How to Bake a Chocolate Mud Cake
Nothing beats a slice of chocolate cake paired with a cup of coffee to lighten up a day. There are a lot of chocolate recipes out there claiming to be the best-tasting chocolate cake ever, but that is quite a tall order, and a purely subjective notion; after all, we all have our notions of what the perfect chocolate cake should taste like based on our preferences on flavor and texture. But if you want something that has a rich chocolate flavor, then the chocolate mud cake could be the one you have been looking for.
Some would say that a chocolate mud cake looks like mud that can be found along the banks of the Mississippi River; hence, it is also known as the Mississippi Mud Cake. A chocolate mud cake is more dense and less fluffy than a traditional cake is, so decorating it can be tricky at times. If it’s going to be used in an event or a celebration, the resulting mud cake needs to be less dense and more fluffy than usual in order to have a stable cake structure that will withstand the extra layers, icing, and other decorations.
Always a crowd favorite, the chocolate mud cake is the perfect treat for chocolate lovers, as it is soft, moist, dense, and flavorful. Everything in it is definitely decadent. It can be served on its own, just by dusting confectioners’ sugar on top, or it can be covered with chocolate ganache or frosting. For this recipe, the chocolate flavor provided by the dark chocolate and cocoa powder is nicely balanced out by the sour cream frosting.
What You Will Need:
Cake Batter
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
- 7 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups of strong hot coffee
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Chocolate Frosting with Sour Cream
- ½ cup of sour cream
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup of cocoa powder
- 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
What You Need to Do:
- Preheat your oven to 180° Celsius.
- Grease two of your 8-inch round cake pans.
- Put butter and dark chocolate in a microwave-safe container and heat it in a microwave until completely melted.
- Remove from the microwave, add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until everything has been mixed thoroughly.
- Gradually add the coffee and the vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix everything together.
- Put all of the dry ingredients such as flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into your mixer and whisk for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.
- Once everything has been added, continue to mix until the cake batter reaches a smooth consistency.
- Pour the cake batter into your cake pans and bake for 40 minutes.
- Check if the cake is done by putting in a toothpick at the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, you can remove the cake from the oven.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes.
- Place the cakes on a wire rack to allow them to cool completely while you make the chocolate and sour cream frosting.
- Put the sour cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe container and heat until all of the sugar has been dissolved.
- Remove the container from the microwave and add the vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Beat and cream the butter in a mixer bowl. Add the cocoa powder and continue to mix until it becomes smooth.
- Slowly add the sour cream mixture while continuing to beat.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to mix at a low speed until everything has been smoothened out and blended.
- Start assembling your cake by spreading a little frosting onto a serving cake stand to secure your cake.
- Put one of the cakes on the cake stand, making sure the flat side is facing up.
- Spread the top of the cake with the chocolate frosting using your spatula.
- Place the other cake on top and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
Original article : Learn Cake Decorating Online