Mudslide Cake

      
       Hello recipe-hunting-community! How are yeh? I'm doing fantastic, and the above picture is part of the reason why. You see, I recently celebrated a birthday (being a lady, I shall not admit to the age (just know that I'm younger than my sister, hehe)) and recieved one of my favorite birthday presents from my brother: a Barnes and Noble gift card. (I'm not advertising, I just love books. I am an English Major after all.) He knows me well. In my opinion, this gift card is nowhere near impersonal, but rather sensical. I buy books so often that not many people can keep up with the current inventory of my personal library. Anyway, my brother has very good taste because, you see, he inadvertently purchased me a recipe book called Booze Cakes. No, I'm not a heavy drinker, but I do like enjoying a glass of something every now and again. Wanna know the best part about this purchase? Even my brother was super stoked about it! We made two cakes the very next day. (Stay tuned, cake two is coming soon...) This was the cake I chose. The Mudslide Cake. Wow. So good! The cake itself wasn't super fudgey, but a nice chocolate flavor with a hint of coffee. Just the way I like it. Plus, all the toppings were super fresh and delicious tasting, and spiked with Bailey's. Ultimately, I think this is a cake that is going in my permanent sweets cookbook.

Mudslide Cake

Recipe from Booze Cakes

Ingredients

For the Irish Cream Cake

• 1/4 strong espresso (about 2 shots)
• 3/4 Irish cream liqueur (you get what you pay for, so use Bailey's)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs (room temperature is best)

For the Irish Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (Bailey's)

For the Irish Cream Caramel Sauce

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar (really, any brown sugar will do)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (Bailey's)

Directions

For the Cake

--Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

--Prepare 2 round cake pans (9in to 10in) by greasing and flouring.

--In a glass, combine the espresso and Bailey's, then set it aside for now.

--In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt. Set that aside for now too.

--In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla until it is light and creamy. (About 3-5 minutes.)

--Then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is fluffy. (About 4 minutes.)

--Next, add the flour mixture and liquid mixture to the stuff in the mixing bowl in alternating additions. (Half the flour, the liquid, then the rest of the flour.)

--Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, the cake is done.

--Remove from oven, and let the cake rest in the pans for a couple minutes. Then flip the cakes from the pans and allow to cool on a wire rack. Let cool completely.

For the Whipped Cream

--In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whipped cream and Bailey's.

--Using the whisk attachment, beat the liquid on low for a few seconds, gradually increasing the speed until the liquid won't splash you when the power is on high.

--Whisk until stiff peaks form, but don't overbeat unless you want homemade butter.

--Refrigerate the whipped cream until you're ready to use it.

For the Caramel Sauce

--Bring a saucepan up to medium heat. Then dump in the brown sugar, butter, and cream.

--Stiring constantly, bring the sauce to a boil.

--Then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes.

--Next, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and Bailey's.

--Let cool just a little bit so you don't melt the whipped cream when drizzling.

--The longer the caramel sits, the thicker it gets.

Stacking the Cake

--Get out your favorite cakestand and place a small dollop of the whipped cream on its center.

--Place the first layer of chocolate cake on top of the dollop, centered on the stand.

--Take half of the whipped cream and spread it evenly over the first layer of cake. If desired, you can drizzle some of the caramel over this section of cake to add a stronger caramel flavor to the completed cake.

--Next, stack the other cake layer on the covered first layer, making sure the edges line up on all sides. Top with remaining whipped cream.

--If desired, garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate swirls. I used a semi-sweet Baker's bar and shaved a piece of it with a potato peeler.

--Drizzle the stacked cake with as much caramel sauce as desired. If you don't use all the caramel (like me) put what's left in a small dish and let people drizzle extra caramel over their individual pieces.

--Enjoy, and please eat responsibly ;)

Happy Baking!

--H