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It was my Grandad's birthday yesterday, he was 70-something. He likes chocolate cake, no, he loves chocolate cake, so I made him a chocolate birthday cake.
I had a little helper, helping me in my kitchen when I made this - he is also known as the fiance. He's not a very good helper if I am honest, he tends to eat more than he actually makes, but there you go.

Posted by BabyBonny • Published 2nd June 2010 • See BabyBonny's 11 projects »

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Chocolate

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rouge s. added Grandad's Birthday Cakes to Gift Ideas 07 Nov 02:06
cristinakilljoyway favorited Grandad's Birthday Cakes 25 Jan 22:04
Jessica D. commented on Grandad's Birthday Cakes 16 Nov 20:06

Step 1
You need to pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease up two baking trays that are equal in size (unlike the ones we ended up using - never ever put your baking stuff in the loft when you move back home, it will get lost up there, it's like a bottomless pit!). I used my little helper to grease the tins, look at that tin!
Step 2
I have to apologise profusely for the terrible state of the kitchen behind, it's being renovated.

Next you need to place all your cake ingredients in a bowl together, so you will need to measure out your flour....
Step 3
Add the butter and sugar to your bowl and then sift in the cocoa powder, the three table spoons of it...warning this can get a little messy....
Step 4
You may find that at this point people realise that you are baking and start to hang around, pretending to look all innocent and not at all like they are going to steal cake mix when you aren't looking...
Step 5
These new helpers might want to join in, so let them crack the eggs or something...
Step 6
When you have all the cake ingredients in the bowl then mix them, but not too much. You want a light and airy cake mix and if you overmix it that just won't happen...
Step 7
Divide your mixture between your two tins evenly,
Step 8
then pop them in to oven for about 40mins. I would swear though that my two sponges took a lot less time than that, though admittedly I was cleaning and not keeping an eye on the time, so just keep a close watch on them. Plus with fan-assisted ovens you can never be sure, I always turn my cakes mid way through. This is the point at which your helpers will want to lick the bowl, see, look what happened when I turned my back!
Step 9
When they come out yous should have lovely chocolate sponges.
Step 10
Leave them to cool for a little and then turn them out onto a wire baking rack to finish cooling. Remember that your sponges much be completely cool before you start to ice them or it will just melt, your cake could potentially collapse everywhere and all your hard work ruined - that I learnt from experience. Generally when I am making butter cream I combine my icing sugar and vegan spread (and in this case cocoa powder) until I have a mixture to taste. Remember if you don't have enough you can always make more, it isn't a problem.
Step 11
Then fill the inside of your cake...
Step 12
Then you need to put the top of your cake on...
Step 13
Ans then spread your butter cream on, the more the merrier...
Step 14
And more...
Step 15
And more still...
Step 16
Now you can begin decorating, we decided that we should use chocolate buttons to fit in with the chocolate theme, and so just put them round and round...
Step 17
And then there you have it, a chocolate cake covered with chocolate buttons...
Step 18
Lots of chocolate buttons.