Alice's Mississippi Mud Cake

Don’t let the low oven fool you. This chocolate cake is built for moisture, and the gentle heat is what gets it there. Three squares of unsweetened chocolate melt straight into the milk on the stovetop, and that hot mixture pours directly over butter to soften it before sugar joins the bowl. The instant chocolate pudding mix is the secret to the dense, fudgy crumb. It locks in moisture during the long bake and stops the cake from drying out the way most cocoa-based recipes can. Once the dry ingredients, vanilla and eggs are beaten in, the batter goes into a well-greased tube pan and bakes at a slow 275°F (135°C) for over an hour. The low temperature gives you a fine, even crumb without a domed crusty top. Test with a toothpick to confirm doneness, cool fully in the pan, and finish with a snowfall of powdered sugar through a sieve.

Pro Tips

• Grease the tube pan with shortening or butter and dust with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep the dark color throughout.
• Stir the chocolate-milk mixture constantly while melting. Direct heat scorches chocolate fast and you’ll get bitter notes.
• Test the cake at the early end of the time range. Dense cakes look unset even when they’re fully baked.
• Cool completely before unmolding. Warm cake is fragile and will tear at the tube center.

Variations

• Stir a half cup of toasted pecans or walnuts into the batter for crunch and Southern authenticity.
• Pour a warm chocolate ganache over the cooled cake instead of powdered sugar for a glossy finish.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the milk to deepen the chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste.