Caramel mud cake

This caramel mud cake is rich, dense and delicious. If you love caramel, then this cake is for you!

Ingredients:

• 125g unsalted butter, chopped
• 100g white chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 225g brown sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 150g plain flour
• 1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly (use only 2 eggs for a denser cake)

Ingredients (caramel frosting):

• 185g butter, chopped
• 1.5 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100ml) milk
• 2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted

Ingredients (chocolate ganache):

• 2/3 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 tabs double cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to slow. Grease 22cm-round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edge of pan.
2. Combine the butter, chocolate, sugar and water in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool 15 minutes. Whisk in both flours, then essence and eggs.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan; bake in a slow oven for about 1 hour (see tip below). Stand in pan 10 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool.
4. Place cake, top side up, on serving plate; allow to cool.
5. Slice cake in half sideways to form a base and a lid.  Spread the base with a third of the caramel frosting; cover with the top half of the cake. Spread the remaining frosting over the the cake.

Method (caramel frosting):

1. Melt butter in small saucepan.
2. Stir in brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat then simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Gradually stir in icing sugar until frosting is of spreadable consistency.

Method (chocolate ganache):

1. Place dark chocolate and double cream in a small microwavable bowl.
2. Heat on high for 15 second intervals, checking if the chocolate can be stirred.
3. Once, the chocolate has melted enough to stir, stir until it is a smooth and shiny consistency.
4. Allow the ganache to cool slightly, then place it in a piping bag. Using the piping bag, add a dot of ganache to the middle of the cake, then draw rings around it (like a target). Then, using a skewer, draw alternating lines back and forth through the rings to create a chevron appearance.

Tip:  If the cake starts to rise above the tin but is not quite cooked, cover it loosely with foil.

(photo credit: afeitar via photopin cc)

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