Chocolate and Whiskey Mud Cake

Ingredients

  • 250g butter, chopped
  • 200g (1½ cups) chopped dark chocolate
  • 375g (1 2/3 cups) caster sugar
  • ½ cup whisky
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 185g (1 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 60g (½ cup) self-raising flour (or just add another 1/2c of flour, 1 ½ t of baking powder and a ½ t or so of salt)
  • 40g (1/3 cup) cocoa
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons whisky, extra
  • 80ml (2 1/2 fl oz / 1/3 cup) pouring (whipping) cream
  • 90g (3 1/4 oz / scant 2/3 cup) chopped dark chocolate

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
  2. Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
  3. Put the butter, chocolate, sugar and whisky in a saucepan.
  4. Dissolve the coffee granules in ½ cup hot water and add to the mixture.
  5. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.
  6. Sift the plain flour, self-raising flour and cocoa into a large bowl.
  7. Pour the butter mixture onto the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
  8. Whisk in the eggs; Pour into the prepared tin.
  9. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes (or about an hour on fan bake), or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.
  10. Pour the extra whisky over the hot cooked cake. Leave in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack placed over a baking tray to cool completely.
  11. For the ganache, put the cream in a small saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until combined and smooth. Coat the cake with a small amount to seal in the crumbs. Set aside the rest of the ganache to cool and thicken a little. Spread over the cake, not forgetting the sides. Leave to set.