Sarah's Mud Cake from Gretchen

A Good Use of Leftover Coffee

I had fun making this cake.  Super easy to make.  It starts on the stove top then you mix in the rest of the ingredients with a hand mixer.

I was cleaning out the pantry--- where I found 4 ounces of bitter chocolate --- plus I had leftover coffee.  What can I make?  Then I remembered this recipe.

It's one of my sister-in-law's which I copied down a long time but never made.  When I asked Gretchen about it, she said it is a very good recipe, that it freezes well, and it came from a gal in Amherst who is a great cook.   

Disguised the imperfections on top by drizzling the dregs of a jar of Tom's hot fudge sundae topping over the top.  A spider-web of sorts.  Probably got ruined when I wrapped up the cake, but I had fun drizzling, nonetheless.  

I am going to freeze it and serve it to guests when they visit us later this summer.

---Barbara

Sarah's Mud Cake
(from Gretchen, who got it from a gal in Amherst)

2 cups extra strong coffee
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares*
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
pinch of cinnamon
2 eggs
Chocolate Sauce for drizzling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Prepare a 10 inch springform pan.  (I lined mine with parchment paper and buttered the sides.)

In a saucepan large enough to hold all of the ingredients, bring the coffee to a boil.

Add chocolate squares, and bring to a rolling boil.  Stir until it melts.

Off the heat, add the butter, and stir until it melts.

Add 2 cups of sugar and stir together until combined.

With a hand mixer, stir in the 2 cups of flour, 1 t. salt, 1 t. baking soda, and pinch of cinnamon.
(With a spatula scrape down the sides, and mix again to be sure it is all combined.)

Add 2 eggs, combine well.

(I whisked my eggs and tempered them with the chocolate before adding.)

Bake 1 hour 40 minutes (up to 2 hours) at 300 degrees.

Cool 10-15 minutes.

Take out of pan, and immediately cover.

Refrigerate.

Let sit in refrigerator a couple of days before serving.

---B

Notes:  Glad I used the parchment.  The cake slide easily off the springform pan base, once I loosened it.  I wrapped it in foil, then plastic.   Will let it sit in the fridge for a few days then put it in a plastic bag in the freezer.

*I used Sharffenberger bittersweet which is 70% cocao versus unsweetened which is 100% cocoa.  Also I used Starbuck's Pike Place drip coffee.