Hot Fudge!

All About the Fudge! Wikipedia.org describes a fudge cake as “a small chocolate pastry that contains fudge. They are shaped as small round cakes, hence the name.” This recipe is also known as Death by Chocolate, if topped with chocolate ice cream and lashings of whipped cream. Another variation is the pudding fudge cake which is a combination of chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, chocolate chips. Hot fudge cake is known by several other names, including hot fudge sundae cake, baked fudge pudding, hot fudge pudding, chocolate cobbler, chocolate fudge upside-down cake, brownie pudding cake and chocolate pudding cake. The hot fudge cake is a celebrity among desserts, given that it's rich and famous. A moist chocolate cake that makes its own fudge sauce as it bakes. Easy to prepare and available in many variations, hot fudge cake combines the light texture of a chocolate cake with a smooth, rich fudge sauce.

History of the Fudge Cake. According to fudge cake.org, the first hot fudge cake recipe was created by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge when she was a student at Vassar College in New York in the early 1920s. She learned from an acquaintance that a new confection called “fudge” was becoming increasingly popular in Baltimore, Maryland. She began working on a recipe that would blend fudge with cake. When Hartridge presented her new fudge cake at the Vassar Senior Auction she sold 40 pounds of the dessert.

The basic recipe for hot fudge cake includes white sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, milk, butter, vanilla, brown sugar and hot water. You can cook hot fudge cake in an oven or in a crock pot. During the baking process, the batter separates into a cake layer and a hot fudge layer. Best served warm right out of the oven, hot fudge cake can be enjoyed as is or topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Other popular variations such as spiced hot fudge coconut pudding cake, hazelnut chocolate hot fudge cake and peanut butter hot fudge cake call for special flavorings and ingredients to be added to the basic recipe.

Hot fudge cake has been a dessert favorite for decades. This cake has a warm place in our hearts, a comfort food everyone to enjoy when your having a bad day, or the perfect end to a perfect day.



HOT FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsps. cocoa, divided
2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups hot water
Steps:
1. Start by mixing the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder , and salt together in a bowl.
2. Stir in milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Spread the mix into a 9"x9" ungreased pan.
4. combine the brown sugar and cocoa together. When blended well, sprinkle over the batter.
5. Slowly pour hot water (use hot tap water) over all. DO NOT MIX OR STIR.
6. Preheated oven at 350F, bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!



CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 whole eggs
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water
Steps:
1. Melt the chocolate over hot water so that the chocolate does not stick to the pan. Let the chocolate cool.
2. Grease and flour cake pan. Use (2) 9"x1 1/2" inch pans for this recipe.
3. Make sure to sift flour, baking soda, and salt as it will help with the cakes fluffiness. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter until it is soft, during the beating process add some of the brown sugar and eggs, until it has a nice fluffy consistency. This will take at least 5-7 minutes.
5. Add in the chocolate and vanilla.
6. Put in sifted dry ingredients into the batter, and then beat thoroughly. Make sure to place the dry ingredients in increments, not all at once.
7. Pour the contents into the cake pans.
8. Bake at 350F (preheated) for 35 minutes
9. Let cool. Serve with your favorite frostings.



MOLTEN CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
For the Crater:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
6 oz extra firm silken tofu
6 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup plain soymilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
For the Coco Lava:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 oz carob chips
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 1/3 cups boiling water
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Start boiling the water for the brownie layer. Chop chocolate.
3. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and 1/3 cup cocoa powder.
4. In a blender combine the tofu, soymilk, canola oil, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the flour mixture and combine. Spread the batter into an un-greased 8 inch pan ( use a spring form pan to make it easy to remove).
5. In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 cup sugar, carob chips and boiling water. When chocolate has dissolved, pour over the top of the batter.
6. Bake 45 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool just until the pan is at a temperature you can handle (cake should still be hot). Move cake to a serving plate. Carob pudding will ooze all over the cake.







DEATH BY CHOCOLATE
Ingredients:
400g unsalted butter
400g dark cooking chocolate
8 whole eggs
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
Steps:
1. Melt butter and chocolate using double boiler.
2. Mix eggs and sugar, then add in to butter and chocolate mixture.
4. Pour into foil-lined 9" pan.
5. Preheated oven 250F, bake for 1 1/2 hours.
6. Let cool for 20 minutes.
7. Press down crust firmly. Freeze with foil for 24 hours.
8. Remove from freezer and turn upsidedown. Pour chocolate topping, spreading quickly and evenly, top and sides. Freeze again.
For the Topping:
2 tbsps. warm water
300g dark cooking chocolate, chooped
90g unsalted butter
Steps:
Melt butter and chocolate, mix until it reaches smooth consistency. Let cool lightly.







AMERICAN FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
125g butte
225g dark soft brown sugar
2 whole eggs
142ml. sour cream
175g plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
50g cocoa powder
Steps:
1. Cream butter with sugar.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Add in the sour cream.
4. Sift dry ingredients and fold in.
5. Prepare (2) 20cm. shallow tin, grease, base lined.
6. Preheated oven at 350F, bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.
7. Cut cake in half and sandwich with filling.
8. Spread chocolate cream frosting on top and sides of cake.
For the Filling:
40 ml cocoal powder
125g butter
150g icing sugar, sieved
vanilla essence
Steps:
1. Make paste of chocolate with 2 tbsps. boiling water, let cool.
2. Beat in butter. Add in sugar and vanilla.
For the Chocolate Cream Frosting:
200g bar of chocolate
40ml. cocoa powder
142ml. double cream
Steps:
1. Melt chocolate bar.
2. Make paste with chocolate powder adn 2tbsps boiling water. Mix in melted chocolate.
3. Whisk double cream until smooth and thickened.



CHOCOLATE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
8 whole glace cherries, cut in halves
16 canned apricot halves, drained
125g unsalted butter
1 cup (150g0 brown sugar, lightly packed
2 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups (180g) all purpose flour, sifted
3 tbsps. cocoa powder, sifted
3 tbsps. drinking chocolate, sifted
1 tbsp. baking poswer, sifted
1 1/2 cup (125ml.) milk
Steps:
1. Sit each cherry on each apricot
2. Place face down on 9" round springform pan
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add in eggs.
5. Add dry ingredients.
6. When partly mixed, add in milk.
7. Spread evenly over apricot and cherry halves.
8. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 35 minutes.
9. Turn updside-down, peel away baking paper.
10.Brush with boild apricot jam. Let cool.
11.Serve with hot chocolate sauce.







CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
375ml brown sugar
3 eggs
150ml sour cream
300ml cake flour (self raising flour)
5ml baking powder
2.5ml bicarbonate of soda
125ml cocoa powder
For icing:
50g butter
40ml water
60ml castor sugar (fine sugar)
250ml icing sugar
30ml cocoa powder
Steps:
Cooking Method - for the cake:
1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the sour cream.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and cocoa together then fold into creamed mixture.
4. Spoon the mixture into a 20cm greased cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the cake pan before turning onto a cooling rack.
For icing:
5. Place the butter, water and castor sugar into a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat.
6. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder and stir into the melted butter mixture.
7. Mix well, then cool until starting to thicken, then beat with a wooden spoon and spread over the cooled cake. Decorate as you like.







DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
10 ounces of half and half
2 1/2 ounces of light corn syrup
pinch of salt
7 ounces of bakers chocolate
1 1/2 ounces of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Gather all ingredients and utensils that you will be using to make the chocolate fudge. You will need bakers chocolate, light Corn syrup, butter, half and half sugar,salt,vanilla, one medium sized pot, one teaspoon, wax paper, one pan and a candy thermometer.
2. Mix 3 cups of sugar, a pinch of salt, 7 ounces of bakers chocolate, 10 ounces of half and half, and 2 1/2 ounces of corn syrup into the pot.
3. Set the temperature to medium heat and start stirring the ingredients together. Stop stirring when the mixture starts to boil.
4. Let the fudge heat until the temperature is around 235F then allow the fudge to cool to 110F this can be done with candy thermometer.
5. While waiting for chocolate fudge to cool, line the pan with wax paper.
6. Now add 1 1/2 ounces of butter, one teaspoon of vanilla, and stir it into the chocolate fudge really well. Pour the fudge into a pan let cool, then cut into squares.



TRADITIONAL FAMILY DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
5 cups granulated sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
18 ounces (about 3 cups) dark chocolate chips, preferable Ghiradelli's 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, if desired
Steps:
1.Combine butter, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt in the heavy saucepan (butter inside top of saucepan so sugar won't crystallize). Over medium to medium high heat, melt and stir constantly. Bring to a ROLLING boil (that's a boil you can't stir down). Keep the sugar mixture at a rolling boil for SIX minutes. You can turn the heat down a little if it looks like it's going to boil out of the pot, but keep the boil rolling and keep stirring for six minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Stir in 18 dark chocolate chips. Stir constantly. It takes several minutes for the chips to completely melt. You can add 1 ½ cups of chopped walnuts, if desired.
3. Pour into the buttered 9x13 pan. Cool for a long, long time. Desperate fudge lovers often resort to an artificial refrigerator chill.
4. Cut kind of small. It's addictive and gives you just enough energy to reach for another piece.

DARK (OR WHITE) CHOCOLATE FUDGE
Ingredients:
2 1/4 (480g) caster sugar
1 1/4 cups (300ml.) thickened cream
120g dark (or white) buttons
1 tbsp. liquid glucose
15g. butter
100g extra white buttons, melted
Steps:
1. Mix all ingredients, dissolve over gentle heat.
2. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously for six minutes.
3. Remove from heat, stir until bubbles subside.
3. When cool, beat vigorously until mixture loses its shine.
4. Spread into a foil-lined tray, then refrigerate.
5. Cut into small squares, drizzle with melted white chocolate.









CANDY BOX HEART CAKE
[Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake]
[FoodandWine.com: Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections]
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup hot coffee
For the Filling and Frosting:
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Spray the pans and the parchment paper with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and vanilla. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee. Using an electric mixer, beat half of the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat in half of the coffee mixture, then scrape down the bowl. Beat in the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures.
3. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
4. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil. Immediately pour over the chocolate and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes. Gently whisk the ganache until smooth. Whisk in the butter until incorporated. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the ganache is thick enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar with the water and heat for 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set a cake layer on a cake plate or cake cardboard and brush lightly with the sugar syrup. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting onto the cake in an even 1/4-inch layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, sugar syrup and frosting. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Let the cake stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing.
MAKE AHEAD
The cake will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before slicing.



Photos from Flickr.com