Farmhouse Holidays Double Chocolate Praline-Fudge Cake

Snowflakes drifting by the frosty windows, but inside we're listening to Christmas carols and decorating cut-out cookies. Dad comes and stomps the snow from his boots. Christmas Saturday, and we're ready for a piece of this special fudgy cake to load up our plates, with a glass of icy milk alongside. COOKING TIME includes chilling the cake. Thanks to Gooseberry Patch for another excellent recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 12-16
• Yields: 1 holiday cake

Ingredients

• Cake

• 1  cup butter
• 1⁄4 cup  baking cocoa
• 1  cup water
• 1⁄2 cup milk (or buttermilk)
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• Chocolate Ganache

• 2  cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1⁄3 cup  whipping cream
• 1⁄4 cup butter, cut into pieces

• Praline Frosting

• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1  cup brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄3 cup  whipping cream
• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup  chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350; grease three 8- or 9-inch ROUND cake pans; line with wax paper; set aside.
2. CAKE --
3. Cook butter, cocoa, water in a saucepan over low heat; stirring constantly, until butter melts and it's all smooth; remove from heat; cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla at medium speed until smooth.
5. Add butter mixture to milk mixture, blending to smooth.
6. In another bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually add to milk-butter mixture, blending until smooth--batter will be THIN (good, 'cause when we eat this -- we won't!) heeheh!
7. Pour batter into prepared pans; bake for 22-24 minutes (set).
8. Cool cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans, cool layers completely.
9. GANACHE --
10. Microwave chips and cream in a glass bowl 2-3 minutes until melted.
11. Whisk until smooth; gradually add butter, continuing to whisk away the lumps.
12. Cool--whisking every 15-20 minutes--until of spreading consistency.
13. Makes about 2 cups.
14. FROSTING --
15. Bring butter, brown sugar and whipping cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, boil ONE MINUTE; remove from heat.
16. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth; add toasted pecans, stirring gently for 2-5 minutes until frosting begins to cool (no snitchin' in the kitchen!), and thickens slightly.
17. Immediately---pour over cake.
18. Makes nearly 2 cups.
19. FINISH THE CAKE --
20. Spread about 1/2-cup ganach between cake layers; spread remainder on sides of cake ONLY (NOT THE TOP!).
21. Chill cake for 1/2 hour.
22. Pour Praline Frosting SLOWING over the top, spreading to the edges, allowing some to dribble over the sides.
23. Freeze if desired--thaw at room temp 4-6 hours.