Chocolate Mudcake

Chocolate cake is just one of those recipes where everyone has a favorite. I have been working on the perfect chocolate cake recipe for such a long time now, trying to find the right balance of flavors, richness and moistness. Not to mention getting that icing just right!

So after lots of playing around and testing out cakes, here's what I have for you!

Chocolate Mudcake

Serves 12

Cake:

2 tsp granulated coffee
1 Cup hot water
1/4 Cup whiskey (or orange juice)
200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
250 g (8.8 oz) butter, chopped
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 1/2 Cups plain flour
1/2 Cup self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Vanilla Buttercream:

1/2 Cup butter
2 Cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Ganche:

1/2 Cup Cream
200 g (7 oz) Dark Chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 140C (280F) and grease a 23 cm springform cake tin.

2. Place the coffee, water, and whiskey in a saucepan over a medium heat and heat to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and chocolate, continue to stir until melted in. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool.

3. Sift the flours into a large bowl and make a well in the center.

4. Whisk the eggs and the vanilla. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture and pour into the flour. Stir until combined.

5. Tip into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the cake has shrunk away from the edges of the tin and the top of the cake is firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

6. When cool, cut the cake in half. Make the buttercream by beating the buttercream ingredients together. Spread over the top of the bottom half of the cake. Replace the top.

7. Make the ganache by melting the chocolate into the cream in a microwave proof bowl. Spread over the cake.

8. Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.