Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Cake:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cake:
Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.  Pour the boiling water over the chocolate in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  Cool to room temperature.  Whisk the cocoa, flour, nuts, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Beat the eggs and vanilla in a large measuring cup.

With a hand-held mixer, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  On low speed, add the egg mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.  Add the chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Beat in the flour mixture until just combined about 30 seconds.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the batter and bake until the edges are beginning to pull away from the pan, about 45 minutes.  Cool upright in the pan on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours, then inver onto a serving plate and cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Glaze:
Cook the cream, corn syrup and chocolate in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Stir in the vanilla and set aside until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.  Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let set for at least 10 minutes.  Serve.