Ummm who can resist a really good, moist chocolate cake? I’ve been experimenting with the Australian wedding favourite – mud cake. As many of you may know I am demonstrating at the National Cake Seminar in Sydney in August, so I thought a little background research would be good….. a great excuse to eat lots of chocolate!
I’ve tried three recipes – I’m aware that UK ingredients will be a little different to those available in Australia. All have been yummy, however my family have decided that their favourite is the planet cake recipe, it’s also the easiest to make as its all mixed in a saucepan!
Below is the planet cake recipe, I have however altered the method slightly to suit UK ingredients.
Chocolate Mud Cake
500ml water
600g sugar
250g dark good quality chocolate
375g butter unsalted
320g plain flour
60g self raising flour
40g cocoa powder
3 eggs lightly beaten
- Preheat oven (160°C)
- Grease a 20cm (8in) square or 22.5cm (9in) round cake tin, line the base and sides with baking paper.
- Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the chopped chocolate and the butter. Stir until all ingredients are combined and melted. I found that the chocolate although melted is suspended in the syrup rather than being combined into it.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Sift the flours and cocoa powder together, with a balloon whisk, carefully incorporate into the syrup
- Add the eggs in one at a time and whisk until smooth.
- Poor the mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake in a moderately slow oven for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. To test, insert a skewer into the cake when it comes out clean the cake is ready. I use a fan oven at 160°C and found that my cake was baked in 2 hours.
These cakes are meant to last, so ideal for wedding cakes, but I’ve not be able to test this yet as my family devour them far too quickly!
I’d love to hear your comments and feedback
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Cindy Robbers says
Hi Lindy Smith
My name is Cindy Robbers, and i have been checking out your web-page and i realy love it, also i have been following you on twitter, to get more updates, I for sure will try out this cake it looks good.I will Let you know how it turns out
Do you give any workshops in Holland, and in America. I live in America, but am dutch, and currently in Holland.
Cindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Cindy
I’ll be interested to hear how your mud cake turns out as you, like me, will be using different ingredients. Regards workshops, I have taught in the Netherlands quite a number of times but have nothing planned, as yet, for 2010. I do hope to teach in the US some day but student numbers seem to currently be a problem there!!! Why not join me at one of my UK workshop? It’s only a short flight from the Netherlands and our students regularily fly in from far afield.
Lindy
Hilary Jordan says
Wow, this cake sounds good, have used a similar recipe for cupcakes but haven’t tried a full cake yet. Do you think this cake is firm enough to cover using sugarpaste or is it just a slice it up with a cup of coffee cake? Will definitely try it.
On the subject of your DVDs, i got them the day before I went to France on my holidays, only got back 3 days ago and am so busy haven’t had a chance to sit down and watch. Maybe I should make myself a mud cake and a pot of coffee and hide away with my daughters portable DVD player. Can’t wait to watch them.
Hilary
Lindy Smith says
In Australia they cover these cakes with sugarpaste but I must admit that to date I’ve only sliced and enjoyed – they are so morish. Last night I saw a recipe on the internet for a citrus mud cake using white chocolate, I’m planning to try it for this weekend. If its a success I’ll post details.
Enjoy the dvds and the mud cake – I think ideal together with coffee!
Best wishes
Lindy
Rebecca says
Hi Lindy
This recipe looks fab and I’m going to try it for my brother in law’s 40th as a birthday cake. Would I spoil it by filling it with chocolate butter icing or a choc ganache? I would also cover the cake in sugarpaste, so would need some sort of butter icing anyway. Also, would adding a shot of expresso or two (in place of some of the water) spoil things, or would it improve the colour/taste in any way? What do you think? Thank you,
Rebecca
Lindy Smith says
Hi Rebecca
From what I’ve read on the internet, in Australia they seem to use chocolate ganache for everything including the layer between the cake and the sugarpaste. For more details see the very interesting article on the cakes and more blog . Regards adding a shot of expresso, I always add coffee to my chocolate mousses so I guess that this would work equally well – try it and see. I’d be interested to hear what you think, so please let me know.
Best wishes
Lindy
Jane Dolder says
Hi Lindy,
just to let you know I made the Chocolate Mud Cake last nightalf – half left today. I was planning to bring some into work next week, but don’t think there will be any left!! It may only last ’til bedtime tonight but the children are hovering, so no promises. The problem is it’s so easy to make and so scrummy I know it is going to be a favourite!
See you Tuesday.
Paulette Graham says
Hi Lindy,
I’ve found this at the just the right time, I’m making my brothers wedding cake in October and two tiers are going to be vanilla and two tiers chocolate. A friend recommended using a mud cake because they last for longer. I’m planning on doing a 10″ and 6″ cake in chocolate could you give me an idea of how to increase the recipe? I’m confident about the vanilla one as it’s a recipe I use all the time. I’m planning on doing a trial this weekend of the mud cake and the decor, they want hand made chocolate plaques! Which I’ve never done before but will have plenty of time to practice. Sorry I’ve rambled hope you can help.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Paulette
If you have either my “cakes to inspire and desire” or “Celebrate with a cake” books they both have charts telling you how to adapt recipes. In case you haven’t:- To make a 6in round you will need to halve the recipe and to make a 10in round you will need to times everything by 1 1/2
Hope this helps
Lindy
Paulette Graham says
Thank you so much, that’s very helpful.
Pam says
Hi Lindy,
I’m an Aussie who has been baking mudcakes for close to 20years now – I’m certain they will take off in the UK – they will become the ‘new’ fruitcake!! now you just have to work on getting them to fall in love with ganache!!
Nah!! maybe not – leave all the chocolate for us gals downunder!
Looking forward to seeing you at Seminar!
Pam says
Oh meant to mention – that I am not gentle folding in the flour/cocoa with a whisk – I use a hand held mixer – just don’t put it on HIGH to start or you will be cleaning flour & chocolate from every surface of your kitchen.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Pam
You are obviously a mud cake expert! I think they are fab. I am going to have a go at the ganache as well as I like the idea – great for chocoholics.
Paulette Graham says
Another question I’m afraid, the wedding cake that I’m making for my brother is going to be 12″, 10″, 8″ & 6″. I will of course be doing dowls (ahhhhh) but will the mud cake be able to take the weight of the maderia/buttermilk cakes? Sorry if it’s a silly question, I bake all the time but this is such an important cake that i’m beginning to have sleepless nights over it.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Paulette
It’s the dowels that support the cake layers above, not the cake itself, so as long as you dowel correctly you’ll be fine. Mud cake is by its very nature a very solid heavy cake so dowelling shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Good luck and please let us all know how you get on.
Lindy
Laura says
I would love to make this as part of the wedding cake I am making in September. It would be for a 12″ round tier. Unfortunately I am hopeless at working out how to scale ingredients right for different sizes. Could you please if possible tell me how much I would need to increase the recipe by to make a 12″ round cake?
Many thanks in anticipation
Laura x
claire says
After looking for a lovely chocolate cake recipe ideal for icing I found this recipe and I would love to make this cake for my birthday cake next week but unsure What sort of sugar is best to use? Hoping it turns out well as I could just about eat the picture it looks that yummy!
Lindy Smith says
You’ll need to times the recipe by 2 1/2 – that’s a lot of chocolate!!!
Lindy Smith says
It’s a great recipe, I’m sure you’ll love it! The sugar is disolved so I guess it doesn’t matter which type you use, I’ve been using granulated but if you’ve only got caster sugar that will be fine. You could experiment by using a soft brown sugar to give the cake a slightly different flavour -might experiment with that idea myself.
Enjoy!
Laura says
Thanks Lindy for getting back to me so quickly. I’ve just put a 9″ version of this cake in the oven so will let you know how it turns out.
Laura x