Author: The Ruby Kitchen
Adapted from “Cakes” by Maida Heatter

Ingredients for Cake
2 cups toasted pecans
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. hot water
3 Tbsp. whipping cream
12 oz. butter, at room temperature
1½ vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
2¼ cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups milk

Ingredients for Glaze
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening (e.g., Crisco)
Sprinkles, optional

1. Adjust oven rack one-third up from the bottom of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 10-inch (12-14 cup capacity) Bundt pan.
2. Coarsely chop half of the pecans and set aside. With the second half of the pecans, finely chop them into rice-sized pieces and use them to coat the inside of the Bundt pan (much in the same way you would coat a pan with flour).
3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
4. Place the chocolate chips and water in a double boiler on moderate heat. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Add the whipping cream and whisk again until you have a smooth, shiny ganache-like mixture. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and smooth. Add in the extracts and sugar and continue to beat for about two minutes. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the milk and dry ingredients slowly, alternating between dry and milk with each addition. The mixture will look curdled and that is okay, just beat it slowly until it is combined.
6. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. With a large spoon, form a trench and spoon the chocolate mixture into it. If any of the mixture is leaving the inside of the trench carefully move some batter on top of it.
7. Evenly sprinkle the reserved pecans on top of the batter and bake for 50 minutes. Loosely cover the top of the cake with foil and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
8. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, cover with desired cake plate and carefully flip over. Carefully remove the Bundt pan using oven mitts and allow the cake to cool completely.
9. To make glaze, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler, whisking until smooth.
10. Carefully pour over the top of the Bundt cake and allow it to drip over the sides. Top with sprinkles and let the glaze harden for about 30 minutes.
11. Store and serve at room temperature.