30 Days of Holiday: Mud Cake with White Chocolate Ganache and Walnuts

Sometimes you just grow tired of the same old thing...
Okay...I'll say it.  I don't like pumpkin pie.  You know what else?  I don't really like pecan pie either, unless there's a whole lot of chocolate and a healthy shot of bourbon in it. 
So I'm always looking for something different for Thanksgiving dessert.  This cake fit the bill perfectly.  You can take it anywhere and the presentation is beautiful.  Inside all that dripping, shimmering gorgeous gooeyness is the real treat.  The cake is very dense and very rich which is why, despite being just one layer, it goes a long way.

What's In It:

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. milk
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut up (Definitely butter!)
1/3 c. molasses
5 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped (No imitation)
2 c. all-purpose flour (Unbleached, please)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4/ tsp. salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (Thank you Chloe, Sylvia, Pat, and Lucy!)
1 1/2 c. White Chocolate Ganache (Recipe follows)
12 walnut halves

How To Make It:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter (yes, butter) a 9-inch round cake pan.  Line with waxed paper.
Mix sugar, milk, butter, molasses, and chocolate in saucepan.  Stir over low heat, without boiling, until smooth.  Set aside to cool.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.  Gradually stir dry ingredients and eggs into cooled sugar mixture.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan.  Turn onto a rack.  Carefully remove waxed paper and allow to cool completely.  Spread cooled cake with ganache.  Decorate with walnuts.

Easy White Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. white chocolate chips

Bring cream to boil in heavy saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Place chocolate chips in a large bowl and pour hot cream over them.  Let sit for 1 minute.  Whisk until smooth.  Transfer to refrigerator to cool, stirring occasionally.

When mixture is cold and thickened, beat with an electric mixer to soft peaks.  Beat last few strokes by hand with a whisk until thick and firm.  (Do not over-whisk as mixture can become grainy.)


© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved