RUDOLPH CHOCOLATE MUD CAKES WITH RICE BUBBLE NOSES

Preparation time 50 mins plus 30 mins cooling Cooking time 40 mins Makes 8

Cooking oil spray, to grease 400g butter, chopped

400g dark chocolate,

roughly chopped

2 Tbsp instant coffee granules

2 tsp vanilla extract

60ml water

6 free-range eggs

2 cups caster sugar

1½ cups self-raising flour

½ cup Dutch cocoa

50g white ready-to-roll icing 16 brown chocolate-coated buttons 16 twigs, ends wrapped in floristry

tape, to decorate (not for eating)

RUDOLPH NOSES

40g unsalted butter, chopped 1½ cups mini marshmallows Red food colouring gel, to tint 1½ cups puffed rice cereal

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM 3 Tbsp milk, warmed

3 Tbsp cocoa powder 125g unsalted butter, chopped,

at room temperature

2¼ cups icing sugar mixture

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 160˚C fanforced (180˚C conventional). Grease eight 7.5cm round, 7cm high cake tins with cooking oil and line bases and sides with baking paper, extending paper 3cm above tin edges.

STEP 2 Put butter, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and water in a saucepan and stir over low heat, until melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

STEP 3 Put eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat using an electric hand beater for about 5 minutes or until pale and thick.

STEP 4 Pour in chocolate mixture and beat again until just combined.

STEP 5 Sift in flour and cocoa, then stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

STEP 6 Pour batter evenly into prepared tins. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Set aside in tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

STEP 7 Meanwhile, to make Rudolph noses, melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat, then add mini marshmallows and stir until they have completely melted. Remove from heat. Tint mixture deep red with the food colouring gel.

STEP 8 Add puffed rice cereal to marshmallow mixture and mix well until cereal is completely coated.

STEP 9 Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ball, using slightly greased hands. You can spray your hands with a little cooking oil to stop the mixture sticking to them or use food-grade disposable gloves. Mould the ball around the side of the tin to give it a curved base to make it easy to adhere to the side of the cake later. If mixture becomes too stiff to work with, simply return it briefly to the stove top until more pliable. Set noses aside for 30 minutes or until completely cooled.

STEP 10 To make buttercream, combine milk and cocoa in a small bowl. Using an electric hand beater, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in milk mixture until fluffy.

STEP 11 Cover cakes in a thin layer of buttercream. Chill. Repeat to cover completely in buttercream.

STEP 12 To make eyes, divide ready-toroll icing by 16, then roll each piece into a ball. Gently flatten into a thick disc, then gently push a chocolate button into the centre of each as a pupil. STEP 13 Place a rice ball onto the side of each cake as a nose, adhere 2 eyes just above. Insert antler twigs. Serve.