A Good Friend
I originally made this cake for a classmate for her birthday… but because she was not worthy of its awesomeness I gave it to a wonderful friend who has been very supportive during my Masters. Plus she is my hubba bubba’s cousin so giving someone a beautiful cake is a good way to get in with the family. (Makes a cute face) I used Mary Berry’s fudge cake as the foundation. Sometimes fondant can be a little overwhelming and to be honest fondant needs to withhold a big amount of cake so you need a study cake to execute a particular design. I did not make my own fondant but if you are making your own icing I would suggest flavouring it with strawberry and vanilla. This cake can hold its own without the fondant, it is simple but lovely enough to just be decorated with candles.
This recipe was adapted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (BBC Books, 2009).
Ingredients:
50g cocoa powder, 6 tbsps boiling water, 3 eggs, 50ml milk, 175g self – raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 100g softened butter, 275g caster sugar, 3 tbsps apricot jam, 150g plain chocolate, 150ml double cream.
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Grease two 8 inch cake tins and line with baking parchment.
3. Blend the cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl.
4. When cooled beat in the eggs and milk.
5. Sift in the flour and baking powder.
6. Cream together the butter and caster sugar before adding to the mixture.
7. Divide the cake equally between the tins.
8. After 30 minutes when well risen and slightly bouncy remove from the oven.
9. Leave to cool on wire racks out of the tins and with the parchment off.
10. Warm the icing in a small pan and then spread a little over the base of one cake and the top of the other.
11. Break the chocolate into pieces and gently heat with the cream in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water for about 10 minutes or when the chocolate has melted stirring occasionally.
12. Remove the bowl from the heat. Leave to cool until it as at the point of setting and the spread to sandwich the cakes and as a base for the icing.
13. If using fondant icing be patient for things to set otherwise the cake will look very messy and the fondant will melt.
KAMARIA'S KITCHEN 