Ultimate Chocolate Mud Cake

4.97 from 60 votes

Chocolate Mud Cake is a dense, moist cake with a fudgy flavor. It’s similar to a flourless chocolate cake and tastes like a combination of brownies and fudge. Mud cakes are cooked low and slow, which contributes to the tight crumb, delicious consistency, and rich chocolate flavor.

slice of chocolate mud cake being taken out of whole cake.

Don’t confuse my Australian chocolate mud cake with a Mississippi mud cake; they are both delicious, but this cake is a show-stopper. It’s the perfect cake for birthdays or family get-togethers while elegant enough for fancy dinner parties or special occasions.

This is definitely going to be my next birthday cake, even if I have to make it myself!

Slice of chocolate mud cake with whipped cream on a white plate.

I love dark chocolate, and this rich chocolate mud cake is loaded with chocolate flavor that will satisfy your chocolate cravings.

If you love delicious chocolaty desserts, make sure to try my Italian Chocolate Torte; it’s one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes.

Table of Contents:

Ingredients to make Australian Chocolate Mud Cake

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Chocolate Mud Cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Made with simple pantry ingredients

Dark Chocolate
All-purpose flour
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Baking powder
Baking soda
Table salt
Vanilla extract
Sour cream
Heavy cream

Dark chocolate has the deepest flavor, but you could use part milk chocolate if you prefer a lighter flavor profile. I made the ganache using dark chocolate, but you can use white chocolate to make a ganache for a contrast of color and flavor for my classic mud cake.

Some recipes will use self-raising flour, which can be used, but you’ll need to eliminate the baking powder and salt from the dry ingredients.

You’ll also see caster sugar used instead of granulated sugar. Caster sugar is finer and dissolves more easily. It’s a good substitute, but you’ll need to reduce the amount of sugar by 5-10% unless you prefer a sweeter taste. I like to use caster sugar when making my Tiramisu recipe; it dissolves very nicely in the sabayon.

I use instant coffee or instant espresso when called for in baking recipes. Coffee enhances the natural chocolate flavor and takes my chocolate mud cake to a new level of deliciousness. And trust me, the cake will not taste like coffee.

You can substitute hot coffee for water and instant coffee, and decaf can be used if you want to cut back on caffeine. You can also leave out the coffee, simply using hot water in the recipe.

Collage showing how to begin making recipe.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the butter, chocolate, hot water, and instant coffee powder to a large saucepan over low heat.
Heat until they have melted, mixing the ingredients together until smooth.
*Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula as needed.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl to cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
Add the eggs to the warm (not hot) chocolate mixture, whisking to combine.

Collage showing next steps to make recipe.

Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the mixture, stirring to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Use an electric hand mixer (you can use a stand mixer or mix by hand) and mix just enough to combine. You want a smooth batter, but don’t be tempted to overmix; that will only make the cake tough.
*Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan.
Place the springform pan on the center rack of a preheated oven and bake for 75-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
*The cake shouldn’t jiggle if you nudge the pan.
Remove the cake pan from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the chocolate mud cake from the springform pan to finish cooling to room temperature.

collage showing how to make glaze and recipe.

When the cake is fully cooled, use a serrated knife to remove the dome so that you have a relatively flat surface.
Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Do not let the cream boil.
Pour the hot cream over the cut-up chocolate pieces (in a heatproof bowl) and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Let the ganache cool for 30 minutes until it has firmed up.
Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the chocolate mud cake.
Spread the ganache evenly over the top of the cooled cake using a frosting spatula.

If you prefer a more traditional frosting for the chocolate mud cake, you can use my chocolate buttercream or chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Whole chocolate mud cake on white platter.

The whole cake is quite an impressive sight. And the good thing is it tastes even better than it looks. It’s the perfect chocolate mud cake!

Serve the chocolate mud cake with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.

Store any leftover mud cake in an airtight container (or covered with plastic wrap), either refrigerated for 5-6 days or at room temperature for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQ’s

What is an Australian mud cake?

An Australian mud cake is a type of chocolate cake known for its dense and moist texture. It’s one of the most popular cakes in Australia, and thanks to the internet and food bloggers, it has slowly spread to the rest of the world.

Why is it called a mud cake?

It’s called a mud cake because of its moist, dense texture that somewhat resembles the consistency of wet mud.

Why is my mud cake dry?

The fry texture can be from over-baking or measuring the ingredients incorrectly. Overmixing the batter can also lead to a dry and tough crumb.

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4.97 from 60 votes

Australian Chocolate Mud Cake

Chocolate Mud Cake is a dense, moist cake with a fudgy flavor. It's similar to a flourless chocolate cake and tastes like a combination of brownies and fudge.

Prep Time35

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour 250 grams
1 ¾ cup granulated sugar 350 grams
⅓ cup cocoa powder 30 grams
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter (6 ounces = 1 ½ sticks) 170 grams
7 ounces dark chocolate -finely chopped 200 grams
2 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 cup hot water 240 ml
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream 240 ml

Chocolate Ganache

8 oz dark chocolate -finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Mud Cake

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Then line the sides with strips of parchment paper.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the butter, chocolate, water, and instant coffee powder to a large saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter and chocolate has melted, and mix the ingredients together until smooth.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula as needed.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl to cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
Add the eggs to the warm (not hot) chocolate, whisking to combine.
Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the mixture, stirring to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl with the wet ingredients. Use an electric hand mixer and mix just enough to combine.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
Place the springform pan on the center rack of a preheated oven and bake for 75-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
*The cake shouldn't jiggle if you nudge the pan.
Remove the cake pan from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the cake from the springform pan to finish cooling.
When the cake is fully cooled, use a serrated knife to remove the dome from the cake, so you have a relatively flat surface.

Chocolate Ganache

Add the chopped chocolate to a heat proof bowl. Set aside until needed.
Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Do not let the cream boil.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
Whisk the chocoalte and cream together until smooth and creamy.
Let the ganache cool for 30 minutes until it has firmed up.
Spread the chocolate ganache evenly over the top of the cake using a frosting spatula.
Serve with whipped cream.

Notes

Store the mud cake covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

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Comments

4.97 from 60 votes (42 ratings without comment)

Ultimate Chocolate Mud Cake