What Is A Mud Cake?

Decorating By NYCGiGi Updated 12 Jan 2010 , 6:50pm by NYCGiGi

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NYCGiGi Posted 29 Dec 2009 , 4:48pm
post #1 of 12

Hi all,

When I first thought of a "mud cake," I thought of like "Mississippi Mud Cake," but I think its more than that. I'm seeing some recipes for different types of mud cakes, but I don't know what makes something a mud cake. Can someone tell me???

Thanks!
Jessica

11 replies
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CakeMommyTX Posted 29 Dec 2009 , 5:03pm
post #2 of 12

lol, I don't know what a mud cake is either!
I always assumed it was a moist dense cake but not sure.

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NYCGiGi Posted 29 Dec 2009 , 5:12pm
post #3 of 12

Well, I think it's a cake with a very moist center from what I have read, but I still want to check.

Also, if that is the case, what are the pros/cons of working with a cake like this? I found a white chocolate mud cake recipe that I would really like to use, but want to make sure that because it's so moist in the center, it's not going to cave in on me. Obviously I will dowel everything well, but its still a concern of mine.

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LaBellaFlor Posted 29 Dec 2009 , 5:25pm
post #4 of 12

From what I understand, it's a very dense cake and ideal for carving. I think your talking about a tunnel cake, where the center is soft.

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loopilu Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 12:00pm
post #5 of 12

A chocolate mud cake is a very dense, rich, moist cake. I think it depends on the recipe you use as too weather or not its workable. I was asked to do a 12 inch round mud cake coverd in white fondant for a communion. I asked my teacher if that was a good idea and she said that personally, she wouldn't! Because of the possibility of it dipping under the weight of the icing. Despite that I did it anyway and it worked fine, although I have not stacked one before. I have a the recipe if you would like it which is given in a book that directs you to stack it!, although I must warn you, 70 percent of the guests loved it, 30 percent hated it, saying it was way too rich. When I told my teacher that, she said its a mud cake, its ment to be rich!

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kleenzac Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 1:31pm
post #6 of 12

I love mud cake. I love working with it. It's very dense and moist and oh so good to eat. Perfect for carving imo. I haven't ever tried stacking it. The only problem I could see with stacking is that they are usually pretty heavy cakes. That part would worry me. I never have any problems with using it and I find the majority of people love it.

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verisimilitude Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 2:12pm
post #7 of 12

Mmmmmm, mud cake icon_smile.gif It is, as others have said, a very rich, dense, moist cake. Mud cakes usually require melted chocolate in the mixture, as opposed to just cocoa.

They're very rich, but utterly delicious with a strong espresso and a dollop of double thick cream! You'd usually just have a little sliver of cake, sometimes cafés serve it with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce over the top, in a flavour which compliments.

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 2:47pm
post #8 of 12

Mud cakes are fine to stack... they are pretty sturdy and dense. I'm not a hue fan of the dark chocolate versions I have tried, but the white chocolate recipe I have is good. I wouldn't ever worry about it caving under the pressure of icing. It's a heavy cake that could most likely support a single tier without dowels... LOL.

They are really popular in Australia... if yours is really wet in the center you may have not cooked it long enough. They do take a LONG time to cook. The recipe I used took an hour (maybe a little more) to cook in an 8" pan. I believe it called for 300 degrees as the cook temp. It will be dense, but it shouldn't be wet.

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anthropia Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 3:11pm
post #9 of 12

what kind of icing is best with it, is buttercream frosting okay?

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FromScratch Posted 2 Jan 2010 , 3:24pm
post #10 of 12

Sure... any icing will work. I use SMBC with it and it tastes great. I think that traditionally ganache is used, but there really are no rules about it. icon_wink.gif

My favortite way to eat white chocolate mudcake is topped with freshly made whipped cream and berries... mmmmmmmmmm. SO good!!!

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NYCGiGi Posted 12 Jan 2010 , 6:48pm
post #11 of 12

Jeanne - this is the recipe I found online that I'm planning on trying:

http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/07/white-chocolate-mud-cake-recipe.html

I'm going to do it by the book the first time and then make adjustments as I see fit, but is this similiar to what you use?

Thank you everyone for your input!

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NYCGiGi Posted 12 Jan 2010 , 6:50pm
post #12 of 12

Oh, and one last question:

Do you suggest using any flower nails or baking strips to help the baking process along with this cake? I'll be using 6" pans, as I'm making a baby bottle cake, so I need it tall and slender.

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