Chocolate Mud Cake

Every year for Easter, I make this Mud cake recipe to take with us to family celebrations. This year I was a few weeks late making them. Here is the recipe.

Total cooking time: 1 3/4 hours

250 g (8 oz) butter
250 g (8 oz) dark chocolate
2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee powder or granules
185 ml (6 oz) hot water
150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
60 g (2 oz) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
550 g (1lb 2 oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons oil
125 ml (4 fl oz) buttermilk

Preheat the oven to warm 160 C. Brush a deep 22 cm (9 inch) round cake tin with melted butter or oil. Line the base and side with baking paper, making sure the paper around the side extends at least 5 cm (2 inches) above the top edge.
Put the butter, chocolate and coffee in a pan with 185 ml hot water. Stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Sift the flours, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the combined eggs, oil and buttermilk and, using a large metal spoon, slowly stir to start incorporating the dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the melted chocolate mixture.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 3/4 hours. Test the centre with a skewer - the skewer may just appear slightly wet. Remove the cake from the oven unless the centre looks raw. If the cake needs a little longer, give it an extra 5-10 minutes. Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold, then turn out and wrap in plastic wrap.

Storage time: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks or in a cool dry place for up to a week. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.

My Tips: Use eating chocolate for a fudgy texture to your mud cake. I just use the supermarket brand chocolate. Not the really cheap stuff, the next price up from that :-).
If cutting the dome off the top and slicing the cake horizontally to decorate and fill, make sure the cake is cold from the fridge to avoid breaking. If it does break, try "gluing" it back together with the ganache.

White Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup (125 ml) cream
300 g white chocolate, chopped

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate in small bowl, stirring until chocolate melts. I usually put the bowl over a saucepan of water (double boiler style) to make sure the ganache is smooth. Cover, refrigerate, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is spreadable.

To cover and fill the above cake you will probably need at least 2 batches. Then you can have enough for a crumb coat, top coat and some left for decorating.

Enjoy! My secret recipe is out.

(From: Making Beautiful Cakes - Family Circle Step-by-Step with a few additions from me)