Chocolate birthday cake

It was Mr OC’s birthday.  Happy Birthday Mr OC.

This cake is a really good chocolate cake.  My friend’s husband made it for her birthday back in March.  I think it ranks as one of the best chocolate cakes that I have ever tasted, so I pinched the recipe.  The recipe comes from Dorling Kindersleys’ Children’s  Baking Book. I think this may now become my standard birthday cake.

175g (6oz) softened butter
175g (6oz) dark soft brown sugar
150g (5oz) self raising flour
25g (1oz) cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs
100ml soured cream (or you can use double cream with a squeeze of lemon juice)

Method

Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Sieve over the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add the eggs and soured cream and whisk again until well combined.  Divide between the two tins and spread the tops evenly.

Place in a preheated oven at 170°c, gas mark 3 or the baking oven of the Aga for 25-30 minutes until springy to the touch.  Leave to cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the lining paper.  Allow to cool completely.

For the frosting:

175g (6oz) milk chocolate, or you could use white or plain depending on your preference
125g (4oz) butter
4 tbsp milk
200g (7oz) icing sugar

Method

Put the chocolate, butter and milk into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted.  Take off the heat and sift the icing sugar over the top and whisk to combine.  Leave to cool slightly, then whisk again until the mixture forms soft peaks.

Use a quarter of the frosting on the bottom of one of the cakes and sandwich  the two cakes together.  Use the rest of the frosting to decorate the top and sides of the cake.  Then decorate to your heart’s content.  This is what happens when a three-year old is let loose.  I admire her restraint.

 

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14 thoughts on “Chocolate birthday cake”

  1. Kath, well done, you remembered to photograph this one. And a great looking cake it is too. Combined efforts of mother and daughter must have made dad proud. I’m well impressed with you icing the sides; I keep thinking I really should try this, then keep chickening out.

    1. Oh don’t, I still feel guilty about that! Dad’s birthday is always a less chaotic affair and therefore photos can happen. I am impressed by my icing the sides too, and it didn’t flop (too much).

  2. Happy Birthday to Mr OC and congratulations to your little one on a job well done on the decorating – seriously impressive for a 3 year old. The recipe for this cake does sound fabulous. Will use it next time I bake a chocolate cake.
    🙂 Mandy

  3. Belated Birthday wishes to Mr OC.

    Love the studded ‘heart’ drops. Must thank the little one for that I guess 🙂
    I am also thinking of getting them, as I want an excuse to bake a cake too.

  4. What a lovely birthday cake, I think she decorated it really well. Maybe your daughter has hidden cake decorating skills. I too have made cakes from childrens baking books and they have always been delicious.

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