This recipe comes from the Australian Women’s Weekly, originally shared by a dear cake friend Effie, it has quickly become a very popular recipe amongst the cake friend community. It even spawned a peppermint crisp version. So don’t be scared to experiment! I have also been told that most people increase the amount of cherry ripe as well! 
Cherry Ripe Mud Cake
Est Prep time: 35 minutes
Est Cooking time: 1 & 3/4 hours
Oven Temp: 150C
Serves: 9″ round
Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 & 2/3 cups coconut milk
200g dark chocolate chopped coarsely
2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cups self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 x 85g cherry ripe bars chopped coarsely
Instructions
Preheat oven to 150C and prepare cake tin.
Combine butter, coffee, coconut milk, chocolate and sugar in a large saucepan and stir over heat until butter and chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
Whisk in sifted dry ingredients, followed by eggs and essence.
Stir in chopped Cherry Ripe.
Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake in slow oven for approx 1 & 3/4 hours.
Additional Info/Comments
This cake tastes best if cooked a couple of days in advance.
Have you used this recipe? What did you think? Did you alter anything to make it work for you? Do you have a picture you would like to send me, that we can feature with the recipe? Post a comment or use the Contact page to send me a picture.
This information has been sourced by cake friend Pam after LONG and extensive “chats” with the NSW Food Authority in an attempt to try and get a DEFINITIVE ANSWER on the questions of what you can and can’t do with wire in cake.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.
If you are not comfortable sticking wires in your cake, then use a flower pick!
A summary of quoted Sections of the National Act and various sub-sections is that the use of wire inserted directly into cake is PERMITTED so long as:
- The wire used is a wire that has been specifically manufactured for the purpose of CAKE DECORATING. ie. Flower Wire (NOT hardware store wire or scrapbooking wire – it must be wire that is specifically designed for Cake Decorating)
- That it is being inserted into a low PH cake product. ie. Mudcake, Madeira, Buttercake but NOT FRUITCAKE (which is acidic and has higher moisture content)
- That a Customer Information Sheet be included with delivery of the cake – outlining what products need to be removed from the cake BEFORE cutting (this could form part of your cutting guide)
The NSW Food Authority was very helpful in seeking to clarify points and did mention that there were major amendments to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 passed through the Australian Parliament on 20 June 2007.
Victorian residents need to be mindful that they have State regulations that may conflict with National regulations and should check with the relevant State authorities http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/
AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.
Also this information does not change the conditions imposed in Schedules for Show Cakes – if it states NO WIRE to be used – then it STILL means that!
I found it very interesting chatting with the NSW Food Authority and the gentleman was very helpful – he did say that Cake Decorating was considered a LOW-RISK food activity and that we would all probably fall of our perches if we investigate too much.
For example:
- Did you know that “chocolate” is legally allowed to contain a % of FOREIGN MATTER (I forget the actual number but it was still alarming) that means for every kilo of chocolate you add to your cakes you could be adding ?.01% of ‘SOMETHING ELSE’.
- That they would be more concerned about the food safety aspect of some “pinched Macca’s straws” being inserted into the cake than the actual Cake Decorating wire itself.
- All items that penetrate the cake surface (skewers,wires, etc) should be wiped down with alcohol wipes as a form of sanitiser.
- He also mentioned that because we are doing lots of “hand” work – where gloves are more than often not used – that these articles should be considered INEDIBLE for customers. ie. your hand moulded figures, flowers etc. and this should also be noted on your Customer Information Sheet.
Some of you will have your own ideas on this subject and you are entitled to those ideas this is merely relaying the information sourced from the relevant food authorities – you do not have to follow it if you choose not to – this information is provided for those that wish to, so that they can do it safely and within the appropriate guidelines.
I’ve seen this in an email, but thought it would be fun to try on a cold night or when you have a chocolate craving! If you try it, let us know how you enjoyed it!
Chocolate Cake in 5 minutes
From www.dizzy-dee.com
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug
Instructions
Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:
Spoon in 1 egg
Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!
Recipes | Nicole | March 23, 2009 | 
Comments (5) 
Australian Women's Weekly, AWW, Cake, Cherry Ripe, Mud, Recipe