Hubby’s Deeply Darkly Chocolatey Fudgy Cake with wobbly icing
So I’m not arty at all. In the lottery that is our family’s gene pool, I struck it big with The Disreputable One’s ability to fire off a really angry letter, me Ma’s filthy laugh and my Grandma Maudie’s penchant for a nice glass of Bailey’s, but sadly didn’t inherit any artistic ability at all. Still, one can dream, and I was rather pleased when my eagerly awaited cake decorating kit arrived from Ebay.
As you know, it was Hubby’s birthday this weekend. On Sunday, we had a big, heowge massive roast beef dinner with Yorkshire puddings and, as usual here at English Towers, The Birthday Person got to choose his birthday cake. He wanted something really darkly chocolatey and fudgey. And I may not be the Ace of Cakes, but I can certainly knock up a mean chocky cake. Read it and put on weight:
150g dark chocolate
170g butter
170g soft dark brown sugar
3 eggs
145g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
To decorate:
Pot of double cream
100g dark chocolate
So preheat your oven to 180 degrees/gas 4, and grease and line a couple of cake tins. Melt the 150g chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time (remember if it curdles just bung in a spoonful of the flour). Next, sieve the flour and cocoa and stir gently into the mix, then add the cooled, melted chocolate. Divide the mix between the two tins and bake for around 15-20 minutes until they’re just firm – watch them carefully, you want soft, moist cake, not a couple of Frisbees.
Now comes the fun bit. I whipped half the cream and filled the cake with it, then stirred the other half into some melted chocolate to make a ganache to pour over the top, but hell, it’s your cake – fill your boots. Finally, I mixed the last spoonful of melted chocolate into a teeny bit of whipped cream and piped a completely wobbly ‘44’ on it that looked as though it had been done by a four year old. It just goes to show how bloody nice I am that I’m opening myself up for total humiliation by actually showing you a picture. Ah well. Hubby liked it and if you’re even vaguely less cack-handed than I am it’s worth a go as it’s really good fun.
Give me time, and a bit of practice, and I’ll be icing cupcakes like a pro. No, really.
By the way, if this picture ends up on Cake Wrecks I shall personally hunt the perpetrator down and pull out their eyelashes one by one with my kitchen tongs. Be afraid.
19 Responses to “Hubby’s Deeply Darkly Chocolatey Fudgy Cake with wobbly icing”
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By the way, thanks for the referral to Kathy Reichs, I got some of her novels and am quite enjoying them.
Ace of Cakes – LOVE that show!
Happy Burfday Hubbs! Mwah!! X
Lbs lost: zero.
YOU’RE NOT HELPING!!!
Belated birthday wishes to José, I mean, Mr EM
For someone to claims that they’re not arty, that’s pretty damn impressive.
I can’t do the whole cake decorating thing either
One day, I will master it, but at the moment everything I try ends up looking like the artistic efforts of a two-year old.
Jen: Y’see, that’s why you’re my BF – 100% support even in the face of a cake disaster of epic proportions! Mwah x
Baino: Oh gawd… yup, there’s a Barney birthday cake disaster in my past too – it looked like an oversized baby mouse – all purplish and sickly!
TC: Horseradish – yup for Hubby only – I hate that feeling it gives you at the back of your nose.
Jenn: Bless you. I know you’re only being kind and it looks like someone with a nasty cold sneezed on it. And you look fab. Honest x
Wee One: There’s a fab course at the college in Athlone in cake decorating, but it’s too far for me…
I think you did a great job for a first effort and what an excuse to bake more cakes and practice some more!!
Say the word ‘Brownie’ to Colin, then sit back, listen and weep!
Yes, the icing is more Hirst than Holbein but that just adds to the delightful kitsch cuteness of it all. And I’d bet my last pain au choclat that it tasted DAMN fine…
Sluuuuuurp!
TM: Bless you. I’m well impressed with the swirly bit piping. I don’t think I could be let loose on a proper cake just yet
Jen: ‘More Hirst than Holbein’ LOL!! x
I AM A “ACE OF CAKES” WANNABE..IN MY DREAMS, OH WELL. I HAVE MASTERED SOME DARN GOOD CAKES IN THE PAST FOR MY KIDS BIRTHDAYS…(A ROBIN HOOD CAKE COMPLETE WITH A 3″ PLASTIC KEVIN COSTNER STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF MY CAKE CASTLE AND MOAT (WITH SPARKLING BLUE SUGAR CRYSTALS!) AND
A NICE “JAWS” CAKE- YES, ANOTHER BLUE SUGAR CRYSTAL WATER SCENE COMPLETE WITH A NICE PLASTIC SHARK SUBMERGED IN THE ICING ( I USE PROPS-IT HELPS).
I DID MAKE A RAINBOW CAKE ONE YEAR (MY SON’S REQUEST) AND THERE WERE A FEW DIFFERENT GUESSES ON WHAT IT WAS..”A COLORFUL SNAKE”, “A LEGO WALL”, “A RIVER”, “A WORM”, ETC. -IT SEEMED LIKE A SIMPLE IDEA.(?!)