Famous Brick Street Chocolate Cake

A recent birthday for a coworker who requested a chocolate cake.  I had saved this recipe a while back from Pinterest.  This just might be one of the best chocolate cakes I've made.  Of course, being in Texas it had to be served with Blue Bell ice cream which is lurking in the background. :o)  

Pinterest took me to a blog Through Her Looking Glass which tells the story about this delicious cake which comes from the Brick Street Cafe in Greenville, N.C.  If it's Southern, you know it has to be good!

BRICK STREET CHOCOLATE CAKE

CAKE:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup baking cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Small box instant chocolate pudding mix
2-1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE ICING:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup baking cocoa, sifted
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (more or less for consistency)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat in eggs. Mix in cake flour, baking cocoa, soda, salt, chocolate pudding mix and buttermilk.  Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased tube pan.  (There is too much batter for a regular bundt pan).  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Adjust baking temperature down to 325 degrees and continue baking 30-45 minutes more until cake tested comes out clean.  (Mine took close to an hour).  This is a very dense cake.  Cool cake completely before icing.

For icing, in a small pan on the stove, melt the water, butter and vanilla.  Remove from heat. Stir together the sifted powdered sugar and sifted cocoa powder.  Pour melted chocolate mixture over and mix well.  Add heavy cream until you get the desired consistency.  This will be poured over the cake.  The icing will harden as it cools.  It is a challenge to get this smooth so work fast.