Rainy Weather Chocolate Cake

This cake was perfection. I enjoyed eating it, as much as I enjoyed baking it. It is very rich, so I suggest cutting small slices & sharing with friends! 

Mexican Chocolate Cake
 From The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Glaze

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
•  1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup high-quality cocoa powder
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sift first, then measure the 2 cups of sugar out)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and heavily grease a 9″ tube pan or a Bundt pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and whisk in the cocoa until smooth.  Add the water to the cocoa butter mixture and whisk until smooth, then turn the burner off. Add the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla to the cocoa mixture and whisk until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt all at once and whisk until everything is, again, fully incorporated 
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and slide it in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes, until firm yet springy to the touch and the edges start to pull slightly away from the pan.
4. Take the pan out (leave the oven on) and let the cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake on to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. Once you take the pan out of the oven, spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes.  Let them cool for a few minutes and then coarsely chop them.  I like lots of big pecan pieces so I didn’t chop them up too much.
6. Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan, then turn off the burner.
7. Add the milk, cocoa and powdered  sugar and whisk until glossy.  
8. Whisk the vanilla and salt into the glaze.
9. Carefully move the cake onto your desired serving dish and pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake.