Birthday cake (with icing)

Hi there


I want to make someone a iced birthday cake, probably chocolate but open to suggestions. I need to ice it so that I can write something on it. Would anyone be ble to help me out with:


(1) a good recipe


(2) any idea the best place to buy the icing equipment (I know this thread can't be city-specific, but would I tend to be able to get this at say a Central department store where I also got a cake tin from???


Thanks!!!

a good place for kitchen supplies is the basement of Sheung wan "wing-on" department store... they definately have the cake tins and icing supplies.

All kinds of baking supplies, including ready-to-use icing, cake tins, colour mist food spray, ready-rolled fondant icing, etc., can be found at Complete Deelite in Central.


And they even make and decorate cakes too.


For a recipe, may I ask the age (roughly) of the birthday person? And would you be transporting it?

Sailinghome - thanks, i know it.


Claire, thanks:


1) where is Deelite?

2) person's age is 30s (so not a children's party). No transportation - baked and consumed at my place :)


Thanks

Complete Deelite is on D'Aguilar Street and other shop in Discovery Bay. Website of the same name.com


The writing on the cake had me assuming that the cake might have been for a youngest. Most of the adult (decadent! ganache! hmmmmm!) cakes would be tricky to write on. Nigella's cloud cake is a show stopper but you can't write on a 'cloud'! Let me have a think and I'll post some ideas tomorrow.

Claire - thanks! Much appreciated ...


I agree, some of the adults cakes I like but the only wayto write onthem is to do what Cova does and lay a plate of icing on the top. But traditional cakes look more fun :)

Actually while I am at it, i have never figured out how to get fresh cream in HK? Is it possible? What's the alternative - thickened (double) cream?


Thanks ...

I have found the Betty Crocker pound cake mix is great. It is solid and takes icing well. The other old standby is the 2-4-6-8 cake.


2 large eggs

4 oz butter

6oz sugar

8oz self-raising flour

1 cup milk


Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift flour in a little at a time so it mixes in properly. Add the milk to make a wet batter. Put in baking tin (20-25cm) and bake in mod. oven for 45min.

First, no we can't get fresh cream in HK. The closest thing is UHT cream (single and double) which is frozen for transportation. It can be found in ParknShop, Olivers (more expensive) and Citysuper. Look in the chilled cabinets.


I made a beautiful cheesecake which became a birthday cake (someone forgot someone else's birthday). It was hijacked for an impromptu celebration and I only just managed to stop the forgetful host from writing on it and sticking candles in it - Maxim-style! Shop-bought/out-of-a-packet rubbish fine but an expensive homemade one with mascarpone and creme fraiche, no!

See if one of these takes your fancy...



Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate fudge icing


This is quite large, should serve a dozen people easily. The icing should be ‘solid’ enough to ice on.


Ingredients

Cake:

125g plain dark chocolate

300ml milk

125g brown sugar

125g butter

125g caster sugar

2 medium size eggs, separated

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


Icing:

25g butter

1-2 tablespoons milk

125g icing sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder



Method

1. Grease and line (with baking paper) an 18 x 28cm baking tin, have the paper come 2.5cm above two opposite sides.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C.

3. Place the chocolate, 4 tablespoons of the milk and the brown sugar in a pan and heat gently, stirring, until melted. Stir in the remaining milk.

4. Cream the fat and the caster sugar until light and fluffy; then beat in the egg yolks thoroughly.

5. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together.

6. Add the creamed mixture to the chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.

7. Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage. Fold a couple of tablespoons into the mixture first; then carefully fold in the rest.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

9. To make the icing, place the butter and a tablespoon of milk in a small pan and heat gently until melted. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together and add to the pan, mixing well and smooth, add a little more milk if necessary.

10. Pour over the warm cake and spread evenly to the edges. Allow to set completely; then cut into squares.


Obviously, in your case, spread the icing and allow it to set completely before writing on it. Only cut into squares once the birthday person has blown out the candles!





Easy-peasy chocolate cake


This needs left for 24 hours before eating (very difficult!), otherwise the middle can be too gooey (only has one tablespoon of flour). Making it the day before though gives the poor old cook a bit more time than rushing on the day.


Ingredients

200g butter

200g dark chocolate

250g sugar

5 eggs

1 tbsp self-raising flour, sifted



Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

2. Melt chocolate and butter together in a Bain Marie.

3. When melted, take of the heat and mix in the sugar with a wooden spoon.

4. Leave to cool a little; then add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with wooden spoon after each addition.

5. Add the flour and mix.

6. Place the mixture in the cake tin and cook for 20 minutes. The centre will still be very soft, this quite normal.

7. Place on cooling tray. Eat only when completely cold


You can top this with the previous icing.





Another Chocolate Fudge Cake


This cake has a nice and firm texture, so you can split it in two and fill with ganache or the alternative filling/icing posted next.


Ingredients

335g caster sugar

335g butter

335g eggs (weighed without shell)

65g evaporated milk

335g self raising flour

50g cocoa powder

15g baking powder



You will need a 20cm round cake tin, greased and lined, and three bowls.


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C.

2. In Bowl #1 (this should be the biggest bowl), beat the butter and caster sugar together until white and creamy.

3. In Bowl #2, weigh the eggs without the shells, whisk and add the evaporated milk.

4. In Bowl #3, weigh and sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.

5. Add the egg mixture and the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Add them in one go and mix until well incorporated. Take care to not over beat as the mixture might curdle ending up with a crumbly textured cake.

6. Put the mixture in the cake tin and bake oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes





Alternative (softer) Chocolate Fudge Filling and Icing

Makes enough for a sponge sandwich


Ingredients

125 g light soft brown sugar

1 x 170 g tin evaporated milk

125 g dark chocolate (50-55% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces

50 g soft butter

2 drops vanilla extract


Method

1. Combine the sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat gently and stir frequently.

2. When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to the boil, keep the heat very low and simmer for 6 minutes without stirring.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a small balloon whisk, whisk in the chocolate, followed by the butter and vanilla extract.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and, when it is cool, cover it with clingfilm and chill for about an hour to allow the mixture to thicken.

5. When it is thicker, beat again and spread half on one sponge, placing the other one on top. Use the rest to spread over the top and sides.





Chocolate sandwich cake


Ingredients

110g plain chocolate

3 tbsp water

200g butter

200g. light soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 large eggs

200g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt



Method

1. Grease and line the base of two round shallow 20cm (2.5-3.5 deep) cake tins. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Melt the chocolate in the water and allow it to cool slightly.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, beat in the egg yolks and vanilla essence, then add the melted chocolate.

4. Fold in the sifted flour and salt.

5. Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage; then fold them into the mixture carefully and completely, without overworking them.

6. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level the tops.

7. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes until they are firm to the touch. Leave them to cool for one minute in the tin before turning them out onto a cooling tray.


Suggested chocolate cream filling:

110g plain chocolate

150ml sour cream


Melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie; then stir in the soured cream. Leave to cool until it is slightly thick. Sandwich the cold cakes together, with one of the bases at the top, leaving no gaps.




And if you want to do some chocolate flowers, letters, etc. here is a recipe for chocolate modelling paste. You can use dark chocolate (53%) as well as milk and white chocolate.


Ingredients

800gms chocolate

400gms glucose


Method

1. Melt the chocolate completely in a Bain Marie.

2. Warm the glucose. Do not overheat it as it can ruin the paste.

3. Add the warm glucose to the chocolate and stir. The mix should thicken almost immediately. When it is impossible to continue stirring, take the mix out of the bowl and knead on the worktop. Cocoa butter should ooze out of the paste so have paper towels ready as a lot of butter comes out.

4. When the paste is smooth enough, wrap in freezer bag and leave at room temperature overnight.

5. When you want to use it, take a bit of the modelling paste and knead till it becomes pliable.



BTW, you can colour the white chocolate using dusting powders or oil-based edible paste colours.

Claire


You are a legend! Thanks so much for this. I will gtrab a coffee in a little while and drool over the options. Actually the one to make the day before could be a goer as I have a few spare hours on Saturday and she gets back on Sunday ...


I'll let you know how it goes.


Thanks again :)

A Man

Couldn't post one other I had forgotten before...

Trying again...



Serves about 10.


Ingredients

200g fine dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

a small, hot espresso

200g butter

80g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 level tbsp very good-quality cocoa powder

125g almonds

5 eggs

200g unrefined golden caster sugar

Method

1. Take a 23 to 24 cm round cake (5 cm deep), and lightly butter the base and line with a round of baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a bowl resting over a saucepan of gently simmering water. As soon as it has started to melt, pour the hot espresso over the chocolate.

3. Cut the butter into chunks and drop it into the chocolate and coffee. Resist the temptation to stir. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together.

4. Don't skin the almonds, but blast them in a food processor until they resemble fine, fresh breadcrumbs.

5. Separate the eggs. Put the whites into a large bowl and whisk till they are thick and stiff. Then quickly but gently fold in the sugar with a large metal spoon.

6. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir to dissolve the last of the butter.

7. Mix the egg yolks, then stir them into the chocolate until the ingredients come together.

8. Fold this mixture into the egg whites and sugar. Lightly fold in the flour and cocoa mixture, then the ground almonds. Don't over-mix or knock the air out.

9. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes. Test the cake with a skewer; it should come out clean. Leave to cool before turning out.

Now why did I have to split it into three...?

Please tell me you are going to ask her to marry you on a cake you baked yourself. I'm getting weepy already just thinking about it.

No I am not - where did that come from? :) Though it's a nice thought.


We haven't been seeing other for very long but she has been away for a few weeks and it was her birthday last week. Her family never really made much of a fuss of her birthday when she was growing up, so apart from the usual presents etc I thought I'd try to make her a cake for when she gets back on Sunday evening. So it doesn't need to be transported very far - hopefully just from the fridge to the bedroom ;)

I'm chic flick girl with a little too much time on her hands today. A combination which sometimes leads you to add 2 and 2 and get 5.