Double - decker mud cake! Yes - DOUBLE!

Ok....who needs another chocolate hit? For all those chocolate lovers (that includes you B) this cake is a MUST.....not an everyday must, or a once a week must, but just for a special occiasion or for someone special in your life kinda 'must'. It's a cake that needs some care and attention and can't be rushed, so when you are feeling in the mood and in the baking 'zone' you will be ready to attempt this one.

I first admired this cake in a book I bought many years ago amongst The Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks called Wicked Sweet Indulgences. This book really does have some wickedly nasty indulgent things from self-saucing puddings to creme brulee and Mars Bar cheesecake.

The cake does require alot of chocolate so it's not exactly a cake to make when you're on a budget (or diet for that matter) as you do want to use quality chocolate. Probably the hardest part I found with making it was slicing the cakes evenly in half, as you need 4 even layers (but it's not a huge deal so don't stress). I think it's all about taking your time.

The Australian Women's Weekly - Wicked Sweet Indulgences page 54

250g butter, chopped

150g white chocolate, chopped coarsely

2 cups (440g) caster sugar  ( I can see you all thinking!!! WOW sugar overload)

1 cup (250ml) milk

1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 eggs, beaten lightly

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

600g milk chocolate (YES I know!!!)

1 cup (250ml) cream

1 Preheat oven to slow. Grease two deep 20cm-round cake pans, line bases and sides with baking paper.

Important - try and make sure your cake tins are as close to 20cm as you can

2. Combine butter, white chocolate, sugar and milk in medium saucepan, stir over heat, without boiling, until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl, cool 15 minutes.

3. Whisk sifted flours into white chocolate mixture then whisk in essence and eggs, pour half of the mixture into one of the prepared pans. Whisk sifted cocoa into remaining mixture, pour into other prepared pan.

Bake cakes in slow oven about 50 minutes. Stand cakes 5 minutes, turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

4. Combine milk chocolate and cream in medium saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth. (make sure it doesn't get too hot or your chocolate will burn). Transfer to medium bowl. Cover, refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate mixture is of spreadable consistency (not runny!). Reserve 1 cup of the chocolate mixture for spreading over the top of the cake.

5. Split each cooled cake in half. Centre one layer of the cake on serving plate, spread with 1/2 cup of remaining milk chocolate mixture. Repeat layering, alternating colours. Cover top and sides of the cake with reserved chocola te mixture.

SERVES 10

tip: You can also melt the milk-chocolate and cream in a microwave oven, cook on HIGH (100%) about 11/2 minutes, pausing to stir every 30 seconds.

I didn't make the icing until I had completed the cake as I wanted to make sure it turned out before I wasted 3 blocks of chocolate.

Enjoy....WE DID! M xx