White Chocolate Mud Cakes
Makes 24 cakes.
The cakes can be made several days ahead of when you need them but make the frosting on the day of serving or the frosting will lose it’s gloss.
Cakes:
24 silver muffin cases
250g Butter – coarsely chopped
150g White Chocolate – chopped coarsely (use eating chocolate NOT buds or compound)
2 cups (440g) Castor 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
small flowers and silver cachous for decorating
Fluffy Frosting:
1 cup (220G) Castor Sugar
1/4 cup (80ml) Water
2 Egg Whites
Preheat the oven to moderately slow (160c / 140c fan forced).
Line 2 x 12 hole muffin pans (80ml capacity) with cases.
Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and milk in a medium pan; with a wooden spoon, stir over low heat, without boiling, until smooth.
Transfer mixture to a bowl; cool for 15 minutes.
Whisk in sifted flours, then essence and eggs.
Pour mixture evenly into prepared pans.
Bake cakes for about 35 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Cool.
Fluffy Frosting:
Combine sugar and water in a small pan; stir with a wooden spoon over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Boil, uncovered, without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes or until syrup is slightly thick.
If a candy thermometer is available, the syrup will be ready at 114c , otherwise, when syrup is thick, remove the pan from the heat, allow bubbles to subside, then test the syrup by dropping 1 teaspoon of it into a cup of cold water. The syrup should form a ball of soft sticky toffee when rolled between your fingertips. (syrup should not colour,, if it does discard it)
Just before the syrup reaches the correct temperature, beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until firm.
When the syrup is ready, allow the bubbles to subside, then pour in a thin stream onto the egg whites, with mixer operating on medium speed. If syrup is added too quickly to the egg whites, frosting will not thicken.
Continue to beat on high speed for about 5 minutes or until thick.
Frosting should be barely warm by now.
Tint frosting with a few drops of food colouring if required.
Spread the cakes with fluffy frosting and decorate with the flowers and cachous.
Arrange on cake stand if desired.