How To Make An Animal Mud Bath Cake

Happy Easter! I hope y'all all managed to consume enough of chocolate today…I know my family did!

I've had a decorated bank vacation weekend and so far – I cooked a Mexican banquet for xi on Friday night, went to the Bournemouth Beer Festival yesterday, headed out to breakfast with friends this morning and then to my mums for an Easter egg hunt and roast dinner this afternoon…Where I constitute time to make this cake I'chiliad non quite certain, but I'chiliad glad I did!

I can't take any credit for the design of this i – it's totally copied from i of the many versions doing the rounds on the net. I used to be creative…I even went to art college and went to Uni to study graphic pattern! Unfortunately I had run out of ideas by Christmas in my outset twelvemonth and so I gave upward on that career. I'one thousand at present much happier existence able to search the internet for inspiration and ideas to adapt!

This cake does have a little while to put together, merely if I'm honest, the worst part of it was waiting for the topping to cool/thicken enough before pouring it over the cake! I get very impatient when I can see it coming together and want to rush ahead and finish it. And to be fair, I still did this so the floating pig did sink a trivial farther into the 'mud' that he was meant to due to me being also quick to drop him in!

Anybody loved this cake, especially my 3 year old nephew! My nan and grandad were equally every bit impressed – my nan convinced I'd inherited my skills from her and my grandad quizzing me on what a weblog is, who looks at a weblog, how I can tell if anyone looks at my weblog and why I would write a web log…..mother….please evidence grandfather this so he can understand slightly better than the style I described information technology!

My biggest tips when making this cake would be…

Wait for the chocolate/cream mix to absurd and thicken before you fill the cake as otherwise information technology will seep through the kit-kats.
Wait until the chocolate/foam mix is about set before dropping the pigs in, otherwise they may sink as well low!
If y'all're a beginner, don't effort to make a swirl in the 'mud' like in the original photo – information technology will just await like it's gone wrong/a mess!

I chose to make the cake a Mississippi Mud Cake as I idea it was pretty apt for the look!

Recipe adapted from the Hummingbird bakery home sweetness dwelling house book –

Ingredients for the cake:

(This makes 3 cakes – I just used 2 and froze the third)

250g unsalted butter – softened
600g caster sugar
3 big eggs
470g plain flour – sifted
140g cocoa powder
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
375ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
375ml boiling water

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas Marking iv / 160°C (fan) / 180°C and line 3 20cm (8in) cake tins
In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a manus-held electric whisk) foam the butter and saccharide together until light and fluffy
Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each add-on
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and common salt together
Mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract together in a jug
Add together 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar – mix well on a medium speed
Add together 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture – mix well on a medium speed
Echo these steps until it is all combined
Slowly add together the boiling h2o, mixing until combined
Carve up the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins
Bake for approximately 35-45mins
Remove from the tins and permit to cool completely before frosting

Ingredients for the frosting inside the cake

150g icing sugar – sifted
50g unsalted butter, softened
20g unsweetened cocoa powder
i one/two tbsp whole milk

Method for making the frosting:

Using the electric whisk or mixer with the paddle zipper, slowly crush together the icing carbohydrate, cocoa and butter until the butter is completely mixed in (mixture will still exist powdery at this phase)
With the motorcar notwithstanding running on a tedious speed, gradually cascade in the milk
One time added increase the speed to high and whisk until lite and fluffy
Spread evenly between the two cakes

Ingredients for the pigs

Set up to whorl fondant icing
Pink food colouring

I can't really tell you how to make the pigs as information technology's up to you how you want them to wait! I just mixed in some pink food colouring to the icing and kneaded it well to create a smoothen colour. And then I copied the look of the pigs from the orginal image.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce topping

250ml double cream
400g milk chocolate

Method for making the chocolate sauce:

Put your foam in a pan over low heat
Proceed stirring until information technology just starts to boil
In betwixt interruption the chocolate bars into pieces
When the cream is nearly boiling accept it from the estrus and gradually add chocolate
Keep stirring until you lot accept a overnice smoothen mass and then go out to cool stirring every now and once again

This is where you need to be patient! Make sure it has cooled and thickened earlier you lot take the next steps!

Break your kitkats in two (if they are the iv finger variety!) and have them gear up
Once your chocolate sauce has cooled at thickened to a custard consistency you lot tin can starting time smearing it on the sides of your cake. Employ a spatula or the back if a knife to practice this.
One time y'all've smeared it all around you can stick your kitkats on. This can be a scrap catchy then place them on a slight angle against the block. When you accept gone correct effectually quickly tie your ribbon around the cake. This will pull the kitkats upwardly straight against your cake
When the left over chocolate sauce is just just fluid pour information technology over the top of the cake. MAKE Sure It IS Not TOO THIN WHEN Y'all DO THIS OR IT WILL SEEP BETWEEN THE KITKATS.
Before it totally sets place your little piggies on the chocolate
Place in the fridge to set

And that's that – a great looking cake that tastes expert as well. We all ate it for pudding and had it with warmed custard. It doesn't need it, only it was a cracking improver!