Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Pastry Queen's Mexican Chocolate Fudge-Pecan Cake

The Pastry Queen's Mexican Chocolate Fudge-Pecan Cake
(Made today on Valentine's Day-delicious! Make sure you grease & flour the pan well....for summer she suggest cupcakes inverted with sliced strawberries & whip cream for a summer desert...)
(1 bundt cake, 18 standard cupcakes, or 12 jumbo cupcakes)
Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-Pecan Glaze
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup high-quality dark cocoa powder, such as Scharffen Berger
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sifted then measured)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt