Birthday Cake

It was my little sister Flo's birthday on Sunday. 20 years young & so it was time to make a fab birthday cake. She had a very long celebratory lunch with her friends and so I wanted to make a cake that would impress & be enjoyed by all. This is a fool-proof birthday cake that is easily rustled up & will impress and be appreciated by all! 

Reasons why ...

1. it is chocolate, 

2. it is layered with a dark chocolate & white chocolate icing

3. it is topped with a thick layer of white chocolate icing

4. it is finished off with a glut of strawberries, shavings of white chocolate & gold dust on top 

... do I need to go on?!

Serves 12

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 22-24 minutes

You will need the following:

Cake

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour 

4 Eggs

50g Coca Powder

50g Good Quality Dark Chocolate 

1Tsp Baking Powder 

1Tbsp Milk

Dark Chocolate Icing

50g Good Quality Dark Chocolate 

50g Butter

275g Icing Sugar

1Tsp Plain Yoghurt

White Chocolate Icing

75g Good Quality White Chocolate 

50g Butter

275g Butter

1Tsp Plain Yoghurt

Decoration

Edible Gold Dust

Strawberries

 

Method:

Cream together the butter & sugar

Add the eggs in one at a time

Sift in the cocoa powder

Tip: fold in gently ... you'll be covered in cocoa powder if you don't! 

Next sift in the flour

Melt your chocolate & stir it in

Grease two cake tins

Now add in the baking powder

Finally add the milk

Quickly pop in the oven & bake to perfection

Whilst the cake is cooling make the two batches of icing 

Melt the chocolate & combine with the butter 

 

Add in the icing sugar 

Combine until smooth 

Now build your birthday cake in seven steps ... 

1. Even out your bottom layer with a knife if your cake has slightly domed

2. Spread a layer of the dark chocolate icing on the bottom layer

3. Add roughly 2 heaped tablespoons of the white icing mix ...

 & spread out

4. Add your second layer

5. Then spoon the rest of your icing onto the top of the second layer & using the back of the spoon spread the icing around the cake 

6. Chop your strawberries in half and pile on top of the cake

7. Add edible gold dust & finely grate a cube of white chocolate 

(close up arty farty photo of the strawbs)

& Ta daa ..

Enjoy ...