Moist, dense, and flavorful, this cake is perfect as a snack or as a base for celebration cakes.
I have no idea why mud cakes are called that, do you? All I know is that it has chocolate in it, and lots of it, which is pretty much all I need to know. Yesterday I found a pound of white chocolate hiding in my pantry that was just about to expire, so throwing the whole thing into one cake seemed like the right solution. Instead of searching zillion of white chocolate mud cake recipes like I would usually do, I took this recipe because I had a good gut feeling about it. And my gut was right, as it usually is when I’m hungry.
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I couldn’t stop taking photos of this cake because it’s so pretty! I baked it in an 8×8-inch pan, which isn’t big, yet the cake is tall and rich and enough to serve 16. Flavor wise, it has a subtle white chocolate flavor, which might be surprising considering there are 300 grams in it, but that’s the nature of white chocolate cakes. It is very flavorful though, and the flavor even improves over time. A day later it tasted much better, but 2 or even 3 days later it tasted absolutely amazing. There’s also the white chocolate ganache that I highly recommend not skipping. In the original recipe there was double the amount of ganache you’ll find in my recipe; I cut it down because I thought it was a bit too sweet, and you won’t hear me say that very often. The texture is moist yet dense, and while I usually don’t like dense cakes, this one is a keeper for sure. You can store this cake in the fridge, but make sure you serve it at room temperature for the best results.
White Chocolate Cake (aka Mud Cake)
Ingredients
Cake:
- 300 g/10.5 oz white chocolate
- 200 g/7 oz butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (165 g/6 oz) granulated or caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
- 1¾ cups (240 g/8.5 oz) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Sour Cream and White Chocolate Ganache:
- 100 g/3.5 oz white chocolate
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Grease an 8-inch/20cm square pan and line the base and sides of the pan with parchment paper.
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Place chocolate, butter, milk, and sugar in a bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl, and stir occasionally. Remove from heat when chocolate and butter have melted, and stir mixture until completely smooth. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
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Add vanilla and eggs to chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
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In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add one cup of chocolate mixture to the flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Repeat with another cup of the chocolate mixture. Add remaining chocolate mixture and stir until mixture is smooth. This gradual method of combining the wet and dry ingredients helps to prevent lumps. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
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Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean without any batter. If the cake is browning too much while baking, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Allow cake to cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
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To make the ganache: Place white chocolate in a bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl, and stir occasionally. When chocolate has completely melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in sour cream. Use immediately to frost cake, or if the ganache is quite runny, set it aside at room temperature to thicken slightly before using.
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Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. The cake is suitable to freeze with or without icing.
Recipe source: www.exclusivelyfood.com.au
Andra says
Hi, can I bake this cake in 8 or 9 inch round pan? thanks a lot 🙂
Shiran says
Yes, you can use a 9-inch round pan. Use the quantities specified in the recipe.
Andra says
Thank you very much, I cant wait to make this cake.
MIRI says
This cake was delicious! One of our dinner guests told me to make a bakery haha!
Thank you for another awesome recipes. Your blog is my favorite!
Shiran says
I’m so glad!! Thank you so much for your sweet comments!
Anna says
I made this cake yesterday. It is so easy and tastes out of this world. It is the second recipe I have used from this site, the other was the peanut butter brownies. Both were delicious and in my opinion some of the best baking I have every produced. I cannot wait to try more of the Pretty.Simply.Sweet recipes x
Shiran says
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Anna! I hope you’ll enjoy more recipes from here. xx
Chloe says
Hi, Would this be the same for if I baked it in 2 6″ cake tins?
Shiran says
Hi Chloe, it won’t be exactly the same, the cakes would be a bit taller. I recommend checking out my article on how to convert pan sizes to alter the recipe 🙂
Samantha says
Hi , would one batch of this cake be too small for two 7 inch round trays? And does it rise much?
Shiran says
Hi Samantha, I recommend checking out my article on how to convert pan sizes to alter the recipe 🙂
Lori L says
I baked in 9” square pan and split this into 2 layers. I frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream with fresh strawberries in the middle. Amazing! Everyone loved it. Thanks you!
Aurora says
Hello, (:
I am curious if you know the science behind using a milk chocolate for instance instead of a white chocolate.
I understand white chocolate is high in cocoa butter content rather then actual cocoa which is in darker chocolates, so would this work if I substituted white for milk. Im a baker by trade, but being off grid doesn’t allow the leeway I used to have in regards to experimenting, so if you get the chance (: !
Tara says
Just wanted to say Thank You for sharing such a great recipe. I used you white cholate cake recipe and turned it into a White Forest Cake for someones birthday. It was delish♡ and held it’s own with the brandied cherry and whipped cream . The perfect “canvas”. Forever more this recipe will live in my baking arsenal♡.
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Tara!
Marina says
Hello Shiran, made this delicious cake however the texture was not good at all, it was like a clump. It definitely tasted super delicious but would like to know if I can do anything to get a more grainy texture.
Shiran says
Hi Marina, it’s hard for me to know what went wrong without being there. Make sure that once you add the flour, mix the batter as little as possible. It will make a lighter texture.
nabila says
Can you turn this cake into cupcakes?
Mackenzie Dalton says
Hi Shiran!
I was just wondering roughly how long the whole process takes.
Thanks so much, would greatly appreciate a fast response.
Hilla says
Hi There,
Looovvvveeee this cake!
Can it be baked as muffins a well?
If so, what will be the baking time?
Thanks!
Shiran says
Yes! It will take 15-20 minutes to bake in a standard muffin pan.
Vee says
Hi can I ask which which chocolate you used please ?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Vee, you can use any type of white chocolate for this recipe – from white chocolate chips from the grocery store to Valrhona white chocolate, the dessert will come out great.
Misty says
Heyyy,
The cake is delicious!
I’m making a layered cake using this recipe for my grandpas 80th! I’m wondering how long I should bake it for if I split the cake mixture in half in 2 separate 9 inch tins.
Thanks so much 😁
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Misty! So glad you love this cake! You have two options here- either double the recipe or bake two thin 9-inch rounds. Personally, I’d double the recipe so each 9-inch round cake bakes just like the 8-inch square as listed in the recipe. Without doubling the recipe and just dividing the batter, it will bake rather quickly. You’ll want to start checking your oven about 20 minutes after you start baking and just keep monitoring from there. The type of pans you use as well as your oven will impact the bake time. For perfect results, use an instant read thermometer and take the cakes out when they hit 205 degrees F.