Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Filling:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 3.4 oz. pkg. chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbs. butter

Cake:

Non stick spray for pan
flour for dusting pan
1 18.25 oz. pkg. devil's food cake mix with pudding
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. water
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing:

1 c. granulated sugar
5 Tbs. butter
1/3 c. whole milk
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Make the filling:

Place milk in medium saucepan; whisk in pudding mix. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until it comes to a boil, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate chips and butter. Stir until smooth and thickened and the chocolate has melted. Set pan aside.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position. Lightly mist 12-cup Bundt pan with non-stick spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Set pan aside.
Place cake mix, oil, sour cream, water, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 more minutes, scraping down sides again, if needed. Batter should look thick and well combined.

Reseve 2 cups of batter and pour remaining batter into Bundt pan. Spoon pudding mixture in a ring on top of batter, making sure it does not touch sides of pan. Spoon reserved batter over filling, smoothing out with spatula.

Bake until cake springs back when pressed lightly with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the side of the pan, 45 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around the inside of the pan and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more, before frosting.

Make frosting:

Place sugar, butter and milk in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until mixture comes to a boil, 3 - 4 minutes. Still stirring, let mixture boil until sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, and continue to stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate has melted. Pour warm frosting over cake and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.