Chocolate Mudslide Cake Food

SPIKED MUDSLIDE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the batter is well mixed before adding the next egg. Beat in the vanilla until blended.
• Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. (The batter may look slightly curdled as you mix it, but this is not a problem.) Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until the cakes are golden and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely. Turn the cakes over, and poke the tops all over with the tines of a fork. Generously brush the tops with the liqueur, letting it soak in before brushing on more.
• For the frosting: While the cakes cool, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Set a large heatproof bowl over it (do not let the bowl touch the water), add the egg whites and sugar and whisk until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan, and beat the mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, 4 to 7 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, and continue beating until the frosting is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (Don't worry if the mixture becomes soupy or looks separated; keep beating and it will come together.) Stir the Kahlua and instant coffee together until dissolved, and beat into the frosting with the mixer running on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake plate or stand, and spread with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

CHOCOLATE MUDSLIDE ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Mix coffee granules and water; set aside. Whisk fudge topping and 1 cup COOL WHIP in medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until blended. Remove 1 tsp. of the coffee; reserve for later use. Add remaining coffee to pudding mixture; mix well. Stir in chopped cookies.
• Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches, long sides together, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half the pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with combined remaining COOL WHIP and coffee. Bring up foil sides; fold top and ends to make loose packet.
• Freeze 4 hours before serving.

MUDSLIDE

Steps:

• Put two small tumblers in the fridge to chill overnight. Put 30g of the chocolate in a shallow bowl and melt in the microwave in short bursts. Dip the rim of the chilled glasses in the melted chocolate, then stand them upright so it gradually drips down the sides. Return to the fridge until you're ready to serve.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the coffee-flavoured liqueur, vodka, Irish cream liqueur and double cream. Shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
• Put a few ice cubes in the prepared glasses, then strain in the cocktail. Finely grate over the remaining chocolate and serve with a paper straw.