White Chocolate Mud Cake with White Chocolate Glaze

MUD CAKE !!!

WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE...

RED WHITE AND BLUE...MUD CAKE

looking for a good "party cake"? 

this one does the trick

feeds a crowd

make the day before so no game-day worries

slices beautifully with no mess and crumbles

throw on some berries and offer ice cream...done deal for at least 16 people.

the cake is only a 9 inch-er, but it seems like a HUGE cake.  the cake alone weighed in at 3 lbs 14 oz!  i know you can get 16 very nice servings...maybe even 18-20 after a big dinner if you stretched it with a load of beautiful fresh berries, extra glaze or a fun sauce and some ice cream.

the flavor?... it's like the best buttery soft sugar cookie ever.

it's rich and dense like a mud cake should be, but yet it doesn't seem too too heavy.  the white chocolate base is an open canvas for other flavors.  i thought it would be nice to offer a raspberry coulis, dark chocolate sauce, caramel?...lemon curd would be delicious.

forget the glaze and throw a few slices on a hot skillet for a sear and serve it for brunch.  i wonder if it would be good on the grill?...

WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

with WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

original cake recipe found at Ninemsn.com.au

180g white chocolate, chopped...i used Guittard discs

350g unsalted butter

2 2/3 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups plain flour

2/3 cups self rising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs, slightly beaten

preheat oven...original suggests 160C or 140C "fan-forced".  i chose to go with 300F convection.

grease a deep 22 cm round cake pan.  line the base and sides and lightly grease the parchment

combine the chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a large sauce pan.  stir over medium heat until smooth. note...chop your chocolate fine so you won't have any lumps and it will take less time.  pour mixture into large bowl and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.  (mine took over 1/2 hour to cool enough to handle the addition of eggs)

sift the flours together in a bowl.  mix the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl.  whisk into the chocolate mixture the sifted flours and egg/vanilla in three batches...alternating.  i used a stand mixer for the job.  do not over whisk, but combine well so there are no lumps.

pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes...mine took 1 hour 55 minutes
let cool completely in the pan.  turn the pan out and then top side up.
cut the top off to even the cake out and flip it over to serve bottom side up.  this creates a nice uniform looking cake with a flat top.

NOTE...the part that you cut off IS DELICIOUS !!!.  do not throw this aside.  you will find yourself nibbling on this all day while dipping into the white chocolate glaze that drips from the cake.

WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE...

8 oz white chocolate.  use good white chocolate...something you would eat plain.

2/3 cups heavy cream

chop white chocolate and set aside in a heat proof glass bowl.  heat cream to just boiling.  pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for a minute...then start GENTLY stir from the middle.  the mixture should come together.  you do not want ANY lumps and you do not want any bubbles.  mine took a while to fully melt.

set cake over a cooling rack with something to catch the glaze over flow underneath.

NOTE...i intended this to be a more solid "ganache" smooth covering as i have done with dark chocolate.  white chocolate is a tricky bugger.  this ratio did not set up firm, BUT it works well because it is not too thick, therefore does not make the cake cloyingly sweet.  the cake remains tacky, but this is fine when serving for a party.  it's just a little harder to store.  you will have left over glaze so you can serve this in a mini pitcher for guests to pour over their slice. OR dunk those nibbles you saved from slicing off the crunchy top...he he