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Chocolate Poke Cake with Fudge Sauce

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Ingredients
  

For the Chocolate Velvet Cake:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1-¼ cups cake flour, sifted
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1-½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1-½ cups granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
  • 3 tbsp. vanilla extract, if you want pure white use clear vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1-½ cups buttermilk

For the Chocolate Fudge Sauce:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • ¾ cup butter, melted
  • 1-¼ cups undiluted evaporated milk, no water added
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:

  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 4 tbsp. confectioner's sugar, rounded
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ cup of a chocolate bar, chopped, for garnish, optional

Instructions
 

To prepare the chocolate velvet cake:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
  • In a large bowl, sift together both flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar; set aside.
  • Grease and flour a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and vanilla; beat well, at high speed with whisk attachment, until light and fluffy.
  • Add and beat the eggs, one at a time.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
  • It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients.
  • Do not over mix the batter; as soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the prepared baking pan.
  • Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan.

To prepare the chocolate fudge sauce:

  • You will need only about half of this recipe; the remainder can be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for a couple of weeks to be enjoyed on ice cream sundaes or to use on a second cake later.
  • In a medium sized saucepan, stir all of the ingredients together.
  • Bring to a very gentle boil; stirring occasionally; simmer for five minutes.
  • Watch it very closely, it can foam up and boil over if the heat is too high or the pot too small; this is not a recipe which can be left unmonitored.
  • Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.

To prepare the vanilla whipped cream:

  • In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla together, at high speed, until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake and serve:

  • Using the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake, stopping about a half inch from the bottom of the pan.
  • These holes should be about 3/4 of an inch apart.
  • Pour 1-1/2 cups of the chilled fudge sauce evenly over the cake.
  • Frost immediately with the vanilla whipped cream and garnish with about 1/2 cup chopped chocolate bar if, you like.