Photo by Jox
Double-Decker Mud Cake
250g butter, chopped
150g white chocolate, chopped coarsely
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs, beaten lightly
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon sherry (or 1 Tablespoon Gran Marnier)
1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water
Ganache:
600g milk chocolate, chopped coarsely
1 cup (250ml) cream
1. Preheat oven to slow. Grease two deep 20cm-round cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper.
2. Combine butter, white chocolate, sugar and milk in medium saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool 15 minutes.
3. Whisk sifted flours into white chocolate mixture then whisk in essence and egg; pour half of the mixture into one of the prepared pans. Whisk sifted cocoa, combined coffee, hot water and sherry into remaining mixture; pour into other prepared pan. Bake cakes in slow oven about 50 minutes. Stand cakes 5 minutes; turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.
4. Combine milk chocolate and cream in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate, stirring occassionally, until chocolate mixture is of spreadable consistency. Reserve 1 cup of the chocolate mixture for spreading over cake.
5. Split each cooled cake in half. Centre one layer of the cake on serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup of the remaining milk chocolate mixture. Repeat layering, alternating colours. Cover top and sides of cake with reserved chocolate mixture.
6. Decorate.