Chocolate Fudge Cake With Butterscotch Fudge Frosting

My father-in-law is a baker for a bakery in our home state of New Jersey and claims (with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes) that this is HIS recipe! However, it seems to be the same cake my grandmother has been making since my mother was a little girl...HMMM... Whatever the case, this is real comfort food, especially if you go all the way and make the fudge sauce. It's something that both my grandmother AND father-in-law do:) *Cook and prep times are for all 3 recipes combined.*

• Ready In: 1 hr 55 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 3  ounces  unsweetened chocolate
• 1  cup granulated sugar, plus
• 2  tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6  tablespoons butter, softened
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 1 1⁄4 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup milk

• BUTTERSCOTCH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 2  ounces  unsweetened chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup  packed light brown sugar or 1⁄2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1⁄3 cup heavy cream
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  pinch salt
• 2  cups powdered sugar

• DOUBLE THICK FUDGE SAUCE

• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk (optional)
• 2  cups granulated sugar (optional)
• 8  ounces  unsweetened chocolate (optional)
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1  pinch salt (optional)

Directions

1. CAKE: Melt the chocolate with 1/3 cup water; stir until smooth.
2. Remove pan from heat; let cool until lukewarm.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350*F.
4. Grease an 8 1/4x4 1/2" loaf pan; line the bottom with waxed paper.
5. Put the sugar, butter, salt, baking soda, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
6. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until well blended.
7. (The mixture WON'T be creamy.) Add 1 egg; beat until creamy, pale, and fluffy.
8. Add the other egg.
9. Reduce mixer speed to medium and beat in 1/2 the flour, then 1/2 the milk.
10. Beat in the remaining flour and milk, then the chocolate, until blended.
11. Scrape batter into the prepared pan.
12. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.
14. Loosen edges from sides of pan; invert onto a wire rack and peel off the waxed paper.
15. Turn right side up and cool completely.
16. MAKE THE FROSTING: Melt the chocolate with the brown sugar and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until smooth.
17. Remove pan from heat; add the butter, vanilla, and salt and stir until the butter has melted.
18. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar.
19. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
20. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the remaining powdered sugar.
21. Increase speed to medium and beat the frosting for 1 minute longer.
22. ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Cut the cake in 2 layers.
23. Spread 1/2 the frosting on the bottom layer, replace the top, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides.
24. Serve as is, or with a scoop of ice cream and a generous portion of fudge sauce.
25. MAKE THE FUDGE SAUCE: (OPTIONAL).
26. Bring the evaporated milk and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
27. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
28. Remove saucepan from heat.
29. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and salt and let stand for 5 minutes until the chocolate melts.
30. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed (be careful--the chocolate will spatter at first) until smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.
31. Serve warm.