Mud Cake with White Chocolate Truffles

Let's cut our hair like Rachel from Friends and put a Nirvana CD in our Discman. Let's wear our, oh-so-cool Oakley Straight Jackets, our bandannas, our denim jackets and our chunky heals so that we totally look the part. We're heading back to the '90's for a slice of that quintessential treat of the decade, Mud Cake. If we bump into the gang from Melrose Place while we're there, we'll offer them a slice too.

Mud Cake with White Chocolate Truffles
adapted from Janelle Bloom's Fast, Fresh & Fabulous

300g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
200g butter, chopped
1/4 cup strong black espresso coffee
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup self raising flour
About 10 white chocolate truffles (I used white chocolate Lindor balls), roughly chopped
Whipped cream to serve


Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Grease and line base and sides of 20cm round cake pan.


Chop 200g of the chocolate. Place chopped chocolate, butter and coffee in a heatproof, microwave safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered for 2-3 mins on High/100%, stirring every minute with a metal spoon until smooth. Add cocoa while warm, whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the vanilla, sugar and eggs together, then add them to the melted chocolate mixture. Sift flour over the chocolate mixture and stir gently to combine.

Pour half the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chopped white chocolate balls over the cake mixture. Pour remaining mixture over the top to completely cover the white chocolate truffles. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Stand in pan to cool completely.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.