I am a country girl at heart. I have the fondest memories growing up of staying with my Nan at her farm, and as soon as I stepped foot in her house I would be hit with the sweetest smelling aroma of her baking. I loved watching her in the kitchen, it was her happy place and to this day her jelly lamingtons are one of my favourite sweet treats. Without a doubt, my passion for food comes from her and my mum. They are the best cooks I know, they cook from the heart and I guess I have them to thank for my love affair with food!

I still remember my first official cake order, it was for a close friend’s birthday and it was a disaster (the cake not the birthday)! I learnt many things that afternoon: firstly make sure you have all the ingredients before baking; don’t ever ice a cake warm (it’s just messy), and don’t turn your back on toffee as it burns badly! Her cake was a culmination of many errors, but it was edible and she loved it! That’s all that matters, right?

I like to think of Fig & Salt as a bit of this and that, combining the yin and yang of food and bringing it all together. Whether it be a grazing table, a modern take on a trail mix bar, corporate food box, gatherings to celebrate an important occasion or a spectacular cake – there’s nothing like real food to bring people together.

I hope you enjoy my recipes for this month’s Tasty Tuesday! First up we have a mud cake with chocolate ganache, crushed meringue and fresh berries.

My aunty gave me this recipe many years ago and it has been a staple of mine ever since. It’s a super easy and quick cake to make. It’s rich and super delicious. I highly recommend using a good quality chocolate (my favourite is the Belgian brand Callebaut). I think it makes such a difference. A few months ago I did a wedding dessert bar, and this is one of the cakes I did for the bride. Topped with lashings of chocolate ganache, crushed meringue and fresh berries it’s always a crowd pleaser!

Note: I doubled this recipe below to create the large cake as seen in this shoot.

Cassandra Morris of Fig and Salt with her decadent chocolate mud cake. Black rimmed plate by Shiko, Marigolde Linen Napery from Safari Living and Tyler Hays large plate from BBDW. Recipe by Morris of Fig and Salt. Styling – Lucy Feagins, styling assistant – Nat Turnbull, photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Cassandra Morris of Fig and Salt with her decadent chocolate mud cake. Black rimmed plate by Shiko, Marigolde Linen Napery from Safari Living and Tyler Hays large plate from BBDW. Recipe by Morris of Fig and Salt. Styling – Lucy Feagins, styling assistant – Nat Turnbull, photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Mud cake ingredients. Small dish in foreground by The Fortynine Studio. Recipe by Morris of Fig and Salt. Styling – Lucy Feagins, styling assistant – Nat Turnbull, photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Mud Cake with frosting crushed meringue and fresh berries. Marigolde linen throw as tablecloth from Safari Living and Tyler Hays large plate from BBDW. Recipe by Morris of Fig and Salt. Styling – Lucy Feagins, styling assistant – Nat Turnbull, photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.