Dark Chocolate Baileys Mud Cake

January 14, 2014

dark chocolate Baileys mud cake | une gamine dans la cuisine


It seemed those seasons swirled
into each other, as if icicles dripped
an April rain, or a blown dandelion
became the snow. In unsown, dew-sharpened fields
I'd blink and be -- a glittering instant -- stilled
in the smells and shimmery whispers of the ripe
and only crop of wheat we ever grew.
In nights so cold our breaths plumed the hard dark
above our bed, I thought of white, taut,
rain-laden clouds and felt, as we grew warm
together under quilts, the long shudders
of summer thunder.

~ Christian Wiman, from section III of "The Long Home," in The Long Home Poems

I spent several hours night-dreaming of summer during last week's "polar vortex." Cold weather does not agree with me, it's a callous lump of black licorice I'd rather swallow than bite into. Needless to say, subzero temperatures shut me down completely. During the coldest of the cold, I huddled under a not-warm-enough electric blanket for hours on end - only breaking out of my cocoon long enough to make coffee, tea and soup, or to toss chopped apples and carrots out to the three rabbits who sheltered inside my garage for a few days.

As soon as the weather reached 20 F, my body had an insatiable craving for something shamelessly chocolate.

dark chocolate Baileys mud cake | une gamine dans la cuisine

As some of you may already know, I am not a chocoholic. I 'like' chocolate but I don't run to it when life gets messy (lemon will always be my go-to lover). Once in a blue moon, or on the heels of strange weather, I do crave chocolate. And because it's such an anomaly, I like to make something over the top...something that will satiate my almost primal need for another few months. This cake is The One. I was unfamiliar with the term 'mud' cake, but the name sounded dirty and decadent and sinful - just the sort of chocolate dessert I'd been searching for.

Fudgy is too impalpable a word for this deity. It's more of an experience, actually. ;) Mud cake apparently means rich, fork-clinging magnificence. The ganache is mystical - a simple elixir composed of Bailey's, chopped chocolate (mostly unsweetened), and butter. Simply put, this cake is as dark and sexy as they come. I am in love. (Sorry, Tom Hiddleston.)

dark chocolate Baileys mud cake | une gamine dans la cuisine

Dark Chocolate Irish Whisky Mud Cake
makes one 8-inch round cake

for the cake
150g unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
100g high quality dark chocolate, chopped
100g granulated sugar
100g dark brown sugar (light brown will work too)
50g Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
180 ml Baileys Irish Cream (feel free to use any brand of Irish Cream)
170g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 room temp. eggs

for the ganache
113g high quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
87g high quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
*200 ml Baileys Irish Cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
15g unsalted butter, softened to room temp. and cut into small pieces

*If, for some silly reason, you want to go light on the alcohol, use 100ml of cream and only 100ml of Baileys. :)

method
Prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 325 F. (160 C). Grease an 8-inch (21-cm) cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. {Note: Use a cake tin that's at least 2-inches deep - preferably a spingform pan.}

Prepare a double boiler: Fill a medium saucepan with about 1-inch of water and bring the water to a slow simmer. Find a large heatproof bowl that fits snugly over the saucepan (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch simmering water). Place the butter, chopped chocolate, both sugars, cocoa powder, and Baileys into large bowl and place the bowl over pot of simmering water. Melt the mixture, stirring often, until smooth. Remove bowl from simmering water and set it aside to cool for about 8 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; Set aside.

If the bowl you used to melt the chocolate/butter mixture isn't large enough to accommodate extra ingredients, pour it into a larger bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Sift in the flour mixture and use a large rubber spatula to fold it into the chocolate mixture until just combined (try not to over-mix).

Scrape the batter into prepared cake pan and bake 40-50 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted through center comes out with only a few moist crumbs and cake no longer 'jiggles' when the pan is moved. (My cake took about 55 minutes, but my oven is slightly manic.) Don't overbake - you should see damp chocolate crumbs on test skewer, don't worry if the top cracks in a few areas. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Place onto a cooling rack - cool completely before adding ganache. If your cake cracked too much, simply flip it over or use a serrated knife to even it out.

Prepare the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate into a large, shallow, heatproof bowl; Set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring the Baileys, and salt to just a boil. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Beginning at the center and using small concentric circles, slowly start to whisk the Baileys and chocolate together until completely smooth - add the butter pieces and mix till melted. Set the ganache aside for 3-5 minutes (depending on how cold you keep your kitchen) until it's thickens slightly. Don't wait too long or it will harden. {Note: As ganache is cooling, give it a stir from time to time.}

Spread over cool cake...inhale! (Fork and plate are optional.) Due to the cake's texture, it's almost impossible to get a neat, clean slice - but it helps to run a sharp knife under hot water before ravaging. :D

{Note} If you like your cake extra lush, heat a slice in the microwave for about 15 seconds - just long enough to warm the ganache. *swoon*

adapted from Citrus and Candy 

dark chocolate Baileys mud cake | une gamine dans la cuisine

45 comments:

  1. Oh, fantastic! This luscious cake looks amazing. I'm a big fan of Baileys.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. I love your descriptors! Dark and sexy, definitely!! Glad to hear you've made it through the vortex! I always worry about the little animals out in the cold! I bet they really appreciated your efforts!

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  3. You have such a way with words, Valerie, that you even make this non-chocoholic swoon to try your cake.

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  4. This cake... oh my! I do crave chocolate on a regular basis so I can see myself baking this cake much too often. I barely left my apartment during those super cold days... amazing how 40 degrees felt so warm a few days later!

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  5. So rich, so chocolately - I adore it! Well worth coming out of polar vortex (I referred to it has a "polar bear" yesterday!) hibernation for :).

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  6. This recipe looks incredible! I love the flavor of Baileys. I'm definitely going to add this to my Valentine's baking list!

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  7. Valerie,
    As much as I love your recipes, I think I love the poetry you give us with each one even more. Thank you.

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  8. Thank you, Linda. I sometimes wonder if the poems are a bit much - it's nice to know someone takes them in. xo

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  9. I just fell in love with it. And since we didn't get the polar vortex kind of cold, I deserve this cake. Just because I wanted to stay home, nice and warm instead of coming to work! :p

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  10. gawd, this cake is sexy. it's dark and moody, it's the perfect complement to the way this winter has been.

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  11. This cake looks like my dream come true. Beautiful!

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  12. i love bailey's. this looks amazing!

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  13. I am a lemon kind of girl too, but this cake might make me change my mind! It looks awesome, plus the Baileys was the perfect addition!

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  14. This cake looks magical - it's so beautifully photographed, and I can imagine it tastes at least as good as it looks!

    http://goldendreamland.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipe

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  15. I am counting the days till spring.
    Trying my best to avoid the SAD; rolling with the punches, bobbing and weaving. LOL
    Silly I know but true.

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  16. wow this looks like a nice treat after the horrid cold spell

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  17. I would have loved it better if they were not in metric measurements.

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  18. @Anon: Sorry about the measurements. I thought about trying to convert everything but the amounts were too wonky - for this recipe, I think precision is key. Plus I'm not very good with conversions.



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  19. I can't wait to make this cake!

    Question for you though - in the ingredients for the cake, you list Bailey's Irish Whiskey (or any brand of Irish Cream). Just to clarify, you DO mean just Bailey's (the cream) and not straight Irish whiskey (like Jameson's), right?

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  20. I would have stayed in hibernation too. I love the poetry don't stop, it's beautiful. I was just thinking the other day about a cake I had a few years back but I think it had Kahlua in it. Baileys sound good too. Converting measurements properly are tricky and an inexpensive kitchen scale works great and it really opens up your options for baking, no need to apologize for not converting it. Hope you guys warm up.
    -Gina-

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  21. @icee: Yes, Baileys Irish Cream is used in the cake and the ganache. Sorry for the confusion. :D

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  22. i am dying to stick a fork in this dark chocolate deliciousness! such a gorgeously luscious cake, I need to try this! beautiful post Valerie!

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  23. ive been eyeing this since I saw it on my FB feed, I am like you, not a big fan of chocolate for mood cravings, but anything decadent like this is always a winner! Good to know the weather is getting better for u Valerie !

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  24. Thanks so much for the recipe, I am most definitely one of those girls that turns to chocolate on bad days, and this looks amazing! Can't wait to make it, I love cake with ganache.
    What do you use to measure out grams? I assume a kitchen weight, but I don't have one (nor the space for one on my tiny kitchen counters) and I'd like to find another way to measure in grams. The conversions are so weird, I can't measure .64589 cups in my measuring cup!lol But I like to be precise in my measurements too. Is there another way to measure in grams? Would love to know how you do it.
    Thank you :) More chocolate recipes please!!! ;)

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  25. @Kristen: I used my wee kitchen scale for this recipe. (My poor scale is seldom put to work - something I'm trying to remedy.)

    Allrecipes has a few nifty conversion chart on their site but I can't guarantee the measurements will be spot on...

    Kristen, I don't have much counter space either so I know how you feel. I found a great scale that's about 6x9-inches on Amazon! The brand is Ozeri - it should be pretty easy to find...it's an amazing little baker's sidekick. :D

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  26. How do I get that slice near my face in the next 2 seconds?! Oh my gah! It is beautiful!!!

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  27. Bailey Irish cream is bailey+cream or the bailey liqueur we get in the market?

    Also we just get dark chocolate in India and not the unsweetened

    How do I go about it ?

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  28. @Shruti: Preferably Baileys Irish - which is made with whisky and cream. If you can't find Baileys it's okay to use another brand...as long as it's a creamy liqueur. Kahlua would be delicious too!

    If you can't find unsweetened chocolate use dark or bittersweet instead. The results should be just as tasty. :)

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  29. WOW - that polar vortex sounds simply dreadful. Glad you made it through. I would have the same craving - this cake looks and sounds divine!!!

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  30. I remember seeing this on Fb, it's so pretty, and rich and inviting, and just everything a chocolate cake should be. As a life long chocoholic I can say it makes me happy just to look at it :)

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  31. Hi will it be ok to not put baileys as I'm making for kids?

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  32. a dessert that look so stunish, so perfect and delicious, it as to be try it by anyone

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  33. @Anon: For the cake portion of the recipe, you can use decaf coffee instead of Baileys. For the ganache, replace the Baileys with half & half cream. :)

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  34. Are you sure only 15 grams of butter for the ganache, or is it a typo? Seems like it should be closer to 150 grams.

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  35. @Anon: 15g does seem like a small amount but it's correct - just enough ganache to cover the top of the cake (the sides remain bare). :)

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  36. I made this last night for a birthday at work. AMAZING cake! If you need a chocolate fix, this certainly will do the trick.

    At no fault of the recipe (I found it very well written. thank you!), I somehow messed up the ganache a bit. I was doubling for two cakes, and wonder if I shouldn't have doubled the butter. It seeped and sort of separated and then hardened. No worries though- threw the whole cake into the microwave before serving and no one was the wiser.

    Thanks for the recipe - it was a giant hit!

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  37. Icee, that's wonderful! I'm so happy you (and the birthday recipient) enjoyed this lavish cake! :)

    The frosting is slightly difficult, I can see how doubling it would add to its fickle temperament. I'm glad it turned out well in the end.

    Thank you for letting me know! xo

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  38. Hi, I'm delighted to have found you! I made this cake yesterday. It was easy to make and turned out just perfect. My husband is a chocolate lover and he swooned over it! He want's to know when I'll make the next one. A definite keeper and repeater!!

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  39. Antonia, this cake is truly quite the heart breaker; it leaves one longing for more as soon as the last crumbs have disappeared.

    I'm elated that you and your husband were smitten by it as well! :)

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  40. Hi Valerie, I love your work! This cake looks so sinfully decadent, I simply must give it a try.
    However, is there a certain percentage of cocoa solids I should adhere to when using dark chocolate?

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Nachatira. (Lovely name, btw!) :)
      If you want to go ultra-dark + rich, I would use chocolate that's *about* 60-70% cacao. For something a bit less heavy, maybe 50%.

      Thanks for visiting! xoxo

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  41. Having issues w/ computerized conversion. g > ounces. Do you by any chance have a file in NON metric??

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    1. Unfortunately these are the only measurements I have for this particular recipe. Sorry. xoxo (If I decide to revist this cake, I'll be sure to include ounces + cups.)

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  42. Looked too good not to make, so I did all the conversions and it turned out great:)

    150g unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks = 2/3 cup
    100g high quality dark chocolate, chopped = 3.5oz
    100g granulated sugar = 1/2 cup
    100g dark brown sugar (light brown will work too) = 1/2 cup
    50g Dutch cocoa powder, sifted = 1/2 cup
    180 ml Baileys Irish Cream (feel free to use any brand of Irish Cream)
    170g all-purpose flour = 3/4 cup

    113g high quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped = 4oz
    87g high quality dark chocolate, finely chopped =3oz
    *200 ml Baileys Irish Cream
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    15g unsalted butter, softened to room temp. and cut into small pieces = 1tbsp

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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