Cherry Ripe Mud Cake Celebration Cake

A rich chocolate mud cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and extra Cherry Ripe through the centre, then coated in chocolate ganache and finished with a cherry white chocolate drip and swirl. This is a special occasion cake with deep chocolate, coconut and cherry in every bite.

This cake reaches back to another part of my kitchen life. Long before The Grace Table, I spent years decorating cakes and creating celebration pieces for people’s special moments. This one brings those years together with flavours that still feel familiar to me now.

Cherry, chocolate and coconut are always a beautiful combination, but the addition of cherry liqueur gives it something extra. It leans into those Portuguese cherry flavours I love, while still holding onto the nostalgic Cherry Ripe flavour that makes this cake so memorable.

It is not an everyday cake, and it is not meant to be. This is the kind of cake you make when you want something generous, dramatic and full of flavour. A proper celebration cake, and one that absolutely deserves a place at the table.

Prep: 75 min · Cook: 105 min · Serves: 12 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Baking

Ingredients

For the Cherry Ripe mud cake

• 750 g butter, chopped
• 3 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 1200 ml coconut milk
• 600 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1320 g caster sugar
• 330 g self raising flour
• 450 g plain flour
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 x 85 g Cherry Ripe bars, roughly chopped

For the chocolate ganache filling

• 600 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 300 ml thickened cream
• 2 to 3 x 85 g Cherry Ripe bars, roughly chopped

For the chocolate ganache coating

• 400 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 200 ml thickened cream

For the cherry white chocolate drip and swirl

• 200 g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 65 to 80 ml thickened cream
• 1 to 2 tbsp cherry liqueur or ginja
• red food colouring, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease and line 2 deep 6 inch round cake tins, making sure the bases and sides are well covered.
2. Place the butter, coffee, coconut milk, dark chocolate and caster sugar into a large saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until everything has melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
4. Sift the self raising flour, plain flour and cocoa together into a very large bowl.
5. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
6. Stir the vanilla into the eggs, then add the eggs to the batter and mix until fully combined.
7. Fold through the chopped Cherry Ripe.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared tins.
9. Bake for around 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the cakes are set and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs rather than raw batter.
10. Leave the cakes in their tins until cool enough to handle, then turn out and cool completely.
11. Place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
12. Heat the cream until just steaming, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave it for a minute, then stir until smooth.
13. Set aside to cool and thicken. As it cools, fold through the extra chopped Cherry Ripe.
14. Allow the ganache to continue thickening until it is spreadable and holds its shape well.
15. Place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
16. Heat the cream until just steaming, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir until smooth.
17. Set aside until the ganache becomes a peanut butter like consistency. This is the best stage for coating the cake.
18. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
19. Heat the cream until just steaming, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir until smooth.
20. Stir through the cherry liqueur or ginja. Add a small amount of red food colouring if using.
21. Let it cool slightly until it thickens enough to drip slowly rather than run straight off the cake. If needed, adjust with a little extra cream.
22. Once the cakes are completely cool, level the tops with a sharp knife.
23. Place one cake layer onto your cake board or serving plate.
24. Spread generously with the chocolate ganache filling.
25. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently.
26. Chill the cake until the filling is firm.
27. Coat the outside of the cake with the chocolate ganache coating, smoothing the top and sides as you go.
28. Return the cake to the fridge to firm up again.
29. Spoon the cherry white chocolate ganache around the edge to create the drip, then use the rest to create a swirl on top.
30. Chill again until set, then bring out a little before serving so the ganache softens slightly.

Notes

This is the tall 6 inch celebration cake version, not a quick everyday cake. It is built for height, drama and proper celebration.

Mud cakes are best baked low and slow. Because of the high sugar content, a hotter oven can catch the outside before the centre is ready.

Bake times can be similar to a larger mud cake because the batter sits deep in the 6 inch tins.

Every oven is different though, so watch the cake carefully and trust what you see in front of you.

The fridge is your friend with this cake. Chill between filling, coating and decorating to help everything set and stay neat.

The white chocolate cherry ganache is for the drip and swirl, so the quantity does not need to be exact down to the gram. You are looking for a consistency that moves slowly and holds a decorative finish.

The Grace Table Tip

Give yourself time and use the fridge between each stage. A cake like this comes together beautifully when the filling is firm, the coating has had time to set, and the final drip is added slowly.