Just popping in quickly this week to share a killer cake recipe with you. I’m busy baking like a mad woman, preparing a wedding sweet table for a party of 120, so it’s all systems go here at Bligh St. Bistro. While I drown in tempered melted chocolate, I think it’s only reasonable that you drown in chocolatey goodness too.
This is my go-to chocolate mud cake, straight from the caking gods themselves, Hummingbird Bakery. It is moist, rich but not too sugary, leaving room for lots of icing and toppings galore. It’s perfect for making the black forest cake that dreams are made of. Definitely not for the faint hearted and definitely worth pinning for your next super special occasion.
Black Forest Mud Cake
Serves: The whole party
For the Sponge
• 250g unsalted butter, softned
• 600g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 470g plain flour
• 140g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp bicarb
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 375ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 375ml boiling water
For the Frosting
• 800g icing sugar
• 120g cocoa powder, sifted, plus extra for dusting
• 150g unsalted butter, cubed
• 600g full fat Philadelphia cream cheese
For the Cherry Syrup
• 1 Kg pitted sour cherries in syrup (Griottes)
• 2 cups caster sugar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
And not forgetting
• 300ml Thickened whipping cream
• 100g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) for chocolate shards
To make the mud cake:
Preheat oven to 170°C & line three 20cm (8″) springform cake tins with baking paper.
In a freestanding electric mixer fitted w. the paddle attachment (or handheld electric whisk), cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and salt together.
Mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract in a jug.
Add the dry ing. to the creamed butter and sugar in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture.
Mix well on a medium speed.
Slowly add the boiling water, mixing until combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the three cake tins.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the tins and allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the chocolate cream cheese frosting:
In a freestanding electric mixer fitted w. the paddle attachment (or handheld electric whisk), Mix the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter together on a low speed till fully combined, sandy in texture and till there are no lumps of butter.
Add a little cream cheese to loosen the mixture and beat until smooth.
Add the remaining cream cheese and mix on low speed until incorporated.
Turn the speed to high and beat the frosting until light and fluffy.
To make the sour cherry jam and syrup:
Tip 900g of the sour cherries and all the juice into a medium sized pan (reserving 100g cherries in a small bowl), add 2 cups caster sugar.
Reduce down on medium heat (stirring constantly) till the syrup is thick and sticky.
At this stage add a squeeze of lemon juice to loosen the syrup slightly.
Strain juices through a sieve and reserve to pour over cake.
Blitz remaining sticky cherries with a soup blender and reserve to spread over each layer of the cake.
Assembling the cake:
Whip the thickened whipping cream in a bowl with electric beaters.
Place the first chocolate cake on a serving plate or cake stand.
Spread over 1/3 of the cherry jam.
Add a generous layer of chocolate cream cheese frosting and spread evenly over the chocolate cake.
Add half the cream and spread over the frosting evenly.
Repeat the process for the next layer.
Place the final chocolate cake on top.
Top with a generous layer of chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Dot reserved 100g cherries over the top of the cake.
Dot the remaining cherry jam over the top of the cake.
Pour the cherry syrup over the cake and top with chocolate shards.
Truly decadent and delicious.
I hope you have a happy celebration with this beauty.
xxBlighStBistro