Rich iced mud cake with boozy berries

Celebrate the season with luxurious lunch ideas the whole family will enjoy.

Notebook:

Photography by Steve Brown

• Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups (330ml) freshly brewed espresso
• 200g dark chocolate
• 2/3 cup (160ml) Marsala
• 250g butter, chopped
• 2 cups (400g) brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
• 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 cup (250ml) thickened cream
• 250g mascarpone
• 1/4 cup (45g) icing sugar mixture
• 1/4 cup (60ml) Marsala, extra
• Icing sugar, to dust

Boozy berries

• 250g punnet strawberries, washed, hulled
• 2 x 150g punnets raspberries
• 2 x 120g punnets blueberries
• 1 tbs icing sugar mixture
• 1/4 cup (60ml) orange-flavoured liqueur

• Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line the base and sides of two 10x25cm loaf pans with baking paper.
2. Step 2
   Combine the coffee, chocolate, Marsala and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until chocolate and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
3. Step 3
   Add the sugar and stir to combine. Sift the combined flours over the chocolate mixture and use a balloon whisk to stir to combine. Add the egg and stir to combine. Pour evenly among the prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
4. Step 4
   Use an electric mixer to whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Combine the mascarpone, icing sugar and extra Marsala in a medium bowl. Add cream and gently fold until just combined.
5. Step 5
   Use a large serrated knife to level the top of each cake. Cut each mud cake into 3 even layers. Line each loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the sides to overhang. Place the bottom layer of each cake in the base of the lined pans. Spoon half the mascarpone mixture over and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Continue layering with remaining cake and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 6 hours to set. To make the boozy berries, combine the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, icing sugar and liqueur in a glass or ceramic bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to macerate.
6. Step 6
   Turn the mud cake out, top-side down, onto a serving platter. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges. Dust with icing sugar.Spoon the berries over the top. Cut into slices to serve.
   taste.com.au
   Notebook: - December 2009 , Page 147
   Recipe by Sarah Hobbs