Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(38)

Use the rubber spatula to transfer the cake batter to the prepared Bundt pan.



Smooth the top of your cake with the spatula and put it into the center of your preheated oven.



Bake your Ultimate Chocolate Butterscotch Bundt Cake at 350 degrees F. for 55 minutes.



Before you take your cake out of the oven, test it for doneness by inserting a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, or long toothpick. Insert it midway between outside edges of the pan and the metal protrusion that makes the crater in the center of the pan.



If the tester comes out clean, your cake is done. If there is still unbaked batter clinging to the tester, shut the oven door and bake your cake for 5 minutes longer.



When your cake tests done, take it out of the oven and set it on a cold stove burner or a wire rack. Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then pull the sides of the cake away from the pan with the tips of your impeccably clean fingers. Don’t forget to do the same for the sides of the crater in the middle.



Tip the Bundt pan upside down on a platter and drop it gently on a folded towel on the kitchen counter. Do this until the cake falls out of the pan and rests on the platter.



Cover your Ultimate Chocolate Butterscotch Bundt Cake loosely with foil and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. Overnight is even better.



Frost your cake with Cool Whip Butterscotch Frosting. (Recipe and instructions follow.)



Yield: At least 10 pieces of fudgy butterscotch cake. Serve with tall glasses of ice cold milk or cups of strong coffee.





COOL WHIP BUTTERSCOTCH FROSTING

This recipe is made in the microwave.





1 heaping cup (6 to 7 ounces by weight) of butterscotch baking chips (I used Nestlé)

8-ounce (by weight) tub of FROZEN Cool Whip (Do not thaw! Leave in the freezer.)





Hannah’s 1st Note: Make sure you use the original Cool Whip, not the sugar free or the real whipped cream.



Start by chopping your butterscotch chips into smaller pieces or placing the chips in a food processor with the steel blade and processing in an on-and-off motion to chop the chips into smaller pieces.



Get the Cool Whip out of your freezer and measure out 1 cup. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl. (I used a quart Pyrex measuring cup.)



Add the butterscotch baking chips to the bowl.



Microwave the bowl on HIGH for 1 minute and then let it sit in the microwave for an additional minute.



Take the bowl out of the microwave, then stir to see if the chips are melted. If they’re not, heat them in 30-second intervals with 30-second standing times on HIGH in the microwave until you succeed in melting the chips and stirring the mixture smooth.



Put the microwave-safe bowl on a towel on your kitchen counter.



Let the bowl sit on the countertop for 15 minutes to thicken the icing.



When the time is up, give the bowl a stir and remove your cake from the refrigerator. Frost your Ultimate Chocolate Butterscotch Bundt Cake with the frosting and don’t forget the sides of the crater in the middle. You don’t need to frost all the way down to the bottom of the crater. That’s almost impossible. Just frost an inch or so down the sides of the crater.



Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can decorate the top of your cake with chocolate drizzle. The recipe follows.



Return your cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting it and serving it to your guests.





CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE



1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (half of a 12-ounce bag)

1 Tablespoon salted butter (1/8 stick, half of an ounce)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract





Hannah’s Note: The easy way to measure a half-ounce of salted butter is to divide a stick of butter into 8 pieces and use only one piece. Put the rest back in your refrigerator.



Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. (I used a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup with a pour spout.)



Add the half-ounce of salted butter on top of the chocolate chips.



Add the vanilla extract on top of the butter.



Heat the contents for 1 minute on HIGH in the microwave.



Let the bowl or cup sit in the microwave for an additional minute.



Remove the bowl from the microwave and attempt to stir the contents smooth with a heat-resistant spatula.



If you cannot stir the contents smooth, heat the mixture for an additional minute on HIGH in the microwave.



Let the bowl sit in the microwave for another minute.



Take out the bowl and again, try to stir the contents smooth.



Repeat the above steps as many times as it takes to achieve a smooth mixture of chocolate chips, salted butter, and vanilla extract.



When the mixture is smooth, take the Ultimate Chocolate Butterscotch Bundt Cake out of the refrigerator and drizzle the liquid chocolate mixture over the top and down the sides of the cake.



Don’t forget to drizzle a bit of the chocolate mixture down the sides of the crater in the center of your cake.