Dad's Birthday.....

It was dad's birthday, and like every year he recieved cakes from some of the best places in Delhi. My challenge was to make something chocolatey for him but at the same time make it different from the rest and something that would go with his morning cuppa tea...

Dad's birthday is always special and this time it was a rare 'happy monday morning' with the rains at their best, the city lush green, the chirpy birds, a mild chill in the air and all of us not in a hurry to rush to work - after all it was dad's birthday !!!
The first half of sunday afternoon went in looking for the right recipe.....something new, something different; so went blog-hopping and found just the most perfect 'different' chocolate cake on The Purple Foodie's blog .Thank you Shaheen the cake was simply sinful (and thats how chocolate cakes should be) !!!

The cake is moist from inside and crumbly from outside, and unlike most cakes that rise when baked, this one rises and then sinks!!!.... and thats the secret to its fudgy centre.
When KJ saw the cake he shrieked, thinking i had done a boo boo !!!! However patience paid and all I saw on that monday morning were faces melting in delight.

Chocolate Walnut Mud Cake

Ingredients
230 g unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
340g ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
200 g dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and lightly salted while still warm
Cocoa Powder to serve (I used powdered sugar instead)

Lightly butter a 10-inch baking mould and line the bottom with a disc of parchment paper.
Use strips to line to line the sides, pressing the parchment into the butter to adhere.
Preheat an oven to 350°F (175°C).
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. You do not need to blend them together terribly vigorously, just enough so that the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should barely lighten in colour and there will be a layer of bubbles at the surface but not throughout.
Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate, and stir to combine. Fold in the flour mixture, being careful not to over mix. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the centre is puffed and cracked. A cake tester inserted into one of these cracks should come out with wet, clumped crumbs; gooey but not liquid. The cake will continue to cook as it cools, losing its crown and falling back upon itself.
Remove the cake on to a wire rack to come to room temperature. To serve remove the parchment paper and dust the top with cocoa powder pushed through a sieve.