This write-up is long overdue. I baked this cake for TM back in July 2020! I kept telling myself that I'd get around to doing the write-up "soon". And we all know how that goes! So here we are 3+ years later, and I still haven't managed to get this recipe posted yet. Time to fix that!

So, I have to admit, it's been too long for me to remember a lot of the specifics of making this cake. I remember it going over well; everyone seemed to like it. And I don't remember having any particular difficulties with it. But that's about all I can tell you. (And this is why I should do recipe write-ups right away and not try to post them years later. Oh well...)

Wellesley Fudge Cake

Slighlty adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 3/4 c. hot water
• 1/2 c. natural cocoa powder
• 1 c. unsalted butter, cut into 1-Tbsp. pieces
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing

• 1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 c. evaporated milk, divided
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into 1-Tbsp. pieces and softened and divided
• 225g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 340g icing (confectioners'/powdered) sugar, sifted

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour two 8" (20cm) square pans.
2. Sift the baking soda and baking powder into the flour and mix in the salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa into the hot water until smooth.
4. Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy (~3 minutes with an electric mixer).
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
6. Mix in ~1/3 of the flour mixture followed by ~1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with 1/2 the remaining flour followed by all of the remaining buttermilk.
7. Mix in the last portion of flour.
8. Slowly add the cocoa mixture followed by the vanilla.
9. If you've been using an electric mixer up to this point, give the batter a final stir by hand and make sure there are no pockets of flour or uneven mixing.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
11. Bake at 180°C (350°F) until akes test done (25-30 minutes).
12. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes.
13. After 15 minutes remove the cakes from their pans and allow to cool on wire racks for another 2 hours.

Icing

1. Heat the brown sugar over medium heat with the salt, 1/2 c. of the milk, and 1/4 c. of the butter until small bubbles being to appear (4-8 minutes).
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until large bubbles form and mixture thickens (~6 minutes).
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining 1/2 c. of evaporated milk and 1/4 c. of butter.
4. Stir in chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.
5. Mix in icing sugar.
6. Let cool, stirring occasionally, for ~1 hour.

Assembly

1. Place one of the ake layers on a platter and spread ~1 c. of icing evenly over the top.
2. Place the second layer on top and press gently to stick them together.
3. Scoop the remaining icing onto the cake and spread it evenly over the top and sides.
4. Transfer to the fridge and chill until icing is set (~1 hour).