From the kitchen: Fudgie Cake: the best chocolate cake in Michigan!

by Linda Theil

This blast from the past is for Claire S., my dentist at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, who loves to bake! I notice all the press releases say my commemorative plate is gold -- I wonder if that is just a figure of speech. I wonder where I put it.

Fudgie: the best chocolate cake in Michigan

AAA/Zehnders recipe contest 1991 winner: Linda Theil

Cake:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour with cocoa three 8-inch cake pans. In small bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. In large electric-mixer bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredient mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating well after each addition. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Cool slightly. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

Fudge filling:

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup water

2 tsp vanilla

Mix sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and water in heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over medium to low heat till thick. Cool till spreadable.

Chocolate buttercream frosting:

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

2 tsp vanilla

4 tbl half-and-half (light cream)

3 oz white chocolate, shaved

Beat all ingredients in electric-mixer bowl until light and creamy.

Spread filling between cake layers; save extra filling to serve over ice cream. Skewer cake with bamboo skewers to hold layers in place. Frost with buttercream. Top with shaved white chocolate.

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