Chocolate Mud Cake

I have been a chef and cake decorator for nearly 20 years. I absolutely love food, especially sweets and I would like to share with you what I think is the best ever mud cake recipe. This recipe has won me multiple awards and the best thing is it is so simple to make. It is sure to be a crowd pleaser, one piece is never enough.

Chocolate Mud Cake
1. 350 grams dark chocolate pieces
2. 225 grams butter
3. 600 ml water
4. 3 eggs
5. 400 grams castor sugar
6. 400 grams self raising flour
7. Grease and line a 23cm/9" round cake tin. Preheat oven to 170C/325F.
8. In a saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate, butter and water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
9. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Gradually beat cooled chocolate mixture into eggs.
10. Whisk sugar and flour into chocolate mixture, continue beating until smooth and well blended.
11. Pour mixture into cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
12. Turn cake onto wire rack to cool.

*Please note: This mixture is quite runny, use a solid cake tin not a springform tin.

*Tip: Line tin with baking paper, this will make the cake easier to remove from the tin, no sticking to the sides.

Truffle Mixture
* 120 grams dark chocolate pieces
* 100 grams butter
* 300 grams sifted icing sugar
* 4 tbsp double or whipping cream

1. In a bowl over a pan of simmering water melt chocolate, stirring frequently.
2. Cool slightly, then stir icing sugar, butter and cream until well blended.

Chocolate Glaze
* 225 grams dark chocolate pieces
* 165 ml double or whipping cream

1. In a saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate and cream, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Keep warm.

Assembling The Cake
1. Cut cooled mud cake into layers.
2. Spread truffle mixture between layers with a palette knife. Reserve some mixture to finish round the edges of the cake.
3. Position cake on wire cake rack and pour warm glaze over the top.With a palette knife to spread glaze to cover top and side evenly.
4. Put remaining truffle mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe a decorative border around the edge of the cake.

Tips
* This cake is firm enough to cover with rolled fondant if using as a wedding or special occasion cake.
* To appreciate the full, rich flavour that this cake offers it is best eaten at room temperature.
* This cake is suitable for freezing.

Here are some more alternatives using the same recipe
White Chocolate Mud Cake
* Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate

Orange Mud Cake
* Can be made using either white or dark chocolate
* Replace water with freshly squeezed orange juice

Hazelnut Mud Cake
* Omit 50-100 grams flour and replace with ground hazelnuts (depending on how nutty you like your cake)
* Also add in 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Lemon Poppy Seed Mud Cake
* Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate
* Use 400 ml water and 200 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
* Add a few drops of lemon essence and 1/4 cup poppy seeds
* You may add some grated lemon zest if you like a bit of extra tang

Caramel Mud Cake
* Replace dark chocolate with white chocolate
* Replace castor sugar with brown sugar
Enjoy!

source:
by: hubpages.com