Wellesley Fudge Cake
Submitted by tweetybarb
Wellesley Fudge Cake is the classic two-layer chocolate cake from the Wellesley College era, topped with a deep fudge frosting and chopped walnuts around the edge. Old-school, properly rich.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minWellesley Fudge Cake has real history behind it. The story goes that students at Wellesley College in the 1890s were banned from eating rich sweets, so they smuggled the recipe off campus and shared it with their mothers. The original has hung around for more than a century because it delivers exactly what it promises: a proper old-school chocolate layer cake with a thick fudge frosting that sets up just soft enough to sink a fork into.
Unsweetened chocolate melts with water and part of the sugar first, then cools to lukewarm. That step matters. Pour hot chocolate into creamed butter and the butter seizes. Creamed butter and the rest of the sugar get whipped light and fluffy, eggs go in one at a time, and flour alternates with milk. The frosting is its own small project, built on more unsweetened chocolate, powdered sugar, and a splash of milk, spread fast before it stiffens. A ring of chopped walnuts around the top edge is the finishing signature.
Pro Tips
- Cool the melted chocolate mixture to lukewarm before adding it to the batter. Warm chocolate curdles creamed butter and eggs.
- Add the flour and milk in alternating thirds, starting and ending with flour. This keeps the gluten from overworking.
- Spread the frosting the moment it hits spreading consistency. It stiffens fast, and adding a teaspoon or two of milk can loosen it back up if needed.
- Line pan bottoms with parchment rounds on top of the grease-and-flour. These layers release cleanly every time.
Variations
- Pecan instead of walnut: Swap pecans for a sweeter, buttery edge ring.
- Coffee boost: Stir a teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate to deepen the cocoa flavor without making it taste like coffee.
- Salted top: Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt over the frosting before the walnuts for contrast.
Ingredients
Directions
For the Cake: Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Microwave chocolate, water and ½ cup of the sugar in a microwave-safe bowl on high 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through the heating time.
Remove and stir until completely melted.
Cool to lukewarm.
Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Beat margarine or butter and the remaining sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
One at a time, add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth.
Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round layer pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch.
Cool in pans 10 minutes.
Remove from pans to cool on a wire rack.
Frost and sprinkle walnuts around the top edge of the cake.
For the Frosting: Microwave the chocolate and margarine or butter in a large microwave- safe bowl on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until margarine is melted.
Stir chocolate until completely melted.
Stir in confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla and blend until smooth.
Let stand, if necessary, until of spreading consistency, stirring occasionally.
Spread quickly. (Add an additional 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk if frosting becomes too thick).
Makes about 2½ cups frosting.
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