Sunday October 24th 2021:

It was my Mum’s birthday and as she was coming up to visit for a couple of days, I thought I would bake her a birthday cake. It had to be one which would keep and she could have enough to take home and share with her friends she was meeting up with later on in the week.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m getting to struggle with being able to make some of the bakes in my Big Book Of Amazing Cakes. Not because I can’t make them but simply because of the sheer waste of ingredients or not having the occasion to bake these cakes. I can’t be baking a three tier wedding cake when I’ve not got a wedding to bake for.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake on page 76 in the Chocolate Chapter looked like a pretty but not too over the top cake. It was baked in two layers but with both layers cut horizontally to create four. The recipe containing sour cream was also one which would keep it moist and fudgy which is what I needed as it might not get eaten straightaway.

I ended up baking the cake as three separate layers rather than two layers cut in half. I use ready made baking parchment circles for the bottom of my tins and this helped me to grease and line the tins.

Unfortunately, I was listening to a radio programme at the time so I was distracted and forgot to put in the baking powder. I only realised afterwards when the cakes were in the oven and I was putting the ingredients away, that I had forgotten it. I don’t know if it had much effect, the cake had still risen. Thank heavens for that.

I left the cakes cooling on the worktop while Mr S and I went off to walk the dog. When we came back I made up the chocolate buttercream icing. I used Callebaut dark chocolate chips, icing sugar, butter and some sour cream to make up the icing.

The original decoration for the Ultimate Chocolate Cake was to have the sides plain but the top to be decorated like a giant rose petal. I didn’t have a petal nozzle suitable so instead I put a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides and used a scraper to get the effect. To top the cake I piped stars around the edge and in the middle, topping each star with some edible shimmer pearl decorations from Tesco which I’d also used for my daughter’s birthday cheesecake the week before. I also found some Cake Angels Millionaire’s Sprinkles which contained gold stars and tiny fudge pieces to sprinkle all over the top of the cake.

My mum was really pleased with the cake. Although we are all trying to be healthy and eat sensibly, you have to have a treat when it’s your birthday. We had a small sliver with a cup of tea the day after Mum’s birthday as we ended up having scones on her actual day! Mum cut us a piece to enjoy the next day and then took the rest with her to share with her friends. I hope they enjoy it as much as we did.

I think this recipe is going to be my go-to chocolate cake recipe from now on. But next time I’ll remember to add the baking powder!

Happy Baking!

Love Sam xx