I'm going to start a thread. Chocolate everything. Cooks and cakes, allsorts. Starting with
PIGS IN MUD CAKE
Recipe adapted from the Hummingbird bakery home sweet home book -
Ref: Sunday Baking .co.uk
Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe with kit-kats
AUTHOR'S NOTES AS FOLLOWS
This cake does take a little while to put together, but if I’m honest, the worst part of it was waiting for the topping to cool/thicken enough before pouring it over the cake! I get very impatient when I can see it coming together and want to rush ahead and finish it. And to be fair, I still did this so the floating pig did sink a little further into the ‘mud’ that he was meant to due to me being too quick to drop him in!
Everyone loved this cake, especially my 3 year old nephew! My nan and grandad were equally as impressed – my nan convinced I’d inherited my skills from her and my grandad quizzing me on what a blog is, who looks at a blog, how I can tell if anyone looks at my blog and why I would write a blog…..mother….please show grandad this so he can understand slightly better than the way I described it!
My biggest tips when making this cake would be…
Wait for the chocolate/cream mix to cool and thicken before you fill the cake as otherwise it will seep through the kit-kats.
Wait until the chocolate/cream mix is almost set before dropping the pigs in, otherwise they may sink too low!
If you’re a beginner, don’t try to make a swirl in the ‘mud’ like in the original photo – it will just look like it’s gone wrong/a mess!
Ingredients for the cake:
(This makes 3 cakes – I only used 2 and froze the 3rd)
Ingredients for the chocolate sauce topping
Just look at that pig's botty! LAWL
Footnote. My wife made the cake, using KitKats. She made it over a couple of days. It IS very sweet, so I could only have a little. But I made sure I had a little bit of piggy.
PIGS IN MUD CAKE
Recipe adapted from the Hummingbird bakery home sweet home book -
Ref: Sunday Baking .co.uk
Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe with kit-kats
AUTHOR'S NOTES AS FOLLOWS
This cake does take a little while to put together, but if I’m honest, the worst part of it was waiting for the topping to cool/thicken enough before pouring it over the cake! I get very impatient when I can see it coming together and want to rush ahead and finish it. And to be fair, I still did this so the floating pig did sink a little further into the ‘mud’ that he was meant to due to me being too quick to drop him in!
Everyone loved this cake, especially my 3 year old nephew! My nan and grandad were equally as impressed – my nan convinced I’d inherited my skills from her and my grandad quizzing me on what a blog is, who looks at a blog, how I can tell if anyone looks at my blog and why I would write a blog…..mother….please show grandad this so he can understand slightly better than the way I described it!
My biggest tips when making this cake would be…
Wait for the chocolate/cream mix to cool and thicken before you fill the cake as otherwise it will seep through the kit-kats.
Wait until the chocolate/cream mix is almost set before dropping the pigs in, otherwise they may sink too low!
If you’re a beginner, don’t try to make a swirl in the ‘mud’ like in the original photo – it will just look like it’s gone wrong/a mess!
Ingredients for the cake:
(This makes 3 cakes – I only used 2 and froze the 3rd)
- 250g unsalted butter – softened
- 600g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 470g plain flour – sifted
- 140g cocoa powder
- 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 375ml buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 375ml boiling water
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 160°C (fan) / 180°C and line 3 20cm (8in) cake tins
- In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand-held electric whisk) cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together
- Mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract together in a jug
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar – mix well on a medium speed
- Add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture – mix well on a medium speed
- Repeat these steps until it is all combined
- Slowly add the boiling water, mixing until combined
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins
- Bake for approximately 35-45mins
- Remove from the tins and allow to cool completely before frosting
- 150g icing sugar – sifted
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 20g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp whole milk
- Using the electric whisk or mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly beat together the icing sugar, cocoa and butter until the butter is completely mixed in (mixture will still be powdery at this stage)
- With the machine still running on a slow speed, gradually pour in the milk
- Once added increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy
- Spread evenly between the two cakes
- Ready to roll fondant icing
- Pink food colouring
Ingredients for the chocolate sauce topping
- 250ml double cream
- 400g milk chocolate
- Put your cream in a pan over low heat
- Keep stirring until it just starts to boil
- In between break the chocolate bars into pieces
- When the cream is almost boiling take it from the heat and gradually add chocolate
- Keep stirring until you have a nice smooth mass and then leave to cool stirring every now and again
- Break your kitkats in two (if they are the 4 finger variety!) and have them ready
- Once your chocolate sauce has cooled at thickened to a custard consistency you can start smearing it on the sides of your cake. Use a spatula or the back if a knife to do this.
- Once you’ve smeared it all around you can stick your kitkats on. This can be a bit tricky so place them on a slight angle against the cake. When you have gone right around quickly tie your ribbon around the cake. This will pull the kitkats up straight against your cake
- When the left over chocolate sauce is only just fluid pour it over the top of the cake. MAKE SURE IT IS NOT TOO THIN WHEN YOU DO THIS OR IT WILL SEEP BETWEEN THE KITKATS.
- Before it totally sets place your little piggies on the chocolate
- Place in the fridge to set
Just look at that pig's botty! LAWL
Footnote. My wife made the cake, using KitKats. She made it over a couple of days. It IS very sweet, so I could only have a little. But I made sure I had a little bit of piggy.
Sometimes the best memories people make, are new ones.