My ultimate birthday cake

I have very mixed fillings about spending my birthday at home during the lockdown. On one hand I am incredibly grateful that I get to be safe at home with my other half, enjoying my day with my favourite take away and movies!(Animated ones mainly). On the other hand I normally spend my day being completely spoiled, starting with a Michelin star lunch where I would normally get a cheeky surprise birthday cake and ending up in an uptown cocktail bar drinking until the early hours! This time there is no Michelin star restaurants, surprise birthday cakes or cheeky cocktails in central London! Now I cannot make any of the rest of it happen but I can definitely make the ultimate chocolate cake! Yes you heard it this is the most chocolatey, fudgy and decadent cake you will ever come across. It really has it all. Three layers of chocolate buttermilk sponge, smooth and luxurious chocolate buttercream, finishing it off with a rich dark chocolate ganache dripping and yes I will show you how to make it from start to finish! If that is not a treat then I do not know what is! Happy birthday to me.

For the chocolate sponge (makes 3 sponges/ 8 inch tins/ 680g per layer)

• 360g buttermilk
• 240ml brewed coffee
• 180ml vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 320g plain flour
• 10g baking soda
• 10g baking powder
• 5g salt
• 520g caster sugar
• 120g cocoa powder
• 150g milk chocolate chips

For the chocolate butter cream

• 500g butter
• 800g icing sugar
• 160g milk
• 90g cocoa powder
• 180g  70% dark chocolate
• ½ tsp salt

For the ganache drip

• 60g  70% dark chocolate
• 80g double cream

How to make the chocolate sponge

1. Start by preheating the oven 140C/gas.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee in 240ml of boiling water and allow to cool.
3. In a standing mixer place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar,cocoa powder, salt and start on low speed to combine the ingredients.
4. In a medium bowl or a jug mix eggs, room temperature buttermilk, oil, vanilla and cooled coffee and whisk together to combine.
5. Pour liquids into the mixer in a steady stream until everything is added.
6. Once everything is mixed, stop and scrape down.
7. Last add the chocolate chips and beat the mixture on low speed for 20 seconds, then scrape again.
8. Once the batter is done line three 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper and foil.
9. Divide the batter into the three cake tins (680g each) and bake into a 140C oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
10. Let the sponges cool completely before decorating. Ideally the sponges should be baked the day before and allow to cool and rest for 12-24 hours.

How to make the chocolate butter cream

1. In a small bowl or a jug combine milk and salt and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to bring to room temperature and dissolve salt.
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave and set aside to cool.
3. In a standing mixer place softened butter until pale, fluffy and double in size.
4. Scrape down and beat for a further 2 minutes.
5. Sieve the icing sugar and add half of it to the bowl while beating on low until all the sugar is incorporated. Turn the speed up to medium and beat for 3-5 minutes.
6. Turn the mixer to low and add the second half of icing sugar. Once incorporated beat on medium for a further 2-3 minutes.
7. Next turn the speed to low and carefully pour the milk and salt mixture. When it is all mixed stop the mixer and scrape down.
8. Beat on medium speed for a further 2 minutes.
9. Lastly add the chocolate. Make sure that the chocolate is poured in the centre of the bowl to avoid cooled lumps around the edges of the mixing bowl.
10. The butter cream is now ready to use. If you do not wish to use it straight away you can store in a container and place it in a cool and dry place. When you want to use the butter cream simply paddle it in a standing mixer until soft and smooth.

How to make the ganache drip

1. Start by chopping the chocolate bar into small pieces and place them into a small bowl.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm double cream until it just starts to boil. When you just start seeing it bubbling on the sides, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let it sit for one minute.
3. Mix it together trying to avoid too many air bubbles. When your ganache has a smooth consistency and there is no bits left leave it to cool for 10 minutes or until it reaches room temperature.

Assembling the chocolate cake

1. Start by cutting the top of your sponges to make them flat.
2. Place a round nozzle in a piping bag and fill it with the chocolate buttercream.
3. Next place a cake board on top of the spinning table and apply a small amount of buttercream using your cranked palette knife, that way your cake will stick to the board.
4. Place the first sponge upside down and pipe a swirl to cover the surface of the sponge.
5. Use your cranked palette knife to flatten the cream as much as possible.
6. Continue the same technique with the rest of the sponges.
7. When you have finished layering the sponges, we are now ready to crumb coat the cake.
8. Using now a straight palette knife thinly spread a small amount of buttercream just to enough to cover the cake. By doing that you will trap any crumbs that would ruin the final finish of your cake
9. Place your cake in the fridge for about an hour or until your buttercream is just set.
10. Next we are going to add the next layer of the buttercream using our straight palette knife. We are going to apply enough buttercream to achieve about half a centimetre thickness of our cream.
11. Keep moving the palette knife back and forward until you achieve a smooth finish.
12. Now use a cake scraper to smooth the top of your cake.
13. Place in the fridge again so it is firm enough to apply the chocolate ganache.
14. Now that the ganache has cooled slightly and the cake is set we are ready to start applying the drip.
15. Place the drip into a piping and cut a small hole.
16. Now start piping on the side of your cake inconsistently, that way you will achieve different sizes of drips.
17. If you want ganache in the middle of the cake you can apply some with the piping bag and smooth it with your cranked palette knife.
18. Pop the cake back in the fridge till the ganache is set.
19. To finish the cake pipe a few big kisses of buttercream on top of the cake, using nozzles of your choice.
20. Finish the cake with sprinkles and decorations of your choice.
21. Enjoy!

Notes

• If you are not confident with your ganache drip skills (well just watch my video and you will be!), try and practice on the side of a bowl first. Your drips shouldn’t be too runny or too thick. If too thick pop back in the microwave for 10 seconds or add a splash of milk. If the ganache is too thin, let the ganache cool for a bit longer before use.
• Do not forget to sieve your icing sugar…I repeat DO NOT FORGET TO SIEVE THE ICING SUGAR! Sorry for all the yelling but this is important! If you are going to go through the hustle of making a cake you might as well take 5 extra minutes to sieve your icing sugar (or do an Athina and make your boyfriend do itJ!). If you don’t your cake will never look as smooth and beautiful as it should be!

Meringue kisses xx

Athina