Pidj's biennial cake thread!

[PurplePidjin]

Yes, it's nearly dnephew's birthday again! He'll be 5!!!

After the success of the VW Camper (3) and football (4) this year dsil is keeping it simple and would like chocolate cup cakes with Happy Birthday DN and DNFriend (joint party for entire class)

I shall borrow my mum's nice deep bun tin and make 48 individual round brownies (30 for the kids, plenty for us) but please may i have help with icing?! I'm pondering making the cake bit to come 2/3 of the way up the case then pouring in melted choc. Is there a better way?

Do you mean pouring the chocolate in on top of the cake mixture? have you done that before then?

If you are making brownies, more choc on top may be a bit much. What about using a fudgy topping which you can pour on instead? If you use a deep tin, use an ice cream scoop to put the mix in the papers (you get uniform sized cakes) they will all fill to the same level and you can pout on icing instead of piping. The other option is to fill them so they come over the top of the cake and just dip the tops in melted choc and allow to set?

Nanny, i meant cooking and freezing the cakes, then pouring on the chocolate. I can use writing icing once that has set.

Blueberry, i like the icecream scoop idea :o

Needs to be nice and flat so i can write on them, so pouring fudge icing sounds perfect! Do you have any suggestions?

I'll find my fudgey recipe - it is runny when warm but sets quite firm once cool.

3 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup butter

Heat cocoa, milk, butter until all melted and just simmering, put icing sugar in mixer bowl and pour on 2/3 of liquid, start to beat, it should be runny if too stiff add more liquid a little at a time. Beat for about 5 mins (it should form thick free flowing ribbons when you drop it from a spoon) If it gets too runny you can always add more icing sugar. Whilst still warm pour over cakes and allow to cool completely.

I totally agree with blueberry, i use an icecream scoop also, never fails, i also have a wicked no calorie ( i wish) fudge sauce if you want it.

Sounds fab, blueberry, do you know what the measurements are in either lb/oz or grams? Don't worry if not, I'm quite capable of googling up a converter

Nanny, if it sets hard for icing then I'd like that very much

Thank you

Purplepidjin, my fudge recipe for you,150grms butter, 150grms, dark brown sugar and a tin of condensed milk, melt together butter and sugar until dissolved, add condensed milk, gently bring to the boil, stirring all the time untill it thickens ( few mins) then cool, can be used hot over icecream, (amazing) promise you wont leave it alone,then when it cools, you will be able to spread this on a cake, fab!

Well, i make millionaires shortbreab with this recipe, which when cold sets solid, so try it and see.

not really solid, but firm enough to cut through with a knife.

Also, to add a nice touch, i pipe cold fudge sauce into the middle of my cupcakes, yum yum.

It's the spreading I'm not confident about - pouring is good because it self-levels

Ok then, you could always cut out some sugarpaste discs to go on top then you'll have a nice flat surface to write on, then just have the fudge in the middle, and if you dont know how to pipe it in, cut a hole in the middle, fill with fudge and replace tops, spread alittle on top to get the fondant to stick, job done.

Or how putting a tbsp cake mix in, then a tsp nutella, then another tbsp cake mix before baking?

Yep done that to, and i've also done, like you said, spoonful of mixture, then a square of milk chocolate( caburys of course) then top up with more mixture, very nice.

Ooh good plan as i don't know about nut allergies :o

Or, white chocolate? Or a candy melt? But would they still be gooey after a day or two?

Cant see why they wouldnt be, why dont you do a dummy run to see first?

Just to update, i used blueberry's chocolatey recipe and the weather was so hot it melted again! 20 5yo's had chocolate-smeared faces and big smiles so mission accomplished thank you!

Happy faces? thats what its all about isnt it? glad it turned out ok for you, whatever recipe you used!

Yep, the party was at a country park so we sent the kids home wet to the waist and chocolatey from there up :o

Now i need to do a chocolate jungle animal cake for his actual birthday on Tuesday but i might cheat and buy ready made decorations from the shop to decorate a nutella-smeared chocolate vicky sponge

Oh no pidjin, dont do that, try making them yourself they really are so easy, check out my animals on my pics, it was the first time i've ever made animals and was really pleased with them. I youtubed the lion i made and followed that tutorial.

I bought jelly snakes, but didn't make it to the cake shop because i spent too long in Tesco and I'd promised to pick dp+bike up from work! Sil hasn't sent a pic either yet so i don't know exactly what I'm making. Will make and freeze the cake tomorrow then they'll be down on Sunday and i can get MIL the expert to help