INGREDIENTS
Black forest mud cake
180 g salted butter, roughly chopped
185 g (¾ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
150 g good-quality dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped
100 ml (⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt flakes
185 g (¾ cup) spelt flour
50 g (½ cup) cacao or cocoa powder
80 g (½ cup) dried sour cherries
Vanilla cherry glaze
320 g (1 cup) good-quality cherry jam
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tbsp brandy or water
Fresh cherries, to serve
Dark chocolate, extra for dusting
Vanilla bean mascarpone
500 g mascarpone
80 ml (⅓ cup) cream
1 tbsp vanilla paste
METHOD
Black forest mud cake
- Grease and baking paper line the bottom and sides of a 20 cm spring form tin.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and chocolate. Place on medium-low heat Induction setting 4 for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted. Allow to cool.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour into the cooled chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, cacao and salt through a fine sieve to remove any lumps.
- Create a well in the centre of the flours and pour in chocolate mixture. Stir to combine, ensuring the are no lumps. Fold through cherries.
- Pour the 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.
- Place on a rack in the steam oven. Steam at 100°C for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Remove cake from steam oven and carefully remove foil. Allow to cool in the tin.
Vanilla cherry glaze
- Combine the jam, vanilla and brandy or water. Stir well.
Vanilla bean mascarpone
- Gently fold mascarpone, cream and vanilla together. Set aside.
To serve
- Place mascarpone into a piping bag with 2 cm 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.
- Drizzle mascarpone with the vanilla cherry glaze.
- 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.
