Big Daddy's Cake
(Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 68) and Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982, pg. 109).
I think of Tennessee Williams every time I hear the name of this cake (or maybe Blanche DuBois!)
This a monster of a cake and a delicious one at that! You will need a 10-inch Bundt pan to hold it all. The cake tastes like a pound cake with a delicious ribbon of nutty chocolate running through it. The chocolate ribbon is initially places at the top of the batter but sinks to the bottom during the baking process.
Note - I forgot to toast the nuts first but I thought they were delicious anyway. I was also short one stick of butter and used shortening instead.
The cake turned out delicious. It is very much like a pound cake but the layer of chocolate and nuts brings it to another level. This one is a keeper!
2 cups toasted pecans
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
3 TBS. hot water or black coffee
3 TBS. whipping cream
12 oz. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 350. Thoroughly butter a 10-inch bundt pan or a pan with a 12-14 cup capacity.
Chop half of the pecans coarsely and chop the remaining half very fine.
Sprinkle the finely chopped nuts in the buttered pan and shake to distribute them evenly.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Add the water or coffee. Whisk in the whipping cream and set aside to cool.
Beat the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in the sugar. Beat for 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary to fully incoroporate.
On low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top. Use a large spoon to create a 1/2 inch canal around the perimeter. Spoon the melted chocolate into the canal.
Sprinkle the remaining coarsely chopped pecans over the top of the batter.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, then cover the pan loosely with foil and continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes (total baking time will be 1 hour and 5-15 minutes). Test doneness with a tester.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully invert onto a wire rack. Be careful as the cake is very heavy. Cool completely before applying the glaze.
Glaze
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tsp. vegetable shortening (I used butter-flavored shortening because that was the only thing I had on hand. It should not matter. You could use butter as well.)
Melt the ingredients in a double boiler. Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, allowing it to run down the sides.
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