Dark Chocolate Mud Cake

Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Mud Cake

Make this decadent, delicious cake for special occasions or just for fun. Secret ingredient is pumpkin (I know!) which makes the cake dense and fudge, like all good mud cakes should be.

(Serves 10–12)

Ingredients

For the cake
• 400g / 14.1oz pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, chopped into chunks
• 100g / 3.5oz dark chocolate, 70%
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 eggs, separated
• 150ml / 5 fl oz vegetable oil
• 100g / 3.5oz coconut sugar
• 60ml / 2 fl oz maple syrup
• 125g / 4.4oz spelt flour
• 40g / 1.4oz cacao powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the dark chocolate ganache
• 100g / 3.5oz dark chocolate, 70%
• 75ml / 2.5 fl oz cream
• bee pollen for sprinkling, optional

To make the cake

1. Steam the pumpkin until tender, using your preferred method. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

3. Grease and line a 20cm round baking tin with baking paper.

4. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it into a small glass or ceramic bowl.

5. Fill a small saucepan with 4–5cm of water. Put the saucepan on a medium heat until the water is boiling, and then reduce the heat to low.

6. Set the bowl containing the chocolate over the small saucepan of simmering water—but do not let the bottom of the chocolate bowl touch the water.

7. Let the chocolate sit over the simmering water until it is melted—around 4–5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

8. Measure the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.

9. Place the steamed pumpkin into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth.

10. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks into the food processor bowl with the pumpkin and the whites into a clean, medium-sized bowl.

11. Add the vanilla, melted chocolate, oil, coconut sugar and maple syrup to the pumpkin and egg yolks, and blitz until well combined.

12. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, but keep the bowl on your bench—you’re going to use it again in a minute. Blitz the mixture in the food processor until well combined.

13. Tip the mixture from the food processor into the medium bowl you set aside just a minute ago.

14. Whisk the egg whites into soft peaks.

15. Using a rubber spatula, lightly fold the egg whites through the cake batter until just combined.

16. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 55–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

17. Allow the cake to cool in the tin.

To make the ganache

1. Tip the cream into a small saucepan.

2. Heat the cream gently over a low heat until it is hot, but do not allow to boil.

3. Remove from the heat.

4. Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a medium-sized glass or ceramic bowl.

5. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2–3 minutes.

6. Stir with a spoon until smooth and silky.

7. Pour the ganache over the cake, and sprinkle with bee pollen.

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Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Mud Cake : Recipe + Styling by Amber Rossouw and Photography + Styling by Jacinta Moore for Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 10.