Some people like mud cakes to be moist and fudgy, others prefer them dryer and more cake-like. It’s up to the cook, and it’s all about getting the temperature and baking time right.
If your mud cake isn’t cooking in the middle, it needs longer baking. Often lower oven temperatures aren’t too accurate; the longer slower baking won’t hurt the cake.
Mud cakes are high in fat and sugar, and they can develop a sugary crust during baking. If the crust is a problem for you, try baking the cake at a slightly lower temperature. Drop the temperature by 10 degrees to start with, and keep a note of the results. The cake might take a little longer to cook, but probably not much – up to 15 minutes or so.
Ingredients
White chocolate ganache
Method
1.Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper.
2.Combine chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a large saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl; cool for 15 minutes.
3.Whisk in sifted flours, extract and eggs. Pour mixture into pan; bake for about 1 hour 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan.
4.Meanwhile, to make the white chocolate ganache, bring the cream to the boil in a medium saucepan; remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until thick and spreadable.
5.Turn cake, top-side up, onto cake stand. Spread white chocolate ganache over top and side of cold cake. Decorate with fresh roses, if desired.
