So, I made my first mud cake this past Wednesday the 3rd and I have some questions.  This was the recipe I used....

250g butter, chopped

200g dark chocolate

2 cups sugar

1 = 1/3 cups of strong coffee

3/4 cup plain flour

3/4 cup self rising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder ( I used dark)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

I followed directions and split batter between 2- 8in tins, baked at 350 degrees for about 35 min.  They came out of oven fine but started to sink in middle.  My first mistake, after reading many post about these cakes, is that I did not let them cool overnight in the pans.  After about an hour I took  them out of the pans and wrapped in plastic and put into freezer.  I took out of freezer Saturday morning and let them thaw out on table.  Iced cake Saturday evening and left until today for Sunday Dinner.

So my first question is... What is the texture of the cake supposed to be like?  It was very different than the light "Fluffy" cakes I am used to.  The texture was thick and more fudgy, almost like it was not done.  Is that normal? 

What kind of Chocolate should be used?  I used the Lindt 70% bars and Dark cocoa and it seemed to dark tasting.  I hope that make sense.

Was the amount of coffee to much for this recipe?  I am not a coffee drinker so I just guessed on how strong the coffee was supposed to be and it was way to strong.  You could smell the coffee when I cut the cake and taste it, so most of family did not like it.  Now after reading and looking at other recipes they only use 1 teaspoon of coffee or a little more.

I waited the 3 days to cut it so not sure what it would of been like on the first or second day.

My first attempt will be going into the garbage but I will not be defeated by this cake so any help and information would be appreciated for my next try.  Thanks

I can't help you with why your cake sunk, but the texture sounds right.  Mud cake has a... mud-like texture, for lack of a better word lol.  It is thick and fudgy, not light and fluffy at all.  

The only time I have noticeably tasted the coffee in my mud cake is when I have used flavored coffee.  Could that be what happened to you?  I know you mentioned some recipes specify only 1 tsp of coffee, but that is instant coffee powder -- not brewed coffee.  The 1 1/2 cups in your recipe should be brewed coffee.  If you do find that too strong though, use 3/4 cup brewed coffee and 3/4 cup hot water instead.

For the chocolate tasting too "dark", make sure you use a chocolate you enjoy eating.  If you dont like the taste of it on its own, you wont like the taste of it in the cake.  

And don't throw it in the garbage!!  Mud cake magically tastes better as it gets older (and especially once covered in frosting) so have a slice before you toss it.  You might just love it :)

AI also just made my first mud cake. Our recipes sound like the same. I was instructed to bake until the top of the cake cracks and then tooth pick test only pulls out a few moist crumbs. Maybe yours was a bit under done. While mine did not sink, it sure stuck to the pan! Next time I'll not only grease but parchment the pans too. I used Ghiradelli 60% dark baking chips. It made a nice rich dark cake. May try semi sweet next time to see if we like that even better. And I agree that the longer this cake sat, the more the flavors melded together! Good luck!

Thanks Jennicake and laxgirl715.  The coffee I used was not brewed but instant.  I am not a coffee drinker so I just put a couple of tablespoons of instant into hot water so I won't do that again.  I will try baking it a little longer next time to see if that helps.   It has been 4 days and I have been picking at it today and I like the fudgy taste.  I will be making another one because it was pretty good but I will tweek it a little.  I will most likely try a different recipe.  Thanks

Mudcake is never light and fluffy, it has a very dense and fudgy texture. I would have only used a third of a cup of coffee or water if you don't like coffee.  that is probably why it sank in the middle.  It seems to be too much liquid for the rest of the ingredients.

You also may have had the temp a little high , Mud cakes need a slow oven . I will even turn the temp down further towards the end of the cooking . They can take anywhere up to four hours to cook depending on the size. I did a six inch last night that took two and a half hours. 

AChellescakes, 4 hours?! Wow! What size pan was that and at how low of a temp? I baked at 350º and my batter was split between cupcakes and parts of Wilton's giant cupcake pan. Cupcakes took 12 minutes and the giant pan took about 45 minutes, but both those times are fairly normal. I did love the fudgy texture but would love to see if changes with longer bake time at a lower temp.

Thanks chellescakes for the info.  Live and learn and ask a lot of questions from ones who know.  That's why I love this site, there are so many helpful people.  I will try again, just not for a while.