Questions About Mud Cake.

Baking By KathleenC Updated 29 Jun 2016 , 5:04am by winniemog

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KathleenC Posted 10 Feb 2013 , 9:01pm
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Hi,

 

There are many Mud Cake experts here, and I'm hoping one can help me on this. :-)

 

I've never made a mud cake, but seriously want to try it. I'm thinking of trying Pam's recipe (which I found in another thread), but have a couple of questions.

 

I have Baker's brand semi-sweet chocolate squares (each square is 1 ounce/28 grams). Can I use that for the chocolate, or would it be too bitter?

 

I'm going to make my own self-raising flour by adding 1.5 tsps of baking powder and a pinch of salt to each cup of all-purpose flour.  I got a variety of answers on making self-raising flour from Mr. Google, but that quantity seemed to be the most common.  Plus, I'm going to make my own caster sugar by tossing regular sugar into my blender for a short time.

 

Yes, I'm really winging it here. :-)

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

TIA.

66 replies
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Chellescakes Posted 10 Feb 2013 , 10:17pm
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that should work fine , muds are a very forgiving cake . Just make sure the sugar is dissolved before you leave it to cool before adding the dry ingredients and eggs. 

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auzzi Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 12:20am
post #3 of 67

Semi-sweet chocolate is fine to use.

 

Make self-raising flour however the instructions on the can of baking powder says .. The Internet is multi-national - every country's flour and baking powders are slightly different, thus the variations online. Go with your own country's ...

 

Any fine sugar is fine also - plain old white sugar works as well - as Chellescakes says, make sure it is dissolved ...

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BakingIrene Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 12:36am
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I use 1 level teaspoon baking powder per cup of flour and NO added salt.  I find the commercial self raising flour far too salty.

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KathleenC Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 1:12am
post #5 of 67

Thank you, everyone.  :-)

 

Auzzi, there are no instructions on my container of baking powder, but perhaps I'll check the maker's website and see if there's something there.

 

It is just a "learning" cake, which will be presented to my more-than-willing guinea pigs....er....friends....to eat up, so I'm open to experimenting.

 

Thanks again!

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Chellescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 6:59am
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A chocolate mudcake is better with a little salt , it brings out the flavour in the chocolate. I always add some to my ganache as well. 

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selwa Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 6:44pm
post #7 of 67


hello i tried pam's mudcake last weeck and

 

it was a very good cake

 

so thank u pam lol

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KathleenC Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 9:26pm
post #8 of 67

Thanks, Selwa!  That looks delicious.  :-)

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Chellescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 10:36pm
post #9 of 67

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

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Annabakescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:06pm
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A

Original message sent by Chellescakes

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

Why? What is the difference? Interesting....

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Annabakescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:06pm
post #11 of 67

A

Original message sent by Chellescakes

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

Why? What is the difference? Interesting....

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Annabakescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:06pm
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A

Original message sent by Chellescakes

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

Why? What is the difference? Interesting....

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Annabakescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:06pm
post #13 of 67

A

Original message sent by Chellescakes

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

Why? What is the difference? Interesting....

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Chellescakes Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:16pm
post #14 of 67

A mud cake needs time to "Set up " and mature . It can be a bit dry or crumbly if you cut it too early. It is it's keepability that is the really wonderful advantage of this cake.  It gets moister/ fudgier and more delicious as it ages.    I Bake on a monday or Tuesday for a Saturday wedding , and the cake is good for at least two weeks after that ( I have eaten it three weeks after and oh my God it was sooo good ) 

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KathleenC Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:21pm
post #15 of 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes 


Why? What is the difference? Interesting....

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chellescakes 

A mud cake needs time to "Set up " and mature . It can be a bit dry or crumbly if you cut it too early. It is it's keepability that is the really wonderful advantage of this cake.  It gets moister/ fudgier and more delicious as it ages.    I Bake on a monday or Tuesday for a Saturday wedding , and the cake is good for at least two weeks after that ( I have eaten it three weeks after and oh my God it was sooo good ) 

 

I had read that when researching mud cakes (I research everything to death), which really appealed to me!  So do you refrigerate it, or leave it on the counter?

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jennicake Posted 11 Feb 2013 , 11:36pm
post #16 of 67

That's great to know!  I always thought I was doing something wrong because my mud cake was moist and crumbly (like... MUD haha) the day after I baked it.  Do you wrap it in saran wrap before resting it for 3 days?  Leave on the counter or in the fridge?

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Chellescakes Posted 12 Feb 2013 , 1:32am
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Please , please , please NEVER put a mud cake in the fridge . I leave it in the tin at least overnight just covered with a teatowel , then I will put some glad wrap on it .  I never refrigerate my cakes , I use ganache over the mud cake , before I ice it.  They keep for a couple of weeks.

 

 

Remnant , I am not sure what a Hershey's cake is , I'm an Aussie. But a mud cake is typically made with a melt and mix method where you heat all the wet ingredients ( apart from the eggs ) until the butter and chocolate is melted and the sugar dissolved .Then you add the dry ingredients and eggs after it has cooled down a bit. 

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Bluehue Posted 12 Feb 2013 , 5:16am
post #18 of 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chellescakes 

Please , please , please NEVER put a mud cake in the fridge . Totally agree.. thumbs_up.gifI leave it in the tin at least overnight just covered with a teatowel , then I will put some glad wrap on it .  I never refrigerate my cakes , I use ganache over the mud cake , before I ice it.  They keep for a couple of weeks.

 

I do as Chelle does.... my cakes are always moist and  i have had customers come back many a time saying how moist and muddy they are even a week after their event....  like Chelle, using Ganache is the perfect partner...as the cakes can sit out of the fridge ...

Mud cakes can be easily flavoured - as can the ganache ...so as to create  an individual cake for your customers.... 

 

Remnant , I am not sure what a Hershey's cake is , I'm an Aussie. But a mud cake is typically made with a melt and mix method where you heat all the wet ingredients ( apart from the eggs ) until the butter and chocolate is melted and the sugar dissolved .Then you add the dry ingredients and eggs after it has cooled down a bit. 

 

Bluehue

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KathleenC Posted 12 Feb 2013 , 5:49am
post #19 of 67

Thanks for all the excellent, and really helpful, advice!  I can't wait to make it and see how it turns out.  :-)

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selwa Posted 12 Feb 2013 , 10:09am
post #20 of 67

thank u ...........i didn't wait 3 days ..........but it was a very delicious chocolate cake ..........but of course i' think it is better to follow the advice and to let it rest for 3day's..........now i 'm triying the one with with chocolate
 

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mhcl Posted 12 Feb 2013 , 2:37pm
post #21 of 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chellescakes 

Oh one more thing about mud cake , please do not cut it until it is at least three days old. 

Yes!  My first mud cake I cut into the first day, crumbly mess!  I thought I did something wrong.  But after some research about it, I left the cake for a couple days...so good!  MMM! 

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princelyess Posted 29 Apr 2013 , 1:36am
post #22 of 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by mhcl 

Yes!  My first mud cake I cut into the first day, crumbly mess!  I thought I did something wrong.  But after some research about it, I left the cake for a couple days...so good!  MMM! 


I just made one for a birthday party tomorrow... guess it will just have to be crumbly! thumbsdown.gif  Is there another frosting besides ganache that would be good on this cake?

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KathleenC Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 8:43pm
post #23 of 67

Hi again,

 

I made my mud cake back in the spring (the blue/actually purple heart cake in my profile), and it was delicious!  I followed all your suggestions.  Thank you!

 

So, being the original thread starter, I thought I would reopen this to ask another question, because I would like to make another one.  :)

 

If I've made the chocolate mud cake a few weeks in advance and I want to freeze it, do I let it "age" for a few days before I wrap and freeze it, or do I freeze it immediately after baking, then bring it out a few days before to "age" it before decorating it?  Or do I "age" it at all?

 

Also, would you torte it before freezing, or after?  (I wouldn't normally torte a regular cake before freezing, so I'm not sure why I'm asking that, but I AM a mud cake newbie  :))

 

Thanks!

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ApplegumPam Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 9:03pm
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Its not necessary to do this prior to freezing - its also NOT necessary to freeze it immediately after baking - in fact you should NEVER try to remove a warm mudcake from its tin - best to leave cool in tin - remove, wrap WELL and then freeze.

Depends on what sort of time you want to save.....   mudcakes take a LONG time to defrost completely!  Trying to CUT through a frozen or even semi frozen mudcake is a sure fire way of slicing your hand!  

You CAN layer and fill it it before freezing if you want to - it won't cause you any problems.
You could elect to layer your cake and freeze each layer separately - this would lessen the defrosting time and lessen the risk of you loosing a finger !

 

Ganaching a cake that is COOL will make your ganache start to set whilst you are working on smoothing it.

 

And I find you may THINK the cake is back to room temp and start applying your fondant..... IF the internal temperature is much cooler than the working temperature of your room - cake will sweat big time - even the old trick of putting a fan on it didn't work for me - I watched the fondant basically disintergrate in front of me over a period of 4 hours.

I know plenty of people on here decorate cakes straight from 'chilled' or even semi frozen - maybe it is our Aussie climate but I have never been able to do this successfully.

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KathleenC Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 9:15pm
post #25 of 67

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApplegumPam 
 

Its not necessary to do this prior to freezing - its also NOT necessary to freeze it immediately after baking - in fact you should NEVER try to remove a warm mudcake from its tin - best to leave cool in tin - remove, wrap WELL and then freeze.

Depends on what sort of time you want to save.....   mudcakes take a LONG time to defrost completely!  Trying to CUT through a frozen or even semi frozen mudcake is a sure fire way of slicing your hand!  

You CAN layer and fill it it before freezing if you want to - it won't cause you any problems.
You could elect to layer your cake and freeze each layer separately - this would lessen the defrosting time and lessen the risk of you loosing a finger !


I know plenty of people on here decorate cakes straight from 'chilled' or even semi frozen - maybe it is our Aussie climate but I have never been able to do this successfully.

 

Thanks!

 

When I made my first one, I did let it cool completely in the pan before removing it, and it did sit a few days before it was served (as suggested).   For this one I wanted to make it in advance, so wasn't sure if I should freeze it right away (once it was fully cooled), or let it sit a few days, then freeze it.

 

I think maybe I'll freeze it right away (once it's cooled), then bring it out of the freezer a few days before, as that would give it plenty of time to fully thaw before I decorate it, thereby saving a finger or two.  :grin:

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Goreti Posted 28 Sep 2013 , 9:24pm
post #26 of 67

Quote:

Originally Posted by princelyess 
 


I just made one for a birthday party tomorrow... guess it will just have to be crumbly! thumbsdown.gif  Is there another frosting besides ganache that would be good on this cake?

 

I use SMBC on mudcakes and it's delicious.

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Daisyblue002 Posted 5 Oct 2013 , 10:16am
post #27 of 67

Mud cakes are the best!! My 8" takes a good 2 hours to bake at a low temperature & I always allow to cool in the tin. It's such a delicious cake, but by day 3 it's super-delicious. I normally do my baking on a Wednesday so by the day of the party on Saturday or Sunday, they are just perfect. Agree with everything ApplegumPam says too.

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linnod Posted 4 Nov 2013 , 1:45pm
post #28 of 67

 I tried a chocolate mud cake recipe twice from Nicko's Kitchen whick was displayed on u tube. The first one came out of the oven still wet and slushy in the pan so I thought I did something wrong and tried again. But nope the second one came out the same way. I even tried cooking it longer. Once done they came out like a Brownie. Definitely not cake like. Very heavy,thick Brownie. Is that how mud cakes are, Brownie like? 

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izzywawa Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 5:17pm
post #29 of 67

AHi mud cake experts.. i just baked some mud cupcakes and it turned out to be similar to fluffy cupcakes. Frm what i know its supposed to be dense. Maybe i used too much baking powder? That it rose? Or overbaked it? Will it get better over afew days?

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jenfrenchie Posted 18 Mar 2014 , 2:26pm
post #30 of 67

Hello everyone 

 

This is my very first post so thanks in advance. 

 

I have very large tier of chocolate mudcake left over from our wedding. Unfortunately the venue did not section it before they put it in the freezer. I can't really use it all in one go cos its so big. Has anyone used an electric knife to cut a frozen mud cake successfully? I'd hate to ruin the cake!

 

If all else fails I guess I could throw a party and there will be plenty of cake to go around :)

 

Thanks again 

 

Jen 

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