Meet Tunnel of Fudge Cake: The Vintage Cake That Tastes Even Better the Second Day

Social media can be hit or miss when it comes to new recipes or cooking tips, but when it does hit, it’s resulted in some of our favorite new recipes. But trying a new, trending recipe can be a gamble, which is part of the reason why we love a good retro recipe.

Some of those throwback recipes seemingly disappear from our collective minds and then experience a social media renaissance (hello, ice cream bread), but others never go out of style. Such is the case with the Tunnel of Fudge Cake.

What Is Tunnel of Fudge Cake?

Tunnel of Fudge Cake first came onto the scene in the mid-1960s when Ella Rita Helfrich entered the cake in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest and managed to snag second place (first place that year went to Golden Gate Snack Bread). The Tunnel of Fudge Cake soared in popularity and helped to make Bundt pans ubiquitous.

The original cake used fudge icing mix to make a gooey “tunnel” of fudge through the center. When Pillsbury discontinued the fudge icing Helfrich used, the brand developed a recipe that still made the fudgy interior, minus the fudge icing.

In some recipes, the cake relies on high amounts of sugar to help create the fudgy center. In this recipe, a non-instant chocolate pudding mix is key.

How to Make Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Start by making the filling that will make this cake live up to its name, combining the pudding mix and milk and cooking it on the stovetop, then stirring in chocolate chips until they’re melted. 

After prepping your Bundt pan, you'll mix up the cake batter, stirring in walnuts at the end. Set aside some of the batter and pour the remaining batter into your prepared pan. Then, spoon the filling on top of the batter, making sure to not touch the sides of the pan so the filling stays in the center of the cake. Top the filling with the remaining batter.

Once the cake has been baked and cooled completely, prepare the simple chocolate glaze and spoon over the cooled cake. The result? A dense, rich cake with a soft and gooey center. 

Allrecipes readers gave this cake recipe an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars, which means it’s definitely on our list of must-bakes. Home cook Quarter_32 said, “This cake came out dark, rich and moist. The kids got into it when the pudding 'tunnel' was still warm and they raved at how good it was.”

Reviewer nancy’s homemades recommended a scoop of ice cream, going on to say that the cake reminds her of her childhood. And while the whole cake is chocolaty and delicious, the star of the show is the right in the name. According to commenter MKOs Mommy, “The tunnel of fudge turned out wonderfully! It was the best part of the cake for me.”