This one is for the serious chocoholics. Chocolate Mud Cake is one of my top two favourite cakes. If I had to describe it for those who have never tried it, it is a dark, rich, decadent cake that is more like a chocolate brownie on steroids than your granny’s chocolate sponge cake. Do not expect this cake to be light and fluffy. It is super fudgy and bakes low and slow to ensure that it stays super moist.
To top it off it gets covered in a layer of Chocolate Ganache, as if there wasn’t enough chocolate in this cake. This is definitely a must try for chocolate lovers and will surely become your go to special occasion cake.
Please do note that this cake has to cool/rest overnight before adding the ganache, so it will need to be made a day ahead.
Chocolate Mud Cake
A dark, rich, decadent cake that is more like a chocolate brownie on steroids than your granny's chocolate sponge cake. Do not expect this cake to be light and fluffy. It is super fudgy and bakes low and slow to ensure that it stays super moist. To top it off it gets covered in a layer of Chocolate Ganache, as if there wasn't enough chocolate in this cake. This is definitely a must try for chocolate lovers and will surely become your go to special occasion cake.
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Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ Cup Hot/Boiling Water
- 2 Tbsp Instant espresso coffee powder or granules
- 250 Grams Unsalted Butter
- 250 Grams Good quality dark Chocolate Chopped or baking chocolate chips
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Good quality cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Cups Castor Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Milk
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 Cup Fresh Cream 250 ml (I use pouring cream)
- 200 Grams Good quality Dark Chocolate I use 70%
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Optional
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheated the oven to 130 – 150°C (depending on how hot your oven runs). No higher. Mud cake requires baking a bit like a christmas cake, long, slow and low heat. (My oven runs cold as most things take longer on the bake setting than most recipes suggest, so I set mine to 150°C. If your oven bakes at the lowest or recommended time usually suggested in recipes, then set it at the 130°C for this cake)
- Line the base and sides of a 23cm round loose bottom cake tin with baking paper, making sure the paper extends well above the top of the tin. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
- Dissolve the coffee in the hot water. Add the butter, sugar, chocolate and dissolved coffee and water in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until smooth, completely melted and well incorporated. Set aside
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre
- Combine and whisk the eggs, milk and oil, then using a large whisk, spoon or spatula mix this into the dry ingredients. Now add half the cooled melted chocolate mixture; stir well until there are no lumps. Add the remaining half, making sure the mixture is well combined. It should be of a pourable consistency
- Pour the mixture into the prepared lined cake tin and bake for approx 1 hour 45 minutes (1¾ hours). (It is not unusual for the top of the cake to develop a crust or for the centre to be slightly sunken due to the density and long cooking time). When baked, place the cake (still in the tin) on a rack until completely cooled. Once cooled, cover with a tea towel and leave overnight
- Turn the cake out, removing all of the lining. You want a level cake when it comes to decorating, therefore if it is not even it may be necessary to slice off some of the crusty edges until it is level with the centre of the cake if it has sunken slightly in the middle. If you are lucky you won't have to do a thing
- Once you have achieved a flat surface, turn the cake upside down. You want the smoothest surface for the top of the cake. A useful tip is to decorate the cake on the serving plate with some cutouts of baking or wax paper around the edges and under the cake to catch any ganache that drips off. This alleviates any messiness or a need to move the cake one decorated, damaging the ganache. Once the ganache becomes firm, the baking paper can be removed leaving your serving plate clean
Ganache
- Chop the chocolate as fine as possible and place into a medium mixing bowl
- In a small saucepan, warm the cream until hot, just before boiling. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't catch on the bottom. The cream must be hot enough to melt the chocolate but do not boil it
- Remove the cream from the heat, add the vanilla and pour the cream evenly over the chocolate. Work quickly then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight fitting plate and set aside for 3 – 5 minutes
- Remove the cover and begin to stir or whisk the cream and chocolate together
- Add a pinch of salt and mix through until the mixture is smooth and velvety
- Now begin to pour the ganache over the cake, spreading it to the ends with a palette knife or spatula. Then ensure that the sides are covered with the rest and try to make the top as smooth as possible
- Place in the fridge for at least an hour or two for the ganache to set
- Serve as is or decorate as you wish
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