Andy's Birthday Cake - Coconut and White Chocolate Mud Cake

I have some what neglected my blog recently which I regret, but I have still been baking and have some great recipes which I'll put up shortly. I'm currently on a two week break from work over Christmas and as Andy has to work, I fear more baking shenanigans will be had.

So it's Andy's Birthday tomorrow and although he has suggested not making a Birthday cake, I did manage to get out of him that he wanted something with white chocolate and fruit, so here is my second attempt at this rather scrummy sounding recipe. My first attempt ended badly - I burnt it, but that was many months ago.

The Recipe Coconut and White Chocolate Mud Cake (Coles Christmas Mag 2009)
200g butter
180g white chocolate
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Apricot filling
825g apricot halves, drained
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup caster sugar

Icing
125g butter softened
3/4 cup pure icing sugar
125g white chocolate, melted

The Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C or 140 degrees for a fan oven. Grease and line a 20cm square cake pan with non-stick baking paper. (I used a round one as I don't own a square one)
2. Heat butter, chocolate, sour cream and sugar in a saucepan, stirring until melted and well combined. Cool for 10 minutes, add the egg sand vanilla and mix well.
3. Sift both flowers into a large mixing bowl. Add coconut. Add 1/4 of the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Continue to add a 1/4 of the mixture at a time until the mixture is well combined. Fill prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Meanwhile make the apricot filling: Combine the apricots and lemon juice in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add sugar stir and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove, stir and cook for 5 minutes more. Refrigerate until cold.
5. To make the icing: Using electric beaters beat butter and icing sugar together until pale and creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.
6. Split the cake, spread a little of the icing and apricot filling over the base, sandwich the cakes together. Spread icing over the tops and sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.