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This Tunnel of Fudge Cake or Tunnel of Doom Halloween Cake is a moist vanilla Bundt cake with a rich ribbon of chocolate running it.

Make it a Halloween dessert recipe by transforming it to a Tunnel of Doom Cake, topped with a few seasonal sprinkles. 

Tunnel of Fudge Cake on a white serving plate
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Should Make this Cake
2 Frequently Asked Questions
3 How do you get the filling into the middle of the cake?
4 How do you get a Bundt cake out of the pan?
5 How do you know when a Bundt Cake is Done?
6 Origin of Tunnel of Fudge Cake
7 Tips for Making a Filled Cake
8 Helpful Tools:
9 More Fudgy Recipes You’ll Love:
10 Tunnel of Fudge Cake {Tunnel of Doom Cake}

Why You Should Make this Cake

Any time I heard about a Tunnel of Fudge Cake recipe, I’d make a mad dash to check it out. Most included a boatload of chopped nuts, something my family would not eat. One of my foodie friends shared this recipe. which is sans nuts and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze.

I knew I’d found a winner. The first time I made this cake, it was also October. I renamed it Tunnel of Doom cake for a fun Halloween cake. Who wouldn’t want to have a slice for some much-needed sustenance after an exhausting night of Trick-or-Treating?

  • It’s perfect any time of year, but on Halloween, it can be a “tunnel of doom” cake!
  • The fudgy center is a bonus surprise when you serve up slices.
  • The double dose of chocolate will please the chocoholics!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get the filling into the middle of the cake?

It’s just a matter of carefully layering the batters. First, a little more than half the plain batter is added to the Bundt pan. Then a ring of the chocolate batter is poured over the plain batter, equidistant from the edges so it bakes up in the middle. Last, the remainder of the plain batter is poured over the top to cover the filling.

How do you get a Bundt cake out of the pan?

First, the pan must be prepped properly by coating it with a layer of butter, then dusting it with flour or using a flour and oil baking spray. If your pan has lost its finish, it still may stick. So inspected it for signs of wear before making the batter.

Then the cake must cool for about 15 minutes before attempting removal. This is so the crust of the cake can firm up and keep the cake in one piece. If you wait too long, the cake will get stuck, but if you don’t wait long enough, the cake may come out in pieces.

When it’s cooled a bit, I like to gently jiggle the pan back and forth to loosen it a bit. Use hot pads if needed. Then gently invert onto a rack to finish cooling.

How do you know when a Bundt Cake is Done?

Use a tootpick to check the middle of the cake about 5-10 minutes before the timer goes off. Check in more than one spot. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If it has some batter, continue baking and recheck in 5-10 minutes.

If there are a few moist crumbs, check a few more spots. Residual heat will contine to bake the cake, so as long as there is not batter, the cake can come out of the oven.

Overhead view of Tunnel of Fudge Cake on a white ripple edge plate

Origin of Tunnel of Fudge Cake

The original tunnel of fudge cake recipe was the Pillsbury bake-off winner in 1966. Created with a package of Double Dutch Frosting Mix, the recipe soon became obsolete when the mix was discontinued. A blogger friend shared her tunnel of fudge cake recipe with me (her blog no longer exists), but I think there are many recreations.

Most recipes I encountered include a couple of cups of chopped walnuts, but my family prefers nut-free desserts. This version was perfect although I tweaked and added extra butter for a pound cake consistency.

Bill went crazy for this tunnel of fudge cake, as did my girlfriends who joined me for coffee, knitting, and lots of chit-chat. With a dense, buttery crumb and a scrumptious fudgy surprise in every slice, I have a feeling you’ll love this one, too.

Tips for Making a Filled Cake

  • Make the cake batter.
  • Take the suggested amount of cake batter and mix with melted chocolate to make the fudge filling.  Let the chocolate cool a bit first before adding it to the batter so the heat from it doesn’t seize up the cake batter.
  • Pour a bit more than half the plain batter into your prepared Bundt ban.
  • Add the chocolate batter in a ring over the plain batter. The chocolate batter should be away from both sides of the cake pan with a strip of plain batter on both sides.
  • Scrape the rest of the batter over the top.
  • Bake as directed.

Helpful Tools:

Once you own a Bundt Pan, check back and try my recipes for White Chocolate Bundt Cake, Kahlua Bundt Cake, Raspberry Amaretto Bundt Cake, Greek Lemon Bundt Cake, and Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake.

Slice of Tunnel of Fudge Cake on a square white plate with a red handled fork

More Fudgy Recipes You’ll Love:

Tunnel of Fudge Cake | A rich butter cake with a fudgy ribbon in each slice. Make for Hallloween as a Tunnel of Doom Cake!
The Recipe:

Tunnel of Fudge Cake {Tunnel of Doom Cake}

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 12

A vanilla cake with a "tunnel" of fudge. A perfect cake for any occasion!

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped, divided (6 ounces for cake, 4 ounces for glaze)
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Reserved chocolate

Instructions

  • Butter and flour, or spray with a flour and oil baking spray, a 12 cup capacity Bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in the microwave (stop and stir every 30 seconds till melted and smooth). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla till fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, till incorporated.
  • In another bowl (I used a Pyrex 2-Cup Glass Measuring Cup), whisk together the milk and sour cream. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and the milk mixture into the batter, mixing till smooth.
  • Stir 1 cup of this batter into melted chocolate and set aside (chocolate should be warm not hot before adding batter). Set aside.
  • Spoon slightly more than half the plain batter into the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan. Add the chocolate batter, followed by the remaining plain batter. Smooth top with offset spatula if needed.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cook for about 10 minutes then release from pan to cool completely on wire rack.
  • To make glaze, melt remaining chocolate with corn syrup and heavy cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds till smooth and melted. Cool slightly. Place cake on the cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment. Spoon glaze over cake.
  • Let glaze firm up at room temperature and serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 431Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 2gSugar: 45gProtein: 7g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes