Last week I was given an order for a chocolate birthday cake which had to incorporate the birthday girl’s favourite sweets on top- Skittles!  I know my daughter buys them from time to time and I used to like them but not now, I’m definitely a Maltesers girl!

I was racking my brains and thinking how I could make the cake look special without just having a load of Skittles chucked on the top willy nilly and came across the idea of the cake being turned into a present.  I had a spare packet of yellow Regalice sugarpaste in the cupboard leftover and thought they could make the bow for the top of the cake.

I am all for the cake tasting good as well as looking good and was thinking about the chocolate recipe I could use.  A couple of days earlier I was looking through my new copy of Edd Kimber’s new book “Say It With Cake” and came across a wacky looking cake that looked like a large custard pie splat on the top of it.  The cake inside was a yummy looking chocolate cake which in fact contained coffee as well.  I thought, “That’s the one!” and I knew I had to bake that recipe to suit the present cake.

Edd Kimber’s brand new second book “Say It With Cake”

Last Saturday morning I started baking the cake after I had been out walking the dog, cleaned and prepped the kitchen for baking and immediately went into relaxation mode.  I love it when I have the TV or Radio 2 in the background, my hubby and kids popping in or out and I was feeling really happy.

The coffee taste in the cake was incorporated by mixing strong coffee with some cocoa powder into a paste. I then let this cool, then whisked eggs and sugar together using my hand blender with the whisk attachment. I couldn’t be bothered to get the KitchenAid out of the box in the cupboard.  The other ingredients were swiftly added and then the gorgeous looking and smelling mixture was divided between two sandwich tins.

Once the cake was baked and cooling on the rack, I made up the ribbons and bow and left this to harden on a plastic mat.  The cake turned out onto the rack beautifully and it rose well, I love a really good layer cake with depth to work with when decorating.  The cake would then later be filled and coated with the chocolate ganache.

By this time it was late morning and my mum was due to arrive. I needed to get on with a few chores before she arrived and the kids and hubby had gone out leaving me to wait for my mum.  We agreed we would have lunch in Harrogate, I would get a few things in town I needed and then come home to finish the cake off as the customer was going to come at 6.30 for it.  I had to work like lightening!

Later on that afternoon I made up the chocolate ganache carefully and thankfully it was perfect spreading consistency.  Sometimes it has gone grainy on me and I have to start again but luckily this time it was fine.
I spread it on one of the cakes then sandwiched them together before decorating the top and the sides.
Once this was on the cake I had to work quickly to put the ribbons, bow and all the Skittles on top.  I was pleased with the result and thankfully the customer loved it too, she gave me a hug when she saw it.

Chocolate Celebration Skittles Cake.

Top view of the Skittles Cake.

Happy Baking!