Chocolate birthday cake that tastes and looks bloody lovely. Recipes please.

[PippiL]

I do cakes, so anything tricky wont be beyond me.

Normally I do a buttermilk cake for birthdays covered in sugarpaste, but want something more grown up for dd's birthday.

Am thinking of going down the g'nash route ;)

Tried and tested recipes would be greatly appreciated.

oops, it was this one I made!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1190635/bestever-chocolate-layer-cake

I think I would like to try the bbcgoodfood one. I have found some great recipes on there.

BUT that strawberry and dark chocolate one has me by the heartstrings. Silly really as I would have to spend a fortune just to make it. The extra dark cocoa alone is £20 never mind everything else.

It is just such a show stopper.

Mm, actually just looked and the extra dark cocoa powder on amazon is shipped from Canada at £31 for shipping!

Ok maybe not then.

What? you havent got to use that cocoa - you can use green & blacks and actually 'Macro' sell Barry Extra Dark that around £15 but it is catering size so it would be economical. I didnt use that chocolate cake recipe I used a chocolate cake by Lindys cakes - as per linkwww.lindyscakes.co.uk/2011/02/02/lindys-chocolate-fudge-cake-recipe/

The strawberry buttercream looked fab and everyone commented on it. Was very happy with it.

Is green and blacks good enough for me though ?

I just really like the look of the black black cake though. V striking against the pink.

So you made this one then hmmm bacon? I am going to do some practise cakes I think. Esp as the strawb meringue frosting stuff looks complex.
Did you use a sugar thermometer?

Need to find someone with a makro card.

I make a chocolate cake as:
120g plain choc
120g butter
120g castor sugar
2 eggs separated
120g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
Couple tablespoons milk

Make as usual, whisk egg whites until stiff, fold into mix.

This quantity is enough for a 14"x7" tin

Cut in 2 down the middle when cool

Filling:
1x200g bar plain choc melted
slosh of cream

Whisk with a balloon whisk until milk choc coloured

Sandwich together Cake, Choc filling, whipped cream, choc cake. For adults can add Contreau-soaked raspberries to choc layer. Can 'build it a loaf tin.

Icing - may need 2 quantities
150g plain choc
65g butter

Melt together. Then either pour over cake while runny, or else allow to cool a little, and then whisk until it's like a frosting and trowel it on with a palette knife.

Btw, if you need to, it does freeze when cut into slices.

We've never needed to.

Well recently I did a post on the quality of cocoa as I was searching for the better stuff - as used by chefs etc. Many voted for G&Bs so as I searched for the superior cocoa the p&p was too high. (I buy the barry chocolate chips from the local C&C but they dont do cocoa) I thought I'd give it a try and it does smell good and cooking wise good, impressed but again doesnt have that whole richness of quality melted chocolate. I did make an excellent chocolate cake the other day and with the chocolate and mascapone covering it is heaven!

Now as I said I used a different chocolate recipe and I sliced that cake into three (semi freeze and cutting is easy) I didnt use that buttercream I used normal stuff. I tend to pick bits and mix my recipes. I would recommend the using a good meringue buttercream recipe such as hers. I have used a therometer - just a normal cooks one. The strawberry does brill something special and I did add a touch of food colouring to boost the pink.

I've added a photo to my profile pic.

Cant see your pic

IMHO, the best tasting choc cake is a vegan creation. I made it three weeks ago for my nephews birthday. Everyone gushed about how good it tasted. I then told them all it was dairy free, not ONE person believed me.

200g (7 oz) plain flour
200g (7 oz) caster sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
250ml (8 fl oz) water (i used non dairy milk)

I highly reccommend you try this one out

The Lorraine Pascale one with raspberries on top.it is delicious

I had planned to make the vegan recipe a few months ago, but you have just reminded me to give it a go! Thank you.

I use a recipe from Olive magazine called the best ever chocolate layer cake.

It is lush! I have never cut it into layers as its too much of a faff. But it is very chocolatey.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1190635/bestever-chocolate-layer-cake

ActiveC, can I ask what cake tin you used for the vegan cake? Would it work in a brownie (square) in, for example, or better in 2 sandwich tins?

I made [[http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4508/chocolate-birthday-cake- this] yesterday and it's awful. Really heavy and stodgy. So much so I might have to chuck it, which is something I don't normally resort to with cakes....

I meant this!

Active can you post the method as well please..thx

Ingredients
Serves: 8
200g (7 oz) plain flour
200g (7 oz) caster sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
250ml (8 fl oz) water

Preparation method
Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 45 mins

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease a 13x23cm loaf tin or a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared tin and bake at 180 C for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Thanks, MrsPink. Can I ask what you thought of the cake? Success and worth a go?

Photos on my profile now ( I hope! ) My DDs hoovered it up, as did their friend who had come to tea. I think I probably let it cook too long and the outside was a bit chewy. But I was concerned that the middle wouldnt be cooked! It is tasty and definitely worth a go.

Thanks, MrsPink. Did you ice yours, or leave as is. Iced, do you think suitable for a child's birthday cake?

I think the outside was too chewy - but the girls wouldnt let me cut it off! I used a mix of icing sugar, cocoa, half water, half butter for icing - by eye for measurements - (sorry!) the girls had it with strawberries. The cake was deep enough to slice and fill the centre. Again, I think that if I had cooked it a bit less it would have been better - but it was very moist. I possibly would cut down bicarb a bit as I can detect it... but I am very sensitive to flavours!

Do you need a birthday cake recipe?

Indeed I do. It's for my 4 year old's party on Saturday. Needs to feed 11/12 kids and be easy to slice and tasty.

Want something fail safe that I know will turn out well. Not too posh or grown up. Do you have such a recipe?

Nigella's sour cream chocolate cake with sour cream chocolate icing (she calls it icing but it's essentially a ganache and I could eat it from the bowl). Gorgeous cake.

Well, today the cake was even better for an overnight in a tupperware container. The edges had softened and it was much fudgier. I did a quick icing on what was left with ricotta, cocoa and icing sugar and it was yum!