Yes! My triplet girls turned 6 and magically, grew up after just a term in kindergarten.
While last year's birthday celebration (see related post here), had me in a baking frenzy, this time around I bought small mud cakes from Michels Patisserie instead and just used tube icing to individually write their names onto the cake. They had their birthday party at Wizzy World and had heaps of nothing but fun, laughs and dancing.
But not to outdone by Michels, I took it to heart that I will bake them a special chocolate cake on THE day. and so before the actual birthday, I frantically looked for my last year's recipe of chocolate cake, taken from The Essential Baking Cookbook. This recipe is moist and chocolate-y, just the way kids would want it. The moist in the cake can be blamed on the blackberry jam that goes with the creamed butter and sugar, and the darkness of the cake from the bi carbonate of soda.
But because my super powers have weakened the past few weeks due to an on and off bouts with colds and coughs, I could only muster one round 8in chocolate cake with icing and the trims. the icing looked extremely well, glossy and dark. I used a store-bought icing tube for the lettering and for the trimming a few sprinkles of hundreds and thousands and some gummy bears all around. While the cake looked devilishly good and smelled really tempting, it looked cold and matte the next day. I must blame the weather. As the autumn season started, winter chills are coming in earlier than the usual. The cake still tasted good, but I must say I prefer icing to be a little more wet and runny, than stiff and cold like in a mud cake.
Nonetheless, I am posting the recipe here just in case there is the use for it again in the future. I am definitely sure there will be. Good thing my memory served me right and the book turned out available from the library.
Ingredients:
125g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125g/4 oz) caster sugar
1/3 cup (40g/1 1/4 oz) icing sugar, sifted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup (80g/ 2 3/4 oz) blackberry jam
1 1/4 cups (155g/5 oz) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (60g/2 oz) cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup (250ml/8 fl oz) milk
Chocolate Buttercream
50g (1 3/4 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped
25g (3/4 oz) unsalted butter
3 tsp cream
1/4 cup (30g / 1 oz) icing sugar, sifted
1. Pre heat the oven to moderate 180 degrees C (350 degrees F / Gas 4). Lightly grease the a 20 cm (8 inch) square cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugars in a small bowl with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and jam. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the combined sifted flour, cocoa and soda alternately with the milk. Stir until the mixture is just combined and almost smooth.
3. Pour into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the buttercream, stir the ingredients in a small pan over low heat until smooth and glossy. Spread over the top with a flat-bladed knife.
Happy 6th birthday my little angels! And here's looking forward to the real 18 candles on each of your cakes in the future! Love you heaps.
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