Happy Birthday Karen! This Hyde Park Fudge Cake is for You.
Hyde Park Fudge Cake is based on a recipe from a local bakery called Texas French Bread. They named the cake after their neighborhood, Hyde Park, which is located near the U.T. Campus. It’s a nice area, but I don’t get over there much and am happy Texas French Bread was nice enough to share the recipe. According to the Statesman, it is one of Austin’s top 10 dishes.
This cake is very simple. Given the funky 1/3 measurements, I supposed Texas French Bread makes these cakes three at a time. The original measurement for the egg is “2 2/3 egg” so maybe the high yield recipe called for 8 eggs. Or maybe they just measure eggs by weight and were converting.
The icing came together beautifully and had the perfect texture and sheen. Since I don’t have a double boiler, I used a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Happy Birthday, Karen! I’m sending this cake to work so I guess Todd’s co-workers are celebrating your birthday this morning.
UPDATE: This recipe is no longer my favorite. If you’re going to make a chocolate pound cake, I recommend this one or Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt.
Brooke says
August 19, 2009 at 4:45 pmI made this cake over the weekend for my family and we all fell in love! So good and moist. My only thing to change for next time, let the iceing settle a bit before putting it on the cake. It was runny and spilled out into the middle. But it was still good!!! Yummy.
Robin says
July 17, 2009 at 3:48 pmHi Anna,
Do you mind if I ask how you were able to get TFB to share the recipe?
I’m an ex-Austinite who still longs for their wild rice salad with walnuts and dried cranberries…
Thanks!
Anna says
December 6, 2008 at 4:33 pmHooray! Glad the all butter sub worked.
Karen says
December 6, 2008 at 2:52 pmPostscript: I finally made “my” birthday cake and it came out great, very moist and a nice texture, kinda like gingerbread. I subbed butter for the shortening and just used water, no coffee. We have really enjoyed snacking on it all week long. A great easy cake! Thanks again!
Sue says
October 28, 2008 at 6:14 pmThanks Karen! I’m glad the judges weren’t too brutal on your birthday. 🙂
Karen says
October 28, 2008 at 4:32 pmThanks everybody for the birthday wishes from around the globe! The judges weren’t too brutal today. I got home in time for my brother to take me to lunch at a new Italian restaurant.
To Sue and Shannon – I often cut a bundt cake recipe in half and bake in a loaf pan. Usually in an 8 x 4 rather than 9×5 for a taller loaf, but either way works.
Anna says
October 28, 2008 at 3:29 pmShannon, I think a tube pan would work.
Sophia says
October 28, 2008 at 3:27 pmHappy birthday Karen!
That cake does look wonderful.
Shannon says
October 28, 2008 at 3:02 pmThis cake looks FANTASTIC! I’d love to make it for work, but don’t currently own a bundt pan…do you think another pan would work? I’d hate to ruin the recipe by poorly chosen…erm…hardware!
snookydoodle says
October 28, 2008 at 2:41 pmnICE CAKE . LOOKS SO YUMMY
Sue says
October 28, 2008 at 1:19 pmFor the sake of experimenting with different recipes and not being deluged with cake, would it work to halve a bundt cake recipe and bake it in a loaf pan?
It’s time for me to go for a walk. The baked item at my house today is apple pie. Totally ridiculous since there are only two people to eat it, but it’s my husband’s all time favorite.
Anna says
October 28, 2008 at 1:09 pmHi Annie,
This cake is good, but I do think butter would be better than shortening. Definitely give it a try!
annie says
October 28, 2008 at 12:22 pmAnna, how fortuitous I am today, as I was looking for a chocolate cake to bake for my son’s birthday tomorrow.I was wondering if I could substitute the shortening for butter as I do not like shortening, nor do I have any on hand. Thank you for the many recipe ideas I have gleaned from your blog.
Heidi says
October 28, 2008 at 11:34 amI didn’t even know there was a hood named Hyde Park. I’ve not had any of those foods (I know, I know, I demanded Amy’s the next time we are in town)
Anna says
October 28, 2008 at 11:26 amI’m celebrating Karen’s birthday right now with a small piece of cake.
Sue, I will let you know if this is *the one*. It’s very good and I love the frosting, but I need to eat some more to decide if it’s the best.
Jess, don’t feel bad. The only thing on the list I’ve tried are the french fries from Hyde Park Grill. They’re great, but I prefer the fries at Trio in the Four Seasons. Do you follow Dishola? It’s more up-to-date. I think the things on the list above are personal favorites of the now-retired restaurant reviewer.
I’m glad Karen’s getting a birthday greeting from the REAL Hyde Park. Wow. And another one from Portugal!
clumbsycookie says
October 28, 2008 at 11:02 amIsn’t Karen a lucky girl to get such a yummy looking cake?! Happy birthday!
Annie says
October 28, 2008 at 10:34 amHappy Birthday from Hyde Park, UK!
VeggieGirl says
October 28, 2008 at 9:51 amHappy birthday to Karen!!
DAMN that fudge cake looks heavenly.
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says
October 28, 2008 at 9:28 amThat looks so decedent!!!
Karen says
October 28, 2008 at 9:23 amWow! I’m in total shock! What a surprise! Thanks so much, that really made my morning – glad I clicked on cookiemadness so early today to see that! I’m appearing in court today, in one hour, so I’m very stressed out and really should not be surfing the web. I’ll have to make my cake later and let you know how it comes out!
Thanks so much, Anna!
runjess says
October 28, 2008 at 9:15 amIt appears that I’ve only had one dish on the Top 10 list (Hyde Park french fries). What a shame.
Katrina says
October 28, 2008 at 8:39 amYum! Happy Birthday, Karen!
aTxVegn says
October 28, 2008 at 8:21 amDefinitely one of the best cakes in town. Yours looks lovely!
Sue says
October 28, 2008 at 8:11 amHappy Birthday Karen! That cake looks great!! This recipe is going in the “try it” file. I’ve been looking for a really good chocolate bundt cake recipe for a long time. I’ve tried a couple but they’re not quite it. Maybe this is the one.