Sanders’ Style Bumpy Cake. New Music From Corkbush Field Mutiny.

Bumpy Cake turned 100 years old this year. The cake is a Detroit staple from Sanders’ Candy Company that I first learned about years ago from a friend who hailed from Michigan.

As cakes go, Bumpy Cake is pretty unique in appearance. A dark chocolate sheet cake gets rows of rich buttercream piped across it. Poured over all is an over the top sweet, fudgy glaze. It’s a fascinating combination of textures that any chocolate lover should give a try.

Bumpy Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot black coffee
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour

Ingredients for the buttercream icing:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the pourable fudge frosting:

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Directions for the cake:

1. Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cocoa and coffee, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add oil, beat for 30 seconds; add buttermilk, beat for 30 seconds; add baking soda, beat for 30 seconds; add salt, beat for 30 seconds; add vanilla, beat for 30 seconds; add eggs, beat for 30 seconds; add sugars, beat for 30 seconds. Add flour and beat 5 minutes.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Directions for the buttercream icing:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix until blended. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

2. Pipe icing crosswise into seven 1-inch wide lines spaced 1-inch apart. Return cake to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to set the icing.

Directions for the pourable fudge frosting:

1. In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, corn syrup, salt and 8 tablespoons of the butter. Stir until combined then bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. Cook until mixture registers 240°F (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer, then remove from heat. While whisking constantly, add hot mixture to buttermilk mixture. Add remaining butter, cut into pieces, and continue whisking until smooth and mixture has cooled.

4. Remove cake from freezer and pour cooled fudge frosting over the cake to completely cover buttercream rolls. The frosting will be thin and sauce like.

5. Return cake to freezer for at least 30 minutes to set. Serve chilled and store leftovers in refrigerator or freezer.

Serves 24

Recipe slightly adapted from SeriousEats.com

Granted, this is not the most glamorous looking cake. (I told my kids that those were ribs under the chocolate.)