Chocolate Birthday Cake

Like I said you have to spoil the people that are special to you. And sometimes these people are so special that you dress them up as Snow White, kill the seven dwarfs for them as Red Riding Hood and bake them a huge chocolate fudge cake. Sounds weird? Well just think about what you would consider doing for your besties! Show the love people!

Ingredients

Cake batter
6 large eggs
225g sugar
400g dark chocolate
60g flour
5 tbsp.  cocoa powder, non-sweetened
splash of rum

Chocolate coffee buttercream
320g butter, softened
120g powdered sugar
400g dark chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. very strong espresso

This recipe is slightly adapted from the lovely What Katie ate cookbook. Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and the sugar about 5 min. until thicker and pale. Than melt the chocolate, either over a hot water bath or, if you are a lazy one like me, in the microwave at 600 watt.  If that’s done, pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and mix for another 10 minutes, slowly adding the flour, cocoa and rum (maybe some vanilla or coffee too, if you like?). The batter is done and has to be baked in two springform cake pans (or one reused) for 20 min. at a 200°C oven. Let cool completely!

Now, buttercream action: have the butter very soft (leave outside the fridge for a night, or on the radiator on low warmth, but not too long or otherwise you will create a butter lake like me!). Using an electric mixer you mix the butter an powdered sugar together, melt the chocolate and pour it in while still mixing and finally add the other flavors. Let that cool for a bit also, cause than it is way easier to ice the cake. I added some toasted almonds to the cake filling, which was delicious I have to say! Anyways, now ice the cake (patience and a steady hand is a virtue here) and decorate as you like. 


I chopped up some chocolate and made 26 birthday flags by hand – you might consider just using candles if you are not feeling like spending your Sunday night handicrafting. But they are so pretty! Here you go, a real showstopper for your best friends birthdays!