Ultimate Mud Cake Food

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F (fan/convection) or 160°C / 320°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin. The cake rises very high when baking, so make sure that the baking paper rises at least 6 cm (2 inches) above the top of the tin.
• Place chopped butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute on high power. Stir well. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Microwave in further 10 second bursts, if needed, to completely melt the chocolate.
• Add sugars and instant coffee granules. Stir well. Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
• Sift over flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until the batter is well combined.
• Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 80-90 minutes (1 hr 20 mins - 1 hr 30 mins) or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Avoid opening the oven door during cooking as much as possible or the cake will sink in the middle.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Stir together milk and cream in a small heat-proof jug. Microwave for 1 minute on high power or until it just begins to bubble (but is not boiling over).
• Place the finely chopped chocolate in a separate small bowl. Pour the hot cream and milk over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir together until smooth and well combined. If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, microwave the ganache in 10 seconds bursts until smooth.
• Using a large serrated bread knife, level out the top of the cake so it is completely flat. Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled cake, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ganache is firm and matte. The ganache can also set at room temperature (if your house is reasonably cool), but it may take longer.
• Slice up and enjoy! I find that this cake tastes even fudgier on the second day.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

ULTIMATE MUD PIE

Steps:

• 1 Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan.
• 2 To make the crust, combine the crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until moistened. Press firmly and evenly into the pie pan. Bake until the crust is set and smells like warm cookies, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• 3 To make the filling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 1/2 cups of the half-and-half, the sugar, and the salt, stirring often to dissolve the sugar, until simmering. Pour into a heatproof bowl. Rinse out the saucepan.
• 4 In a small bowl, sprinkle the cornstarch over the remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half and whisk until dissolved. Whisk the yolks in a medium bowl, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Gradually whisk in the hot half-and-half mixture and return to the rinsed-out saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a flat wooden spatula (to keep the mixture from scorching), until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture bubble, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla, and whisk until the chocolate melts completely. Strain through a wire sieve into a clean bowl.
• 5 Pour the filling into the cooled crust and press plastic wrap directly on the filling to keep a skin from forming. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until the filling is chilled and set, at least 2 hours.
• 6 To make the topping, whip the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a chilled medium bowl with an electric mixer set on high speed until stiff. Uncover the pie. Spread and swirl the topping over the filling. (If you wish, transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe the cream onto the pie.) Sprinkle pie with cookie crumbs. Slice and serve chilled.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat butter, chocolate, water and sugar in a saucepan stirring until melted and well combined.
• Sift flours together into a bowl and blend in chocolate mixture, eggs and vanilla Pour into a greased and base lined 20cm round cake tin.
• Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes until cooked when tested.
• To make icing cream butter, blend in remaining ingredients.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE WITH FROSTING

Steps:

• Prehead oven to 160C (145C fan forced). Grease a 20cm square cake pan and line with paper.
• Place chocolate, butter, milk and sugar in a large saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat when chocolate and butter have melted, and stir mixture well until completely smooth. Allow mix to cool at room temp for 15 minutes.
• Add vanilla and eggs to chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
• Sift flours together into a large bowl.
• Add 1 cup of the chocolate mixture slowly and stir until a paste forms. Repeat until chocolate mixture has all been mixed in . The gradual method of combining wet and dry ingredients helps prevent lumps.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for about 70 minutes. When the cake is ready a skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean.
• Cool on wire rack.
• To make the icing - beat the butter with an electric mixer until it becomes lighter and flufflier. Add the vanilla and then gradually add icing sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler for 2-3 minutes, set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour chocolate into icing mixture and beat until well combined.
• Pipe or spread icing on the cake.

THE ULTIMATE WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat ovem to 175°C
• Heat the butter, chocolate, water and sugar in a saucepan stirring until melted and well combined.
• Sift flours together into a bowl and stir in the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla.
• Pour into a greased and base lined 20cm round spring-form cake tin.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour until cooked. Test cake with a metal skewer.
• Cool cake until it is ready to be iced. While doing this make the icing and sauce.
• ICING: bring cream to the boil, and then pour over the chocolate in a small bowl, stirring until the chocolate melts.
• Cover, refrigerate, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, or until spreadable.
• Place cake on a serving plate and spread with white chocolate icing.
• RASPBERRY SAUCE: Crush the raspberries with water in a saucepan.
• Add sugar and cornstarch.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.
• Push through a strainer & Cool down.
• Put the sauce into a ziplock bag, snip off the bottom and squiggle on top of the iced cake.

ULTIMATE MUD CAKE

Steps:

• Grease 22 cm round tin, and line with baking paper. Make sure paper is extended 5cms above top of tin.
• Cut unsalted butter cut into cubes.
• Melt Chocolate, Butter, Water and coffee over hot water bath.
• Stir to combine and cool.
• Sift plain flour, self raising flour, cocoa powder and Bi-Carb Soda into a bowl.
• Stir in castor sugar.
• Make a well in the centre.
• In a jug mix together eggs, oil and buttermilk.
• Stir egg mixture into flour mixture with large metal spoon do not to overstir.
• Then gradually stir in melted chocolate mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared tin, and bake at 160 C for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• If cake still looks wet/raw in middle, bake for 5-10 mins more.
• When cooked, remove from oven.
• Cool in tin until completely cold before turning out.
• Can be refridgerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks, or in a cool dry place for 1 week.
• Can be frozen for up to 2 months.
• Decorate cake as desired with your favourite Ganache recipe.

ULTIMATE WHITE CHOCOLATE PASSIONFRUIT MUDCAKE

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 150 °.
• Place first four ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until all ingredients are melted and combined. Take off heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
• Sift both flours together and add to cooled chocolate mixture, beat gently.
• Stir in eggs, sweetened condensed milk and passonfruit syrup.
• Pour the mixture into a deep round dish (20-22cm is ideal) and cook for 1 hourish - cooking times can vary greatly between ovens so keep checking with a toothpick.
• Leave to cool completely before turning out.
• Poke holes in cake with a skewer/toothpick and pour over 50ml of passionfruit through a sieve, leave to sit for an hour or so.
• Ice with ganache (see below).
• Ganache:.
• Using a double boiler system (a glass bowl sitting in a pot with 2 inches or so of water on a low heat works just as well) pour cream into the bowl and heat on a low temperature for 5 minutes.
• While waiting for cream to heat, grate chocolate as this speeds up the melting process once in the cream.
• Once cream is heated add grated chocolate and stir until melted and slightly thickened.
• Take off heat - add passionfruit/syrup. Leave to cool for 15 mins (at least) before putting on cake. I find that once it fully cools it goes thick very quickly so it is best to work quickly once you see this happening. To speed up the process you could put it in the fridge but I find this sometimes takes the glossy look away from the ganache.
• Enjoy!

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 190c/375f/gas mark 5. Grease the cake tin, then cut out a circle of baking parchment and line the base of the tin with it (20cm/8in).
• Break the chocolate into a bowl. Stand it over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until all the chocolate has malted.
• Cut the butter into small pieces. Add the butter and water to the chocolate and stir until the butter has melted.
• Separate the eggs into two large bowls. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are thick and creamy.
• Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Add the ground almonds, sift in the flour and mix well
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold them, gently into the chocolate mixture.
• Put the mixture into the tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool for around 10-20 minutes then remove the cake and put it onto a wire rack
• MAKING THE TOPPING
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the soured cream
• Spread the chocolate topping over the top of the cooled cake with a palette knife, then decorate it with flamed almonds.