How to make Birthday (and other celebration) Cakes!

mrs_baggins

thanks for the delia hint!I shall do that. You know i had never thought to freeze it!

Pitlanepiglet

I do a very straightforward sponge cake which is the weight of three or four eggs, depending how big I want to make it, the butter/marg, sr flour, sugar - bung it all in a food mixer, beat it together for a few minutes and stick it in a greased tin at 180 for about 40/45 minutes.

If you want to make a chocolate sponge, take out about two desert spoons of flour and replace with two desert spoons of cocoa (not hot chocolate).

It's very straightforward and it's my late grandmother's tried and tested recipe!

Paulie'sGirl

Hi all,

Its my parent's Pearl (30 years) anniversary in about 6 weeks time. :j We're going out for a meal as a family, and my brother and I would like to surprise them with a cake. We've looked at the price of buying one, but think we'd like to make one, as its more personal.

I was wondering if anyone had a cake recipe they can recommend? I've looked at the Good Food Wedding cake one, but that's too large. Ideally it needs to feed 12 on the evening, and I know my mum would want to give pieces to friends (a custom I don't quite understand, but need to factor in).

What size cake do you think I need? I don't think my baking skills are up to tiered cakes and dowels and things!!

I also can't decide between a traditional fruit cake and a more modern sponge recipe. Any advice would be greatly appreciated Also any ideas on decoration. I was thinking an ivory fondant icing decorated in some way with pearly things... a bit vague presently LOL

I would need to buy a tin I think, I have either 8 in sponge tins or a 12 inch springform tin which I think will be too shallow. Other threads suggested Hobbycraft, so I'll start there and probably end up at Lakeland :rolleyes:

Many thanks in advance for your help!

PGxx

loocyloo

hi, i usually make a celebration chocolate cake, with chocolate icing.

it comes from an australian supermarket magazine and is about 12/13 years old!!! the cake is so yummy, we had it as our wedding cake!

serves 25 (so they say!) needs a 22cm round tin ( i use springform for ease! )

ingredients
melted butter for greased
400g good quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped.
375g unsalted butter, chopped.
330g caster sugar
310mls cocoa - 3 heaped TBSP cocoa mixed with boiling water to make this quantity! ( i think original recipe was 310mls coffee! )
3 large eggs, lightly whisked
375g plain flour
2tsp baking powder

chocolate glaze
300g good quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter, chopped

preheat oven to 160C. brush 22cm round tin with melted butter to grease. line base of pan with greaseproof paper.

combine chocolate, butter, sugar & cocoa (coffee) in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted and well combined.

remove from heat, add eggs and whisk till combined.

sift together the flour & baking powder, add to chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.

pour mixture into tin and bake in pre-heated oven for 1 1/2hrs (or till crumbs stick to a skewer inserted in middle of cake!)

leave in tin to cool for 10-20 minutes. turn onto rack to cool.

to make glaze; combine chocolate & butter, melt and stir until smooth & well combined. remove from heat.

pour chocolate glaze over cooled cake, and spread with spatula. cool for 20 min till glaze sets ( but not in fridge as glaze will lose shine )

will keep for a week in an airtight tin.

maybe a nice pearly ribbon? or pearl decorations? (or we also had one iced with fondant icing at our wedding !)

Paulie'sGirl

Ooohh, Loocyloo, that sound delicious!

Diets don't count on special occasions, right??!!

Thanks again!

PGxx

aliadds

Some good ideas here...the apple fruit cake looks good!
For decoration I think marzipan and ready to roll icing is quite easy, finished off with a spray of fresh flowers. If you were going to give your parents a bouquet you could have a matching arrangement made for the cake!
HTH

Whoops forgot the link!
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=wedding+cake&pager.offset=0

greenbee

With the pearl theme, why not do a vanilla or chocolate sponge coated in ganache or butter icing and ready to roll sugarpaste (I suggest you use regalice as I know it tastes OK, some of the others vary - order online if you can't get it locally. No need to marzipan sponge cake as long as you trim it so that the top/sides are flat and even (tip... make the cake 1 inch bigger than you need, then cut out the cake the right size, using a cake board as a template. Use the offcuts for trifle). Fill with raspberry jam and either chocolate or vanilla ganache/butter icing, and coat with vanilla (chocolate would show through white or ivory sugarpaste). To finish it off, brush all over the cake with a pearl lustre powder . Decorate with flowers and ribbon if you aren't confident with cake decorating.

Paulie'sGirl

Greenbee,

That sounds like an excellent idea, and still fairly simple. What size sponge would you recommend? Should I do one deep one cut in half (or thirds?) and filled? Or several cakes stacked together?

Many thanks!

P.S. Thanks aliadds - we are having a flower arrangement, I'll definately think about tying the two together

stef240377

I have made this one before and it went down well -
http://www.wrightsflour.co.uk/recipe.aspx?recipeid=189

Another way of using up those left over xmas chocs too.

hot.chick

Just an idea - but celebration cakes from tesco are cheap, plain iced, and they do fruit and sponge, you could decorate and trier them up, they also stack nicely too...

Just as a quick idea... or as a stand by