White Chocolate Mud Cake

"Someone asked me the other day for a low-calorie version of a cake recipe. I said: ‘You either give up this mean diet or you give up cake. It’s not a low-calorie thing to eat!'"

- Nigella Lawson

I made this 'White Chocolate Mud Cake' for my son's birthday last month. It is adapted completely from Nigella Lawson's recipe. There is something in her magnetic personality that one cannot help but admiring. Apart from being drop dead gorgeous, I love the fact that she is so unpretentious in her cooking, making no bones about the fact that not only is she passionate about cooking food but immensely enjoys devouring it too!! (Certainly a woman after my own heart). It is a treat to watch her cookery shows where most of her recipes look so simple and uncomplicated, that one feels like wanting to try them immediately after watching the show. This cake too, like most of her recipes, was simple and had great results. It was rich, moist and almost melt in your mouth delicious. Needless to say, the birthday boy loved it!!
I am so happy to finally 'wean off' our family's preference of having 'only chocolate cakes for birthdays' syndrome and try something different. Moreover, I had never tried baking with white chocolate before and so was curious about what would the taste be like. The cake was divine and I loved the flavor of the white chocolate which was quite subtle, not too sweet ( quite contrary to what I thought it to be) and just perfect for my palate. Though, I did cheat a little bit in the end. Instead of going in for the white chocolate ganache for icing the cake as per the recipe, I just lazed and used Pillsbury's white vanilla icing. This is a ready made icing and comes in small 200 gm tubs, in two delicious flavors of chocolate and vanilla. I find these very convenient and always have 2-3 spare tubs stored in my cupboard for days when I am running short of time and need to do a quick icing for my cupcakes or cakes. It tastes delicious and I feel once in a while its absolutely fine to take the easy way out. Though, I am also giving below the recipe of the white chocolate ganache, which I believe goes extremely well with this cake. 
So, don't  wait for any special occasion to try out this cake, just go ahead and indulge yourself!! Its a winner!!

Ingredients
200 gms butter, chopped
150 gms white chocolate chopped
2 cups(440 gms) caster sugar 
1 cup (250 ml) milk
11/2 cup (225 gms) plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs,  beaten slightly

White Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup cream
300 gms white chocolate

Method

Preheat oven to 170C.

Grease a deep 9" cake pan; line base and side with baking paper.

Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and milk in a medium saucepan; using wooden spoon, stir over low heat, without boiling till smooth.

Transfer mixture to a big bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes.

Whisk in flours, then the essence and the egg till well mixed.

Pour mixture into a prepared pan

Cover loosely with foil, and bake for 1 hour.

Discard foil, stand cake in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack; turn top-side up to cool. 

Place cake on serving plate, spread all over with white chocolate ganache.

To make the white chocolate ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate in a small bowl, stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate melts.

Cover bowl; refrigerate, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until ganache is of a spreadable consistency.