Tunnel of Fudge Cake

A slice of chocolate tunnel cake coated in chocolate ganache lifted on a metal cake server.

This layered Bundt cake bakes a ring of chocolate cheesecake directly inside the batter, giving every slice a dense, fudgy center under a coat of warm chocolate ganache.

Key Ingredients

The cake base pairs a standard chocolate cake mix with room-temperature coffee and canola oil for moisture. The cheesecake filling blends softened cream cheese, sugar, corn syrup, an egg, and melted semisweet chocolate chips with a splash of heavy cream. For the topping, additional chocolate chips melt directly into warm cream to create a smooth ganache.

Baking and Assembling

Mix the cake batter and pour it into a greased, floured Bundt pan. Spoon the prepared chocolate cream cheese filling in a neat ring over the top, making sure it stays clear of the center tube and outer edges. Bake until a tester comes out clean, then rest the pan briefly before inverting the cake onto a plate. Once completely cool, finish with the freshly stirred ganache and allow it to set before slicing.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake — Recipe

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Cake

  • 1 (15.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup coffee, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 eggs

Ganache

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
  2. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Combine with the sugar, corn syrup and filling egg.
  3. Melt the filling chocolate in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring after each burst. Cool for 3 minutes, then stir the melted chocolate and the 1 tablespoon heavy cream into the cream-cheese mixture.
  4. Mix the cake mix, room-temperature coffee, canola oil and the 3 cake eggs until combined. Transfer cake batter to the prepared pan. Spoon the cheesecake mixture in a ring onto the batter, keeping it away from the outer pan walls and center tube.
  5. Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, invert onto a serving plate, and let the cake finish cooling.
  7. For the ganache, microwave its cream until it begins bubbling. Add its chocolate chips, leave for 1–2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Drizzle onto the cooled, inverted cake.
  8. Let the ganache set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe notes

  • Serves 8–10. Prep: 25 minutes. Bake: 35–40 minutes at 350°F. Use a greased, floured 10-inch Bundt pan.
  • The filling is chocolate cheesecake, not molten lava or stretchy cheese.

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