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 ⅓ measurements, I supposed Texas French Bread makes these cakes three at a time. The original measurement for the egg is “2 ⅔ 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
I 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
Hi 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
Hooray! Glad the all butter sub worked.
Karen says
Postscript: 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
Thanks Karen! I'm glad the judges weren't too brutal on your birthday. 🙂
Karen says
Thanks 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 9x5 for a taller loaf, but either way works.
Anna says
Shannon, I think a tube pan would work.
Sophia says
Happy birthday Karen!
That cake does look wonderful.
Shannon says
This 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
nICE CAKE . LOOKS SO YUMMY
Sue says
For 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
Hi Annie,
This cake is good, but I do think butter would be better than shortening. Definitely give it a try!
annie says
Anna, 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
I 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
I'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
Isn't Karen a lucky girl to get such a yummy looking cake?! Happy birthday!
Annie says
Happy Birthday from Hyde Park, UK!
VeggieGirl says
Happy birthday to Karen!!
DAMN that fudge cake looks heavenly.
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says
That looks so decedent!!!
Karen says
Wow! 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
It appears that I've only had one dish on the Top 10 list (Hyde Park french fries). What a shame.
Katrina says
Yum! Happy Birthday, Karen!
aTxVegn says
Definitely one of the best cakes in town. Yours looks lovely!
Sue says
Happy 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.