CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE with chocolate fudge icing

250 grams butter
200 grams dark cooking chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 heaped tablespoon instant espresso coffee
450 grams caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C grease and line bottom of a 25 cm springform tin.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter, chocolate and coffee stirring until the chocolate has dissolved.

Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved too.

Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder over the top of the chocolate and whisk them into the liquid.

then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

Once everything is combined, pour the batter into the tin.

Bake the cake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

ice and decorate with chocolate shards.

ICING

1/2 cup water
30 grams brown sugar
175 grams butter, chopped
300 grams dark cooking chocolate, broken up

Put the water, sugar and butter in a pot over a low heat to melt.

When the mixture begins to bubble, take the pot off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirl the pot so all the chocolate is heated.

Leave it for a minute or two (it does melt)and then whisk until the icing turns smooth and glossy.

Leave it for 1-3 hours and whisk every 20-30 minutes until it is thick.(mine sat for the 3 hours)

When the cake has cooled spread it with the fudge icing and attach chocolate shards.

CHOCOLATE SHARDS

200 grams dark cooking chocolate
200 grams milk cooking chocolate

using 4 pieces of baking paper, draw a rectangle about 4 inches by 8 inches long on each.

in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate.

using a spoon, fill in the rectangle with the chocolate.

allow to cool for a couple of minutes then starting at the narrow end of the paper, roll up like a swiss roll.

place in fridge till set and needed.

when ready to use, unroll. chocolate will crack into shards as it unrolls. break to fit cake

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