THEME - chocolate birthday cake!
Today is my friend Josie's birthday! She's having a combined party with Katie, whose birthday was yesterday.
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
200g/7oz caster sugar
200g/7oz butter
3 large eggs, preferably free range
200g/7oz self raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
200ml/7fl oz double cream
1 large handful raspberries
1 large handful strawberries
Chocolate Topping*
100g/3 ¾ oz butter
100g/3 ¾ oz best cooking chocolate
100g/3 ¾ oz icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F Gas 4. Line the bases of 2x20cm / 8inch cake tins with greased proof paper. Mix the cocoa powder with 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, add the cocoa mixture, eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for about 25mins. When cooked, allow to cool then remove from the tins.
Melt the chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well and allow to cool. Whip the double cream to soft peaks and sweeten with a little sugar to taste. To assemble the cake, remove the greaseproof paper from both sponges. Drizzle each one with a little Sherry if you like. Spread the cream over one of the sponges, then sprinkle the fruit on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth it off and drizzle over your chocolate topping. Happy Days, you’ve done it! But allow the chocolate topping to firm up slightly before tucking in.
*I'd recommend only making half the icing - as usual the recipe is enough for about 5 cakes!
I probably should also add: For the lettering, I melted white chocolate buds in a ziplock bag in the microwave (about 60secs on 50% power), cut the corner off and piped letters onto baking paper. The ones that didn't work well I either remelted or ate :D Then after icing the cake, and letting it set slightly (so the letters didn't run off the sides) I placed the letters on carefully with tweezers.
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
200g/7oz caster sugar
200g/7oz butter
3 large eggs, preferably free range
200g/7oz self raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
200ml/7fl oz double cream
1 large handful raspberries
1 large handful strawberries
Chocolate Topping*
100g/3 ¾ oz butter
100g/3 ¾ oz best cooking chocolate
100g/3 ¾ oz icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F Gas 4. Line the bases of 2x20cm / 8inch cake tins with greased proof paper. Mix the cocoa powder with 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, add the cocoa mixture, eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix well. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for about 25mins. When cooked, allow to cool then remove from the tins.
Melt the chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well and allow to cool. Whip the double cream to soft peaks and sweeten with a little sugar to taste. To assemble the cake, remove the greaseproof paper from both sponges. Drizzle each one with a little Sherry if you like. Spread the cream over one of the sponges, then sprinkle the fruit on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth it off and drizzle over your chocolate topping. Happy Days, you’ve done it! But allow the chocolate topping to firm up slightly before tucking in.
*I'd recommend only making half the icing - as usual the recipe is enough for about 5 cakes!
I probably should also add: For the lettering, I melted white chocolate buds in a ziplock bag in the microwave (about 60secs on 50% power), cut the corner off and piped letters onto baking paper. The ones that didn't work well I either remelted or ate :D Then after icing the cake, and letting it set slightly (so the letters didn't run off the sides) I placed the letters on carefully with tweezers.