze: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine cream, granulated sugar and water and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at center of bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles.