The recipe for this Glazed Fudge Cake comes from a co-worker and friend back in the day when I was working at a kitchen specialty shop in Chicago.
I have to admit it was a dream job in some ways (not monetarily, of course), but in the respect that I was working at a job completely immersed in my passion…cooking!
Not only did I get to see and touch all the latest in cookware, bakeware, small appliances, kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, cutlery, gourmet food items, and more, I was expected to spend my time talking/selling to our customers who for the most part shared a similar passion. So I get paid to talk, and I must talk about food…not a problem!
Our regular customers became friends, and there was a constant sharing and exchange of recipes, and culinary tips that was ongoing between all of us. The Glazed Fudge Cake below is one of the many benefits I received from my days at Chef’s Catalog, The Store, in Highland Grove, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The Chef’s Catalog still is in circulation today. The store in Highland Grove is no longer open.
I made many good friends there, honed some of my culinary skills, and worked with a small group of women who really made it a joy to go to work.
This cake is a bit unique in that the cake batter and glaze are prepared using a food processor rather than an electric mixer. Provided you have all your ingredients ready it is a surprisingly quick cake to make. It is a deliciously moist cake and the glaze is velvety smooth.
Glazed Fudge Cake (from my friend Judy Lesser, source unknown)
(Makes one 9-inch cake)
1 and ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (5 and ¼ ounces, 150g)
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
3 ounces (85g) unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1 and ¾ cups sugar (12 and ¼ ounces, 350g)
½ cup (120ml) boiling water
3 large eggs
1 and ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 and ¼ sitcks unsalted butter (9 ounces total, 255g), softened and cut into 8 pieces
¾ cup (180ml) sour cream
1 and ½ tablespoons dark rum, or Chambord Liqueur
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserve
Chocolate Fudge Glaze (recipe follows)
Fifteen minute before baking, place rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Fit the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and butter the paper.
Metal Blade: Process flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 3 seconds: remove and reserve. Process chocolate and ½ cup of sugar until chocolate is as fine as sugar-about 1 minute. Turn on machine, pour boiling water through the feed tube and process until the chocolate is melted. Add eggs, cocoa, and remaining sugar and process for 1 minute, stopping once to scrape work bowl. Add butter and process for 1 minute. Add sour cream and rum (or Chambord) and process for 5 seconds. Spoon the reserved dry ingredients onto the batter in a circle and pulse just until the flour disappears-3 or 4 times. Do not overprocess.
Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean-about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cake will just begin to pull away from sides of pan. Let cool to room temperature in pan on wire rack. When cool, remove from pan.
In small saucepan, heat preserves until melted.
Cut four 2-inch strips of waxed paper and arrange on serving plate; they keep plate clean as you work. Place cake topside down on plate, and carefully remove the bottom of the pan, and the parchment paper. Spread the surface with preserves.
Spread ¼ cup of the Chocolate Glaze on top of the preserves. Use a long thin spatula to spread the top and sides with about ¾ cup of the glaze.
Optional: Spoon remaining glaze into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe small rosettes around top edge of cake. Serve at room temperature.
Chocolate Fudge Glaze
¼ cup (60ml) water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces (170g) sweet cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
½ cup confectioners, sugar (2 ounces, 55g)
1 and ½ tablespoons dark rum (or Chambord Liqueur)
Pinch of salt
Bring water and butter to boil in a small saucepan. Keep at simmer until needed.
Metal Blade: Pulse the chocolate with confectioners’ sugar 5 times, then process continuously until chocolate is as fine as sugar. With machine running, pour water and butter through the feed tube and process until chocolate is melted, stopping once to scrape the work bowl. Add the rum or Chambord and salt and process for 5 seconds.
Before using, let set at room temperature or in refrigerator just until slightly thickened and no longer runny, but still flowing.
Note: If you want a challenge , try this…
Use a long, serrated knife to split the cake in half horizontally. Cut four 2-inch strips of waxed paper and arrange on serving plate; they keep the plate clean as you work. Place the top half of cake, cut side up, on serving plate and spread with preserves, then spread with1/4 cup of Chocolate Glaze.
Cover with second layer, cut side down. Use a long thin spatula to spread top and sides with about ¾ cup of glaze. If desired, spoon remaining glaze into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe small rosettes around top edge of cake. Serve at room temperature.