Espresso mud cakes, chocolate syrup & ice cream

To finish your meal try this take on coffee and dessert, and if you have any coffee liqueur in the back of the drinks cabinet, put a splash in the syrup

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:10 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 525
  • fat 26g
  • saturates 15g
  • carbs 64g
  • sugars 45g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 7g
  • salt 0.2g

Ingredients

  • 50g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
  • 2 tsp espresso powder, dissolved in 2 tsp hot water, plus extra for the tin
  • 100g chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into squares
  • 45g Bournville bar, broken into squares
  • 50g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • seeds from ½ a vanilla pod, or ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp plain flour, sifted
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • coffee or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter four wells of a muffin tin, and sprinkle some espresso powder into each.

  2. In a pan, gently melt half of each of the chocolates with the butter until smooth. Stir in 50g sugar, then take off the heat and cool for a few mins. Stir in the coffee, egg yolk, vanilla and flour until even.

  3. Beat the egg whites with electric beaters or a balloon whisk until foamy and thickened. Add 1 tbsp sugar and whisk until it forms shiny soft peaks. Take care not to overwhisk – softer is better if you’re not sure.

  4. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate batter to loosen, then carefully fold in the rest of the whites using a large metal spoon or a spatula.

  5. Spoon into the prepared tin, then bake for 10-12 mins or until the cakes are just starting to dome in the middle. Cool the cakes in the tin for 15 mins. In a small pan, melt the remaining chocolates and golden syrup together with 3 tbsp hot water, and whisk until silky smooth. Turn out the cakes and serve warm in a puddle of the syrup and topped with ice cream.

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