Chocolate Birthday Cake

So, this morning's priority was to bake a birthday cake before leaving for work.  This is what I did!

For this recipe I use my Kenwood mixer with the 'K' beater.  This recipe is my own version of a basic sponge, with extra eggs, which makes it rich and moist, but takes slightly longer to cook (up to 40 mins).


 

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 250 grams unsalted butter
• 250 grams caster sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 250 grams self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
• a couple of table spoons of milk, approx

Ingredients for the icing and filling:

• Approx 2 heaped dessert spoons of spiced apple jelly (homemade...a smooth apricot jam would do just as well)
• 100 grams dark patisserie chocolate
• 25 grams unsalted butter
• 250 grams icing sugar
• approx 2 or 3 tablespoons of boiling water

(note that the above makes enough chocolate icing to cover the top of the cake; for special occasions like birthdays, I make double quantity which is enough to cover the cake completely, as I did today).

To make the cake:

First pre-heat the oven to 175oC and grease two cake tins with a small amount of unsalted butter.

Slightly melt the butter until very soft (not liquid), then add all the cake ingredients together into the mixer bowl and mix at medium speed.

Divide equally between the two cake tins, and place on middle shelf of the pre-heated oven.

Cook times vary, but in my very basic non-fan oven this cake takes 35-40 mins to cook (it will probably take less time in a fan oven).  I always test to see if it is baked through by putting a skewer into the centre of the cake-if it comes out with sticky mixture on it, it needs a few more minutes in the oven.

Turn out onto wire tray and leave to cool completely.

When cool, spread a couple of dessert spoonfuls of spiced apple jelly (or apricot jam) onto middle and sandwich together:

For the chocolate icing: break up the dark chocolate into squares, place in a basin with the butter and melt over a pan of boiling water (or bain-marie).  Place the sifted icing sugar into the Kenwood bowl, add the melted chocolate and butter mix, and beat on high speed.  Add very small amounts of boiling water, beat again, and repeat until very smooth. 

Spread the icing mixture onto the cake immediately and leave to set.

Decorate as required, then celebrate!