January 9, 2011

2 Shaped Road cake in White Chocolate Mud

After I'd made my sister the Rainbow Cake for her birthday she requested that I make one for my nephew's birthday which was at the end of the month. In the shape of a 2. I nervously agreed, while trying to figure out in my head how I'd manage to spread each layer into the 2 shaped tin. It turned out I didn't have to worry that much in the end. A couple of days before the event my sister changed her mind. She was worried about all the food colouring that goes into that cake, and the effect it would have on a bunch of kids. So we decided that I'd make the White Chocolate Mud Cake her friend had introduced us to a few days before. This has to have been the best white chocolate mud cake I've ever tasted. Usually I find them too dense, but this cake was so soft and light.

Ingredients:
180g white chocolate
350g unsalted butter chopped
2 2/3 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (140 degrees, fan forced oven) Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan; line base with baking paper
2. Combine chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in large saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl; cool for 15 minutes.
3. Whisk in sifted flours, extract and eggs. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool in cake pan.
The icing suggested for this cake is a simple white chocolate ganache, which is a mixture of melted white chocolate and cream. I decided to choose a different icing though, and went with another one that I'd made for some cupcakes in the past. It was still white chocolate based, but a little bit more special, I think.
Ingredients:
395g white chocolate, chopped
340g cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1. In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Let stand until just warm to the touch.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and blended.
3. Add the melted chocolate, and beat again until smooth. Use frosting immediately, colouring it as desired.
I split the icing into two batches, one a little bigger than the other, and coloured one green, using food colouring, and the other brown, using cocoa. My sister had requested that I make the cake look like a road, and we'd brought some chocolate cars for the top of the cake too. To do this I first spread the green icing all over the sides of the cake, to create a grassy effect. I then spread the chocolate icing over the top of the cake to create the road. I had found some tiny white chocolate buds at the local lolly shop, which I used to create the lines on the road and to create a border around the top of the cake, almost like the outer lines on the road.
Once we got the cake to my sister's house later on, we were able to decorate the cake with our chocolate cars, Archie's favourite digger on the side and some makeshift road signs. My sister had also found some really cute candles with cars and trains which we also placed on top of the cake. I was really happy with how it turned out, and I must say that the cake got so many compliments on the day.

8 comments:

  1. Well done on the age 2 cake and I think you made the right decision on the food colouring-I love it but always wonder about the effect of it on really littleuns! It's such a perfect little boy's cake :D

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  2. Thanks sis and Aunty Claire!!! You did an amazing job with Archie's 2nd birthday cake, he absolutely loved it, it was delicious and a hit with all the guests. We are lucky to have such a wonderful cook in the family. It certainly took the pressure off me being 36wks pregnant, I'll be asking you to make many more cakes in the future you realise!!!!

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  3. Lorraine - Thanks! :) I think we may have made the right decision, the kids were already excited enough without the added food colouring high added in. The Birthday boy loved his cake, he absolutely loves cars and trucks and anything like that. When we showed him a picture of a similar cake and asked if he wanted me to make it his excited response was 'yeah! okay!'

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  4. Bern - No worries sis! :) I'm just glad it turned out okay, I was so nervous that it wouldn't and that Arch loved it. It helped that we had been given such a great recipe though.
    And as for more cake making in the future? Bring it on! :) I love it!

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  5. What an amazing cake it was, tasty and great to look at! Archie loved it! We are lucky to have you sis, such a great cook. I'm sure I'll be asking you to bake for me again in the future too! Dre

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  6. Thanks Dre :) I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm happy to take any requests! :)

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  7. Yes what a g8t success the number 2 birthday cake was. You are a wonderful cook Claire and your latest success at your God Daughter's Christening...yum red velvet cakes and white chocolate mud cake!:)

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