Cake with Hot Fudge Chocolate Icing

Bake one Duncan Hines cake mix according to package directions for 9” x 13” pan.(I like the Yellow cake or Devils Food best)  A deeper cake pan is best so fudge icing doesn’t drip outside the pan.

While cake is baking, make the fudge icing.

Hot Fudge Chocolate Icing

½ cup butter                                        1/3 to ½ cup buttermilk          

¼ cup cocoa, sifted                             dash of salt                             

4 cups  powdered sugar, sifted            1 tsp vanilla

1.    Melt butter and buttermilk in a medium size(2 quart) sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add cocoa and salt; whisk until smooth.
3. Add sifted powdered sugar to the cocoa mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking all lumps out as you go. 
4. When all the sugar is combined with the cocoa mixture, it should NOT be stiff.  
5. If it is stiff—like peanut butter or something--whisk in a tablespoon or 2 (or more) buttermilk …a little at a time.  Thinner consistency is actually better than thicker…just not too thin! 
6. Additional buttermilk needs to be added BEFORE mixture begins to bubble, otherwise it will crystallize and we don’t want that! (Crunchy fudge icing is not my favorite!)
7. Let mixture simmer over low to medium low heat ONLY until the cake is finished baking.
8. WATCH IT CAREFULLY WHILE IT COOKS. It shouldn’t simmer overly long as that can also contribute to crystallizing.  (I find that the whole surface of the icing will be bubbling at the same time when you’ve found the correct temperature.) 
9. You can adjust the heat down a little to maintain the “bubbling” until the cake is done, if necessary.  
10.  DO NOT STIR FUDGE AGAIN after it begins to bubble or it will crystallize! 
11. When you remove the cake from the oven, place the cake pan on a rack and poke holes through the entire surface of the cake with tines of a large cooking fork or handle end of a thin wooden spoon.  
12. Remove icing from heat; add the vanilla and whisk (this time is ONLY exception) just before pouring it evenly over the hot cake.  
13. Cover the entire surface using all the icing. 
14. Often the hot icing will surround the cake and lift it up, going under the bottom where it will soak in.

Sometimes I use 2 Devil’s Food Cake Mixes and make a double batch of Fudge Icing.

IF you do likewise, I usually use a deep foil baking pan probably 4" deep for the cake, one as close to 9x13 as possible. 

1.  Prepare cake mixes according to package directions.
2. Baking time will possibly be TWICE as long!  You’ll have to watch it and check on it so it will not be over or under done.
3. Begin preparing a DOUBLE BATCH of fudge icing about half way through cake baking time.
4. You will need a larger sauce pan for the icing.  When icing begins bubbling it can easily overflow the top!  Watch it carefully. 
5. Everything else is the same. 
6. Hope you enjoy it!