Rich Chocolate Mud Cake
This is the sort of cake you make when you want something deeply chocolatey, soft, and impossibly moist—with zero fuss. It’s my go-to “wow” cake for any occasion, now made gluten free with WEATZERO. No wheat, no worries—just real cake you’ll want to make again and again.
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Notes
From Experience: Wins, Fails, and What Stuck:
- Always swap gram-for-gram for flour. Never use a cup for WEATZERO® scales mean perfect bakes every time.
- Don’t overmix after adding the flour, gentle mixing keeps it light and soft.
- Bake a little longer: Baking longer will improve the texture of this rich cake.
- Don’t stress if the top cracks—this is normal and it means you nailed the bake! The ganache hides it, and the crumb is what counts.
- Cool completely before topping it with ganache or slicing it.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g WEATZERO® Millet Based All-Purpose Flour – weigh using a scale
- ⅓ cup (30g) Cocoa Powder Dutch processed
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 250 g Unsalted Butter – Room Temperature or refrigerated temperature
- 200 g Dark Chocolate (prefrably 70% cocoa)
- 350 mL Brewed Coffee – see method in instructions
- 1¼ cup (250g) Caster Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs – Room Temperature
Ganache
- 200 g Dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate
- 200 ml Thickened Cream
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter – Room Temperature
Optional (use any one of the options)
- 1 punnet Fresh Fruit Accents (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- 60 grams Nutty Additions (Toasted Hazelnuts or Pecans or Almonds or Caramelised Macademia)
- 40 grams Shaved Chocolate Curls – dark, milk, white or mixed
Chocolate Cake Equipment
Method
Prepration
- Preheat Oven 170°C (338°F) Conventional or 160°C (325°F) fan-forced
- Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, sift together WEATZERO® flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Mix Wet Ingredients:
- Dissolve 1½ teaspoons instant coffee granules in 1½ cups/350 milliliters boiling water or replace with 2–3 espresso shots (60–90 ml) plus enough hot water to make up 350 ml total liquid.
- Place chocolate, butter and freshly brewed coffee over a double boiler and mix until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Add sugar and whisk by hand until fully dissolved
- Let the mixture cool a few extra minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined.
- Add the sifted Dry Ingredient Mix. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix. The texture of the batter should be liquid.
Pour and Hold
- Pour batter into prepared tin. Let it stand in the tin for 10 minutes before baking (for best texture).
Bake
- Bake for 60 – 65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
Cool
- Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Patience pays off for the perfect crumb!
For the Ganache
- Chop the Chocolate.
- Place heavy cream in a small pot over medium heat. Just before it starts to boil turn the heat off and add in the chopped chocolate and butter.
- With a small whisk stir vigorously until well combined. Set aside until it is the consistency you want to spread over your cake. The longer you leave it the thicker it gets.
- Spread the ganache on top of the cake, preferably in the center and let some drip along the sides. Let it set for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Storage & Freezing
- Keep cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.If topped with ganache and fresh berries, refrigerate (covered) and bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavour and texture.
- The cake (with or without ganache) freezes beautifully.Slice the cooled cake, wrap individual pieces tightly in baking paper and foil (or use airtight containers).Freeze for up to 1 month.To serve: Thaw slices at room temperature for about 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge. Add fresh berries or toppings after thawing, if desired.Extra Tip:For extra freshness, freeze the cake un-iced and add ganache/toppings after thawing.