Rolo Poke Cake

Instructions

Cakes

1. Prepare a 9×13-inch pan and warm your oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, stir together water, oil, vinegar, coffee and extracts.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.
5. Spread the batter into the greased pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean.

Dulce de Leche

1. In a small bowl, stir the baking soda in a couple Tablespoons of the milk until dissolved and set aside.
2. Choose a pot much larger than you think you’ll need to avoid bubbling over. I usually use a 6 qt dutch oven. Stir together the remaining milk and sugar.
3. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Turn off heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda mixture. This is one of those bubbling like crazy moments, so be careful as you stir.
4. Return to medium heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is golden and thick like honey. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour. You don’t need to stand over it the whole time, but you’ll want to keep an eye on it as it will bubble occasionally and you don’t want it sticking to the bottom of the pan as it gets thicker.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and let cool slightly.

Ermine

1. The most crucial part to this frosting turning out is getting the consistency of this first step correct. In a saucepan, whisk together flour and sugar. Add the cold milk a few tablespoons at a time to start, whisking in between to avoid lumps. Once you have a paste, stir in the remaining milk. Make sure there are no lumps, then turn on the burner to medium heat. Continue to whisk and cook until the mixture thickens to a paste consistency. You want it to be pretty thick. It will be tempting to walk away and so something else, but don’t. Once it starts to thicken it will go really quickly and it is important you don’t get lumps. Set thickened paste aside to cool.
2. Once paste is room temperature, add butter and vanilla to mixer bowl. Turn on low and stir until incorporated. Add flour/milk paste and whip on high for about 10 minutes. You want to make sure the frosting has plenty of time to get nice and fluffy.

Hot Fudge

1. Whisk together sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepan to make sure there aren’t any lumps.
2. Add milk and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until it comes to a hard boil.
3. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool some before drizzling.

To Assemble

1. While cake is still warm, poke with the round end of a wooden spoon to create holes across the top of the cake.
2. Make sure your dulce de leche is a drizzling consistency. Warm it a bit and thin with a Tablespoon or two of milk if needed. Then drizzle over the cake. It will be easier to frost if you put the cake in the refrigerator for a bit after this to let the dulce de leche thicken back up and set.
3. Spread frosting over cooled cake.
4. Sprinkle chopped Rolos over the cake and drizzle with fudge sauce.
5. Serve small pieces with a scoop of ice cream and additional hot fudge sauce!