Fudge Tunnel Pumpkin Cake. . . A Bi-Partisan Approach

In the spirit of bi-partisanship and extending the Christian hand of fellowship to both Barak Obama enthusiasts and McCain/Palin supporters this day before the 2008 Election, my submission for Fall into Flavor (over at 2nd Cup of Coffee) has two very unique, yet perfectly delectable versions: One for economically confused concerned Democrats and one for the rest of us hard-working, selfish Republican capitalists.

So... here we go. Lets all join in a moment of unity, shall we.

That's nice.

Fudge Tunnel Pumpkin Cake for Liberals

Ingredients

● 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
● 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
● 2 teaspoons Baking powder
● 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
● 1 teaspoon Salt
● 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
● 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
● 2 sticks (1/2 pound) softened Unsalted REAL Butter
● 1 1/2 cups White Sugar
● 1/2 cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
● 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
● 4 Large eggs, at room temperature
● 1 can (15 ounces) Solid-Pack Pumpkin
● 2 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, melted.

Chocolate Glaze:
● 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
● 6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
● 1 tablespoon REAL Butter

Directions

● Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan; dust with flour or cocoa.

● In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.

● In a large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each.

● At low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the pumpkin.

● Transfer 1 cup of batter to a small bowl; stir in the chocolate.

● Spoon 3 cups of the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. Using a small spoon, make a shallow ditch in the center of the batter, forming a ring.

● Drop the chocolate batter into the ditch. Cover with the remaining pumpkin batter, smoothing the top.

● Bake for 45–50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

● Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.

● Prepare Chocolate Glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake.

● Let stand until set.

Chocolate Glaze
● In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Let cool for 1 hour, until thickened but pourable.

Fudge Tunnel Pumpkin Cake for Hard-Working Republicans

Ingredients
● 2 3/4 cups local store-brand all-purpose flour

If redistribution of resources has affected your flour supply, sawdust works well.

● 1 tablespoon generic unsweetened cocoa powder

Again, if the new redistribution policies have your cocoa supply limited, dehydrated Halloween candy works well as a substitute.

● 2 teaspoons generic baking powder

Skip this if you have to. . .

● 1 teaspoon baking soda

Not necessary.

● 1 teaspoon salt

Look in your glove box. McDonald's sometimes throws 'em in with French fries. Check neighbor's car too.

● 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Kind of important. Borrow from neighbor if redistribution has left you wanting.

● 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Skip it.

● 1/2 tub (1/2 pound) of the cheapest store-brand margarine you can afford

Essential. Skip the glaze (below) if you must to afford this.

● 1 1/2 cups store-brand granulated sugar

A must-have ingredient. Again -- borrow from a liberal neighbor who probably is now in possession of yours.

● 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Double-up on the white sugar if redistribution has affected this staple.

● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

See substitution for ginger.

● 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Corn starch will work.

● 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

Or any medium-size decomposing gourd will work. Puree it in a blender and run it through a sieve. The inside is still good.

● 2 ounces store-brand chocolate, melted

Halloween candy works. If redistribution has affected candy supply. Visit your liberal neighbor. In fact -- make friends with him/her. Fast.

Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

Just skip the glaze if you make over $40,000.00/year. You don't deserve it.

Directions
● Preheat the oven to 350F.

Or -- as an alternative if your oven's been given to a homeless guy, put a space heater in your bathtub and pre-heat bathroom.

● Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan; dust with flour or cocoa.

Or -- as an alternative, use your kid's bike helmet.

● In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

Or -- whatever ingredients you do have.

● Set aside.

Or -- at this point just give up and go buy a cake off the day-old bakery rack at WalMart.

● In a large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars and the vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy.

-- Or - if you don't have an electric mixer, children are great at mixing things with their hands. Give 'em a couple of zip-lock bags and let 'em use their feet if you've used their Halloween candy (you know, as payment for the treats).

● Add the eggs (or corn starch) 1 at a time, beating well after each.

Or -- see zip-lock instructions above.

● At low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the pumpkin (or pureed gourd).

● Transfer 1 cup (or whatever you've got) of batter to a small bowl; stir in the chocolate.

● Spoon 3 cups of the pumpkin (or pureed gourd) batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top.

● Using a small plastic spoon, make a shallow ditch in the center of the batter, forming a ring. Drop the chocolate batter into the ditch.

Consider at this point giving your house to charity and living in a ditch.

● Cover with the remaining pumpkin (or pureed gourd) batter, smoothing the top.

● Bake for 14 hours in warm bathtub or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool anywhere in the house (we'll assume you've turned your thermostat down to 58° in order to pay utilities in anticipation of Obama's unbelievable new tax plan). Then turn the cake onto a paper plate or restaurant napkin. Or whatever you've got.

● If desired, prepare Chocolate Glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake. Let stand until set. Chocolate Glaze : In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Let cool for 1 hour, until thickened but pourable

Yeah . . . we skipped the glaze, remember? Good Grief! You can't have your cake and glaze too!

● Calculate the value of the cake. Subtract $3.00 for your labor. (Do not include cost to heat bathtub.)

● Deduct 60% Federal Government Redistribution Contribution.

● If value exceeds $2.50 $1.49 .69¢, give entire cake to nearest neighbor with an Obama yard sign.

● If you're lucky they might invite you in to share it while you watch the Election Results together in the SPIRIT OF BI-Partisanship! . . . You -- living in a tunnel of financial despair -- and your liberal neighbor -- living with economic-tunnel vision -- enjoying Fudge Tunnel Cake together. ENJOY!!

Now. . . go visit Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee for more great Fall into Flavor recipes. And remember, "Spread the Wealth Recipes Around!"

~ Esthermay Bentley-Goossen

Wacko-Right-Wing-Christian-Conservative

© 2008 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife