Description
Bumpy Cake is a decadent chocolate dessert that combines moist cake, creamy vanilla buttercream bumps, and a glossy layer of rich fudge icing. The “bumps” give each slice an extra special texture and whimsy.
Ingredients
- For the Chocolate Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups all‑purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water or hot coffee
- For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2‑3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- For the Fudge Icing:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and grease a 9×13‑inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3‑4 minutes). Then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Then stir in the hot coffee or water until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30‑35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely in the pan.
- To make the buttercream, beat together butter and shortening until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in vanilla, salt, and enough cream/milk to achieve a thick, pipe‑able frosting.
- Transfer buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe long, even “bumps” (rows) across the cooled cake. Chill the cake in the fridge for ~30 minutes to set the buttercream.
- For the fudge icing, heat heavy cream, sugar, butter, cocoa powder and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly (about 4‑5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Let the icing cool slightly until still pourable but not too hot. Pour evenly over the chilled cake (with bumps), tilting the pan gently to cover. Chill until icing sets, then slice and serve.
Notes
- You can finish by piping the buttercream bumps while the cake is cold, then chill so they hold shape before pouring the icing.
- If your fudge icing is too thick, stir in a tablespoon of warm cream/milk until tame pour‑consistency.
- For variation, you can swap the cake base for red velvet or vanilla; or add a touch of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- The original “Bumpy Cake” was created by Sanders in Detroit in the early 1900s—designing the iconic buttercream ridges covered in chocolate ganache. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking and layering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 626
- Sugar: 53g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
