spiked mudslide cake

this old - fashioned cake is buttery, tender and not too sweet, with a slightly dense crumb. elegant frosting, made with a meringue-based buttercream, is perfumed with coffee liqueur.

Total time: 2 hrs 25 mins
Prep: 30 mins
Inactive: 1 hr 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Makes: 12 servings
Level: easy





Ingredients:

cake:
8 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 cup plain flour
3tbsp corn flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur, such as baileys.

frosting:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
20 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup coffee liqueur, such as kahlua
1 tbsp instant coffee

Method:
for the cake:
1. preheat oven to 180 degrees c, butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour and tap out the excess
2. whisk together the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
3. beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium- high speed until light and fluffy.
4. beat in the eggs, one a
t a time, making sure the batter is well mixed before adding the next egg, beat in the vanilla until blended.
5. alternate folding in the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk into two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. ( the batter may look slightly curdled as you mix it, but this is not a problem. divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
6. bake until the cakes are golden and the centres spring back to the touch, 35-40 minutes. let cool in the pans about 10 minutes and then turn onto cooling racks and let it cool completely. turn the cakes over, and poke the tops with a form and then generously brush the tops with the liqueur, letting it soak in before brushing on more.

for the frosting:
1. make a ban marie and set a bowl over it. add the egg whites and sugar and whisk until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved. remove the bowl from the pan and beat the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff and flossy peaks form 4-7 minutes, bet in the butter a few pieced at a time, and continue beating until the frostings smooth. stir in the kahlua and instant coffee together until dissolved. beat into the frosting with the mixture and beat until fluffy 1-2 minutes

to assemble:
1. place 1 cake layer right side up on a cake plate, spread with 1 cup of the frosting. top with the second cake layer. frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting

tip: if your kitchen is hot and your frosting becomes to soft and thin for spreading, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes and then beat it until smooth.