Comfort for the Coast: Fudge Overboard Cake

— -- Betty Nicoson's Fudge Overboard Cake recipe is a finalist in "Emeril's Comfort for the Coast" contest. The winner of the contest will travel to New York next week to prepare his or her recipe on "Good Morning America." The contest focuses on comfort food recipes because many people turn to food in times of crisis and chef Emeril Lagasse lived in New Orleans. He owns three restaurants in the city.

This Fudge Overboard Cake has been a well-known friend of my family. This cake visits our house often. There is nothing better than a tall glass of milk and a large slice of freshly baked Fudge Overboard Cake to make you feel better and bring back childhood memories.

2 cups flour

2 eggs

¾ cup cocoa

1 cup sour cream

2 cups sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1½ tsp baking powder

1 cup hot coffee

1½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 small jar of fudge topping -- about ½ cup

¾ cup chocolate crushed wafers

2/3 cup cocoa

6 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 or 3 Tbsp milk

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

½ cup of chocolate chips, melted in microwave, for drizzling over top of finished cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9" round cake pans and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, and sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, sour cream, oil, hot coffee, vanilla. Spoon cake batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in middle of cake. Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around insides of pans to loosen cake, then turn pans over on cooling rack to remove cake. Cool completely. Spread fudge topping on one of the cake layers. Sprinkle crushed chocolate wafers over fudge topping. Place the other layer on top of the first layer so that the fudge is in the middle.