CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE
This is a soft, dense mud cake with a rich ganache icing. We serve the cake on its own or with cream and ice cream. Slices of the cake can be microwaved before serving to melt the ganache and form a chocolate sauce.
We use a combination of milk and dark chocolate in both the cake and ganache.
Mud Cake Ingredient Quantities for Various Pan Sizes
Serves at least 16.
250g chocolate (we use 125g dark chocolate and 125g milk chocolate)
250g butter (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt with the butter)
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules/powder
188ml (3/4 cup) water
325g (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) plain flour
30g (1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
550g (2 1/2 cups) caster sugar
4 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
2 tablespoons (40ml) oil (we use a mild-flavoured oil, such as sunflower)
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
Ganache
150g milk chocolate
150g dark chocolate
84ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (not fan-forced).
Grease the side and base of a deep 23cm or 24cm diameter (inside top measurement) round cake pan. We use a springform pan for easy removal of the cake. Line base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper, extending the paper a few centimetres above the top rim of the pan.
Place 250g chocolate, butter, coffee and water in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. When chocolate and butter have melted, remove mixture from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm/room temperature.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda together into a very large bowl.
Add the caster sugar to the bowl with the flour mixture, and stir the ingredients together until well combined. For this recipe, we prefer to use a whisk to stir ingredients together.
In a medium bowl, place eggs, oil, vanilla and buttermilk.
Whisk the wet ingredients together until well combined.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and flour mixture in a three batches, stirring until combined after each addition.
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (24cm pan) or 1 hour and 30 minutes (23cm pan). Insert a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer into the centre of the cake to test whether it is cooked through. If the knife/skewer comes out clean or with moist crumbs (not gooey batter) attached, the cake is ready.
Remove cake from oven, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to cool in the pan.
When the cake has cooled to room temperature, remove it from the pan. The top surface of the cake will probably have a crunchy crust, which you may wish to trim off. We turn the cake upside down to give a flat surface for icing.
Make ganache. Spread ganache over cake using a palette knife or flat-bladed knife.
We store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Ganache
Place chocolate and cream in a medium heavy-based saucepan over very low heat. Stir frequently, and remove from heat when chocolate has just melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, allow the ganache to cool slightly at room temperature to obtain a spreadable consistency.
DIFFERENT PAN SIZES.. HOW TO CHANGE THE RECIPE
Ingredients: Double the above quantities
Pan size: 12 inch (30.5cm) square
Baking time and temperature: 1 hour and 45 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius (not fan-forced), covered with baking paper.
Pan sizes: 18cm square (for the box), half a Wilton 3D sports ball pan (for the base of the lady).
Baking times and temperatures: The dark chocolate mud cake square and half ball pan were baked at 150 degrees Celsius (fan-forced) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The white chocolate mud cake square was baked at 150 degrees Celsius (fan-forced) for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Ingredients: Double the quantities in the above recipe
Pan size: 30cm square (the square cake was cut to shape)
Baking time and temperature: About 1 hour and 45 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius (not fan-forced), covered with baking paper.
Pan: 25cm square pan. The sides of the pan were wrapped in three layers of paper and tied with string.
Baking time and temperature: 150 degrees Celsius (fan-forced) for about 2 hours.
Ingredients: The above quantities were multiplied by 1 1/2.
PHOTO: Michelle Stanton
