Wednesday 12 August 2009

♥ Happy Birthday Hubby ♥

Today we are celebrating my hubby's 37th birthday! To celebrate the occasion I baked him a 4 layer Vanilla and Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. Both of which have been thoroughly enjoyed today. It's been a great day of retail therapy, followed by lunch and then ten pin bowling with our son and his girlfriend. We plan to finish the celebrations this evening with a romantic meal for hubby and I at our local Thai restaurant.



Vanilla and Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients
For the cake:
340g butter, at room temperature
280g caster sugar
6 eggs, medium
280g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

For the icing:
520 icing sugar, sifted
220g butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan oven 160oC/Gas mark 4. Grease four 8in cake tins, and line the bottoms with greaseproof or baking paper.

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour on top and fold in. Separate half the mixture into another bowl and sift in the cocoa powder until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract to the other mixture. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tins and spread out evenly, using the back of the spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn out the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, beat together the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy. Spread each cake layer and then swirl the remaining icing all over the cake.






Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients
140g soft butter
140g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs
100g self-raising flour
25g cocoa, sifted

For the frosting:
85g milk chocolate, broken
85g soft butter
140g icing sugar, sifted
Sprinkles (optional)

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and put 16 gold cases into a fairy-cake tin. Tip all the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl and beat for 2 mins with an electric hand-whisk until smooth. Divide between the cases so they are two-thirds filled, then bake for 12-15 mins until risen. Cool on a wire rack.For the frosting, microwave the chocolate on high for 1 min. Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the melted chocolate. Spread on the cakes and decorate with various sprinkles.

21 comments:

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Happy birthday to the hubs! Beautiful cake and cupcakes.

Snooky doodle said...

happy birthday to your hubby. The cake looks nice and yummmy and the cupcakes oh so good!

Caroline said...

Hope you've both had a great day! Sounds like it!

Love the layer cake - your layers look so neat, and I love the way you've decorated it with stars! Love the cupcakes too - very pretty.

The Girl said...

Oh my goodness that cake!! It's absolutely amazing. I'm making sure the boyfriend doesn't see this and start getting ideas for his birthday!

Lucie said...

What fab cakes! Don't you just love birthdays :) Maria Please could you tell me where you got the star chocolates from? - I can never see these anywhere - thanks

Have a lovely evening.

Lucie x

Reeni said...

The cake looks incredibly delicious!! And the cupcakes are so pretty! Happy Birthday to your husband!

♥Rosie♥ said...

Happy birthday Adrian!! What an absolutely awesome birthday cake and cupcakes, he's so lucky to have such a brilliant domestic goddess as a wife :0)

Rosie x

The Caked Crusader said...

What a lovely birthday cake - the cupcakes look fab too!

Happy birthday to your husband!

Nickki said...

Happy birthday to your hubby! What a gorgeous looking cake, I could so go a slice of that right now! :) Where did you get the lovely chocolate stars Maria? xx

Heather said...

This is absolutely stunning, Maria! A beautiful birthday cake for your husband.

Maria♥ said...

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments.

The chocolate stars were purchased at a stall when I went to the Good Food Show in London.

Maria
x

George said...

Fabulous bakes Maria and happy birthday to your husband.

Sasha said...

Happy birthday to your husband!

The cupcakes are adorable : )

apparentlyjessy said...

That cake looks awesome inside, I think your husband is a lucky birthday boy!

Coby said...

Happy birthday to Mr Goddess:) Half his luck to have not one (very spectacular) cake, but a full size and little ones too:D

Abitofafoodie said...

I can't decide which I'd go for - both look so delicious! Your husband must have been thrilled!

Nic said...

Lucky hubby, that's a fab birthday cake!

Hayley said...

Awww Happy Birthday to your hubby! He got a better cake than mine did lol, what a gorgeous cake :-D xxx

Maggie said...

You have really spoilt your husband with all of those cakes Maria! They look fabulous.

Sophie said...

Beautiful layers, I love the chocolate stars :).

Cathie said...

that cake looks devine! will definitely need to try this one, thanks.