Mississippi Mud Cake with Coffee Cream

Ingredients (serves 12)

• Melted butter, to grease
• 310ml (1 1/4 cups) freshly brewed espresso coffee
• 200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 60ml (1/4 cup) bourbon whiskey
• 2 tbs kahlua coffee liqueur
• 250g butter, chopped
• 430g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• Cocoa powder, to dust

• Coffee cream

• 250g mascarpone
• 2 tbs kahlua coffee liqueur
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbs icing sugar mixture

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a 20cm round (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter. Line the base and side with non-stick baking paper.
2. Cook the coffee, chocolate, whiskey, kahlua and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until butter and chocolate melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
3. Place the combined flours in a bowl. Add one-third of the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Gradually add the remaining chocolate mixture and eggs and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan to cool.
4. Meanwhile, to make the coffee cream, whisk the mascarpone, kahlua, coffee powder and icing sugar in a bowl until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.
5. Dust the cake with cocoa powder. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of coffee cream.