INGREDIENTS
Mud cake
| 180g salted butter, chopped
180g brown sugar 150g 70% dark chocolate, chopped 100ml milk 2 free range eggs 1 tbs vanilla extract 1 tsp Murray River salt flakes 190g spelt flour 50g cacao powder |
½ cup dried sour cherries
Vanilla bean mascarpone
| 500g mascarpone
100ml pure cream 1 tbs vanilla paste |
Vanilla Cherry Jam
| 1 cup good quality cherry jam
1 tsp vanilla paste 2 tbs brandy or water
Fresh cherries, to serve |
Dark chocolate, extra for dusting
METHOD
Mud cake
| 1. | Grease and baking paper line the bottom and sides of a 20cm spring form tin. |
| 2. | In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar and chocolate. Place on low heat Induction setting 4 for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted. Allow to cool. |
| 3. | Whisk, eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour into the cooled chocolate mixture and stir to combine. |
| 4. | In a separate bowl, sift flour, cacao and salt through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. |
| 5. | Create a well in the centre of the flours and pour in chocolate mixture. Stir to combine, ensuring there are no lumps. Fold through cherries. |
| 6. | Pour batter into the tin and tap gently to remove any air bubbles. Cover with two sheets of aluminium foil, shiny side down. Cross the foil over each other to ensure the tin is completely sealed. |
| 7. | Place on a rack in the Steam Oven. Steam at 100°C for 1 hour and 30 minutes. |
| 8. | Remove cake from Oven and carefully remove foil. Allow to cool in the tin. |
Cherry Jam
| 1. | Combine jam, vanilla and brandy/water. Stir well. |
Vanilla bean mascarpone
| 1. | Gently fold mascarpone, cream and vanilla together. Set aside. |
To Serve
| 1. | Place mascarpone into a piping bag with 2cm round nozzle attachment. Pipe ‘kisses’ on to the top of the cake, covering completely. Alternatively, spoon cream and swirl with the back of a spoon. |
| 2. | Drizzle mascarpone with cherry glaze. |
| 3. | Top with finely grated chocolate and fresh cherries. |
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Ashley Alexander
Australian foodie, recipe developer and stylist Ashley Alexander is a self-taught cook who spent a lot of her early years in the kitchen cooking up a storm with her mum, tasting, learning and experimenting. Now living in Melbourne, Ashley has followed her childhood passion, launching Gather and Feast, a website full of beautiful food and delicious recipes. “Gather and Feast brings together two very important concepts for me – people and food. I wanted to bring them together in a welcoming, all-encompassing and delicious way,” Ashley said.
