Old-Fashioned Tunnel Of Fudge Cake Recipe

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The Tunnel of Fudge cake — the legendary Pillsbury Bake-Off runner-up from back in 1966 — has remained a beloved bundt cake for generations. It isn't hard to see why; between the gooey, molten center, and deep chocolatey flavor, there's a lot to love. That said, a quick search online shows that bakers have struggled to recreate this cake since a key component, Pillsbury frosting mix, was discontinued, throwing off the original recipe. In an effort to combat this baking hurdle, some determined home bakers have subbed in alternative frosting mixes, while others have broken the frosting mix down to its key components — confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and salt — and added them into the cake batter directly, as I did here.

The result is a revamped Tunnel of Fudge cake that's almost brownie-like in texture, and one baked up in that iconic bundt shape that stays true to the original creation. This rendition of the fudgy cake features that irresistible lava-like center, along with a chocolate glaze on top for optimal decadence.

When it comes to old-fashioned cakes like this one, simplicity is part of the charm. To make a Tunnel of Fudge Cake, you'll start by coating a standard Bundt pan with softened, unsalted butter and unsweetened cocoa powder to help release the cake easily from the pan. Feel free to swap the butter for cooking spray if preferred. 

For the batter itself, butter is creamed with granulated sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. The vanilla adds a nice depth, but feel free to swap for espresso powder for an extra-chocolatey touch. Large eggs and egg yolks are added one at a time to bind the batter and give it structure. As a substitute for the classic frosting mix used in the original recipe, confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder are beaten in, along with all-purpose flour and salt. Similar to making a molten chocolate cake, there's no leavening agent in the mix, keeping the cake dense and fudgy in the center after baking.

Pecans are folded in before baking, but can be skipped or swapped for other types of nuts (including the original walnuts) or chocolate chips if preferred. Additional cocoa, confectioners' sugar, salt, and milk are mixed to create a rich chocolate glaze for the cake before serving.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a standard Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon butter (or baking spray if preferred), and ¼ cup cocoa powder, shaking out the excess.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the remaining 1 ¾ cups butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating between each addition until smooth, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add 2 cups confectioners' sugar and ¾ cup cocoa powder. Beat to combine.

Add the flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat to combine.

Fold in toasted pecans, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping the cake after glazing.

Portion batter evenly into prepared Bundt pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the cake reaches about 180 F.

Let cake stand in the pan for at least 30 minutes on a cooling rack, then flip to unmold.

Prepare the glaze: Stir to combine the remaining ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon milk to combine. Add additional milk a splash at a time until the glaze is smooth and pourable.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate.

Drizzle glaze over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle the cake with reserved pecans, slice, and serve.

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We have a home baker named Ella Helfrich to thank for the Tunnel of Fudge cake, one that she entered in the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition in 1966. Although Helfrich's cake would actually come in second place, the uniquely fudgy confection — and one baked up in a pan shape unusual for the time — would garner plenty of attention.

To make her now-famous Tunnel of Fudge cake, Helfrich used two key components that really made it stand out: a Bundt cake pan, which yielded the cake's unique circular tube shape, and Pillsbury's Double Dutch frosting mix, which was essential in establishing that ultra-fudgy center. Bundt pans weren't yet popular at the time, and after Helfrich won second place in the contest, Pillsbury received thousands of letters requesting more information about this type of pan. Pillsbury also received quite a bit of negative feedback after discontinuing that ever-important Double Dutch frosting mix in the 80's, to the point where it formulated a recipe for the cake made with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar as a frosting mix replacement. Clearly, the Tunnel of Fudge cake was and still is quite beloved in the baking community, even if it's a little trickier to get right without the frosting mix. 

While Tunnel of Fudge Cake does have a gooey, molten middle — and therefore is best enjoyed fresh from the oven — it stores pretty well if you'd like to make it ahead. Bake and unmold as directed, then cool completely before wrapping tightly. Refrigerate for up to two days before glazing and sprinkling with nuts. When you're ready to enjoy it, just let the cake stand at room temperature for at least an hour to soften and bring back that signature fudgy texture.

If you have leftovers, store them tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. For longer storage, wrap individual slices or the whole cake well and freeze for up to three months. Thaw slices at room temperature, or defrost the entire cake overnight in the refrigerator before glazing and serving. To bring back that comforting, molten center, warm slices in the microwave or toaster oven gently to revive that gooey tunnel of fudge. 

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