Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Cake:

1 3/4 cups butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

2 cups powdered sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups chopped walnuts

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted tube pan or a 10-inch regular tube pan. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add powdered sugar; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. By hand, stir in remaining cake ingredients until well-blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 58 to 62 minutes. Cool upright in pan on wire rack 1 hour; invert onto serving plate. Cool completely and glaze.

To make the glaze: In a small bowl combine all glaze ingredients until well-blended. Spoon over top of cooled cake, allowing some to run down sides. Garnish as desired. Store tightly covered.

Serves 16.

Note: Timing is everything in this cake. Because of its fudgy, molten center, you can't test this cake with a toothpick or cake tester -- it should be gooey, so this is no help.
 
 At about 50 minutes, begin testing the cake, pressing your finger against the surface of it to see if it springs back. The top of the cake should not have a long, dark strip at the center when you take it out, but don't cook it even a few minutes too long. You want it to be very moist at the center even once the cake has cooled. The glaze hardens to a glossy chocolate and provides a nice contrast to the moist cake.