This chocolate mud cake recipe is legendary! I use it for most of my birthday cake creations as it’s very moist and dense and it is also really easy to carve or cut when making children’s birthday cakes. As it’s Easter, Miss Three has decided that this cake is a must. I’ve covered it in a chocolate ganache, in case you don’t get enough of a chocolate hit from eating the cake alone!

Cake 

• 250g unsalted butter
• 200g good quality dark chocolate
• 1 tblsp instant coffee dissolved in 375ml (1 1/2 cups) hot water
• 460g (2 cups) caster sugar – yes that’s correct…say goodbye to your diet!
• 185g (1 1/4 cups) self raising flour
• 75 g (1/2 cup) plain flour
• 30g (1/4 cut) good quality cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 tspn vanilla extract

Ganache

• 200g good quality dark chocolate
• 150ml pouring/thickened cream

Preheat the oven to 150* C. Grease and line a 20cm square or 23cm round cake tin. Avoid springform tins as the mixture is really runny and is prone to leak…I learnt that the hard way!

Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat and add in the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the coffee water mixture and the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Sift the flours and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture while the mixer is on a low setting. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the cake is cooked through. This is a very moist cake so let it cool in the tin before attempting to remove it. I usually place a lining of baking paper on top of the cake to reduce cracking and to make it as level as possible (important if you want to decorate it).

To decorate with the ganache, melt the chocolate and cream in a saucepan on low heat. When the ganache has cooled, spread on the cake and lick the spoon!

Enjoy! I hope you all have a happy and safe Easter.