Rapsberry and white chocolate mud cake

I have never baked a mud cake before but I've sampled lots this year. ;-) Actually, I'm not even certain what makes it a mud cake apart from being richer and containing lots of actual chocolate and butter. It is my sister-in-law's birthday today so I have made her a birthday cake and also get to try another new recipe. The original recipe called for a 16 cm round cake tin; I tried using one that was 19 cm but saw that it was in danger of overflowing, so reverted to a standard 23 cm round tin instead.

Raspberry and white chocolate mud cake

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 450 g caster sugar
• 250 g butter
• 150 g white chocolate buttons
• 250 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 150 g frozen raspberries

White chocolate ganache

• 600 g white chocolate (buttons)
• 250 ml cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the base and sides of a 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Melt the sugar, butter, chocolate and milk together in a separate bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to just combine - do not over-beat. Gently stir through the raspberries.
3. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until cake is soft but cooked in the centre. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool in the tin overnight.
4. When cold, remove from the tin. Peel off the baking paper and place on a cake board.
5. Make white chocolate ganache: Melt the chocolate and cream together over a saucepan of gently simmering water or in the microwave on low power. Stir to combine and set aside to cool before use.
6. When thickened and cool, use a palette knife to spread ganache all over the cake.

Raspberry and white chocolate mud cake with white chocolate ganache