Tunnel of Fudge Cake

June 26, 2022

This adapted Tunnel of Fudge Cake recipe was a winner in the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest in 1966.

When Ella Rita Helfrich of Houston, Texas created this tunnel of fudge cake recipe for the Pillsbury contest, she had no idea that she’d be creating a huge demand for bundt cake pans. Bundt cake pans had been in production since 1950, but they weren’t selling well. As soon as the tunnel of fudge recipe made its debut as a contest winner, the demand for bundt cake pans rose dramatically. Bundt cakes became a staple in American households.

The tunnel of fudge cake actually came in 2nd place in the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest (it lost out to Golden Gate Snack Bread). But letters unexpectedly poured in requesting the recipe and asking where to buy the pan. To this day, the Tunnel of Fudge cake remains the most popular recipe in the history of the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition. This is a slightly adapted version that I’m sharing here.

Ingredients needed:

white sugar
unsalted butter
eggs
powdered sugar
all purpose flour
unsweetened cocoa powder
chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
whole or 2% milk

How to make Tunnel of Fudge Cake:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, making sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies of the pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just use a bowl with a hand-held mixer), combine the sugar and butter; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Gradually add the powdered sugar; blend well. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Sift the flour with the cocoa powder; add this mixture, about 1 cup at a time, to the batter. Stir it by hand, using a wooden spoon, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Stir in the nuts.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan; spread evenly, leveling the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is set and edges are beginning to pull away from side of pan (a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will still be gooey). Cool upright in the pan on a wire rack until just slightly warm, about 1½ hours. Invert onto a serving plate; cool for at least 2 hours more (this will allow the filling to set).

The final step is adding the glaze. Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa into a medium bowl. Whisk in just enough milk for your desired drizzling consistency. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing some to run down the sides.

It’s okay if the glaze puddles onto your cake platter!

The original recipe submitted to the Pillsbury contest had almost a molten center to the cake. Over the years, the recipe has been adapted. And the center of the cake is more like a soft, fudgy tunnel. This is one delicious chocolate bundt cake recipe!

Store your tunnel of fudge cake in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

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