Mint Chocolate Aero Balls & Kit Kat Overload Layer Cake

Hooray for internet! Ours has finally been activated, and so you can expect some serious blogging to go down around here.  I have a lot of delicious bakes to catch you up on! This first one was from back at the end of August when we had our first visitor in Scotland my father in law paid us a visit! It also happened to co-incide with his birthday, lucky him! So we called him in the week and asked him what sort of cake he wanted me to bake...

His response was 'chocolate'!! Soooo boring! There was no way I was just going to make a plain chocolate cake, so I urged him to think of some other flavours or chocolate bars he likes and eventually he came up with 'mint'! Perfect! Chocolate & mint is one of my all time favour flavour combos for baking...it's right up there with lime & coconut and raspberry & white chocolate for me! The last comment my father in law added was 'don't make it too rich'! When my husband relayed this comment to me, I stared at him in horror! The only cakes I know how to make are rich ones! 

So thinking that I know best I ignored that last little comment, and went about planning a chocolate and mint cake.  As far as birthday cakes are concerned if I can't fit overload in the title of the cake, it's not worth baking! so I thought of every mint chocolate possible and in the end decided a kit kat and m&m cake would go down well since the last one I made was so well loved! So I stocked up on mint kit kat's, but then remembered we were in Scotland and not in Vancouver and so mint m&m's were nowhere to be found! Aero balls seemed to be a good alternative! and added a nice splash of colour to the cake! I also picked up some slabs of Mint Aero to melt into the frosting to give it a hint of mint, and I blitzed some of the chocolate into the mint frosting I sandwiched the cakes with...so really you can't get more mint in a cake if you try! 

I used my trusty Primrose Bakery chocolate layer cake recipe because it never lets me down, and is always moist and fudgy.  The silky chocolate frosting is always the perfect companion and the addition of mint was a subtle but tasty one.  The mint frosting in the middle of the cake was perfect for breaking up the chocolate-y ness and the aero balls on top not only added great texture but also great flavour! and who doesn't love having 2 kit kat fingers with their cake to dip into the frosting! 

Mint Chocolate Aero Balls & Kit Kat Overload Layer Cake:

Serves 12-14

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

From The Primrose Bakery

The book says it makes two 8-inch cakes, but I managed to make three 8-inch cakes with this recipe! I only used 2 and saved the 3rd cake for a rainy day!

230g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids - I used Lindt)

170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

350g light soft brown sugar

3 large eggs, free range or organic, separated

370g plain flour, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

500ml semi skimmed milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

Break the choc into pieces and melt in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave.  Set bowl aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes until the mix is pale and smooth.

Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat them for several minutes, slowly add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar and beat well. 

Add the cooled chocolate to this mixture and beat well again.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug.  Add one third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well.  Pour in one third of the milk and beat again.  Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the main batter using a metal spoon (Do not beat or you will take the air out of the mixture).  

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake for about 30 minutes.

Insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes, it should come out clean if cooked.  Leave to cool.

Mint Choc Chip Frosting:

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

125g unsalted butter

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1 tbsp double cream

Green food gel colouring

45g crushed Mint Aero chocolate

Beat the butter and sugar together in a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

Add the peppermint extract and double cream and continue beating for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Using a toothpick dab 3-4 spots of green food gel colour through the frosting.  Beat for a further 2 minutes until the green colour has blended into the frosting and is consistent throughout (you can add more or less green colouring to suit your tastes, I went for a pale green colour).

Crush Mint Aero into tiny bite size pieces, I used a blender to crush mine or you could use a zip-loc bag and a rolling pin.  Stir it through the frosting with a wooden spoon.

Chocolate Mint Buttercream Frosting:

Adapted from The Primrose Bakery

75g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids - I used Lindt)

100g Mint Aero milk chocolate

225g unsalted butter, at room temp

250g icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp double cream

Melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave until smooth.  Leave to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and double cream until smooth - this can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer.  

Add the melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy.  If it looks too runny to use simply keep beating to thicken.

To Assemble:

2 8" chocolate cakes

1 batch of mint choc chip frosting

1 batch of chocolate mint frosting 

1 1/2 bags mint Aero balls

20 two-finger mint Kit Kats

Place one of the 8" chocolate cakes on a plate.  Spread the mint choc chip frosting on top of the cake using a palette knife until the top is completely covered.  Sandwich the frosting by placing the other 8" chocolate cake on top.

Completely cover the outside of the cake in the chocolate mint frosting.  

Using a pastry brush, brush the back of each two-finger kit kat with a small amount of chocolate frosting and stick it to the side of the cake.

Chop some of the aero balls in half, and leave the rest whole and sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Eat and enjoy! 

Here is the birthday boy trying to enjoy the cake before I had even taken the picture! 

Chocolate & Coconut Birthday Layer Cake

A few months back a guy from my church sent me a text asking if I could make a birthday cake for his wife. I love making cakes, especially birthday cakes! I will bake cakes any day of the week if I am asked, try me - it's true! but unfortunately the date of her birthday was the same day as my very last ever university exam for my masters degree.  

As much as I love baking and it will generally take precedence over anything else scholastically related or other...even if I had to draw the line at replacing last minute revision by a baking session...

but I really didn't want to let him down, after all he had showered me with compliments in the text message about how his wife loves following my blog and everything I make and no other cake would be good enough.

So I told him, if he didn't mind it being a day late, I could whip it up the evening after my exam and drop it round the next day and so it was a done deal! 

The only guidance he gave me was that she likes things that are pink or girly, and I knew she was a lover of coconut so this coconut and chocolate layer cake complete with plenty of pink and plenty of girliness was created!

I used my go to chocolate cake recipe but substituted the regular milk for coconut milk.  I decided it was looking a little too pink and so came up with the idea to pipe little chocolate frosting swirls all the way around the top of the cake.  I melted a little coconut chocolate into the frosting too to give it a coconut hint.  

After I dropped it off, I received a text message from the husband saying he had been given the duty of cutting it since his wife thought it was too pretty to cut so I think it went down well! 

If I had a picture of the inside of the cake you would see pink frosting peeking out from all the chocolatey layers but as thorough as a food blogger as I am, giving someone a birthday cake with one slice cut out of purely for photography purposes is a definite no-no, so you'll have to use your imaginations or bake one up for yourself to see the prettiness! 

Chocolate & Coconut Layer Cake:

Serves 16

Adapted from Cupcakes from The Primose Bakery

230g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids - I used Lindt)

170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

350g light soft brown sugar

3 large eggs, free range or organic, separated

370g plain flour, sifted

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

500ml coconut milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Grease three 8" cake tins (this recipe makes 3 cakes, I had a silicone cake tin disaster with one of my cakes so only ended up using 2 in the end!)

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave, or using a bain marie.  Set bowl aside to cool. 

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is pale and smooth.

Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl, and beat them for several minutes.  Slowly add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar and beat well.  

Add the cooled chocolate to this mixture and beat well again.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl.  

Combine the coconut milk and vanilla extract in a jug.  Add one third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well.  Pour in one third of the milk and beat again.  Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.  

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.  Carefully, fold the egg whites into the main batter using a metal spoon (do not beat or you will take the air out of the mixture).

Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins and bake for about 30 minutes.

Insert a knife into the centre of one of the cakes, it should come out clean if cooked.

Leave to cool in cake tins for 10 minutes.  Gently run a knife around the edge of the cake and release cake from the tin, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Coconut Frosting:

Makes one batch (I used two batches to frost the above cake)

Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery

375g icing sugar

120g unsalted butter, softened

40ml coconut milk

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture comes together.  

Add coconut milk and beat until it has been incorporated.

Turn up to high speed and beat for 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Tint the frosting using red gel colour to the desired shade of pale pink.

Repeat this again to make a second batch (I don't like to make double batches in one go because when you're dealing with such large amounts of icing sugar it leaves a sugar covering over everything in your kitchen!)

Chocolate Coconut Frosting:

Makes half a batch (enough to pipe the swirls above)

Adapted from Cupcakes from The Primrose Bakery

45g dark chocolate (70% Lindt)

45g dark coconut chocolate (I used Lindt Excellence)

113g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

1/2 tsp good quality vanilla extract

145g icing sugar, sifted

Melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave until smooth.  Leave to cool slightly.  In a freestanding bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and icing sugar until smooth - this can take several minutes.  Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth.

To Assemble:

Level your cakes using a very sharp knife or a cake leveller.

Apply a generous amount of coconut frosting in between each layer of cake.  Apply a final thin crumb coat all over the cake.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Take out of the fridge, and apply a very thin layer of coconut frosting.  Smooth it out using a sharp knife dipped in hot water.  

Using a open star tip or a 1m nozzle, pipe the remainder of your coconut frosting around the outside of the cake, starting in the middle and working your way out in small circles to create the swirls.

Do individual swirls on the top of the cake using the chocolate-coconut frosting.  Finish with a pink sugar heart on each swirl. 

Melt chocolate candy melts in a small bowl.  Put in a piping bag once slightly cooled.  Pipe out the writing you want to put on top of the cake on to a piece of parchment paper.  Once it is completely cool and hard, transfer it to the top of the cake and press it into the frosting.

Christmas Candy Cane Cupcakes: Red Velvet with Peppermint Frosting

Welcome to my week long Christmas recipe event! I will be sharing all the yummy recipes that I baked for the Christmas Cupcake Stall I ran last week.

I'm still not a red velvet fan myself, but I know for whatever reason (is it just for the fact that they are red?) that they are a crowd pleaser and so I felt like no candy cane cupcake would be complete without a splash of red! and of course the obligatory two tone red and white frosting.  Traditionally, red velvet cupcakes are always paired with cream cheese frosting but just for something different I paired mine with peppermint frosting to match the candy cane flavour.

I've had a few people ask me how you create two tone frosting...it really is super easy.  You just need to fill two disposable piping bags with the separate colours and then put both piping bags inside a third piping bag with the nozzle attached.  I usually pipe out a small amount to start with before I pipe directly onto the cupcakes, because it takes a little while for the colours to blend properly.  If you're still not sure, there is a fantastic tutorial with photos to help here.

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

Makes 12 regular and 24 mini cupcakes

From Brown Eyed Baker

113g unsalted butter, at room temperature

335g caster sugar

2 large eggs

35g cocoa powder

6 tbsp red food colouring

1 tsp vanilla extract

242g buttermilk

280g plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Turn the mixer to high and add the eggs.  Scrape down the bowl, and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick paste.  Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined.  You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure all batter gets the colour.

Reduce the mixer speed to slow and add half the buttermilk, add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.  Beat on high until smooth.

Reduce the mixer to slow to add the salt, soda and vinegar.  Turn to high and beat for another few minutes until completely combined and smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the cases and bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Peppermint Frosting:

Makes enough to frost the above

From 'Cupcakes from The Primrose Bakery'

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

60ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

1/2 tsp good quality peppermint extract

500g icing sugar

Few drops of red food colouring (I used Red Extra)

In a free standing mixer, beat the butter, milk, peppermint extract and half the icing sugar until smooth - this can take up to 5 mins.  

Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.  

Taste the icing at this stage to see if you want to add more peppermint extract (if you are using standard mint extract that you get in a supermarket you may need to add slightly more than half a tsp).

Add a few drops of red colouring and beat thoroughly.  Check the colour, add more as needed.

To assemble:

Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.

Use mini candy canes to decorate, or if only regular sized ones are available - cut them down to size with a very sharp knife (cutting a small amount off the bottom and off the top of the hook so they are in proportion).  This is what I did.

Sprinkle with red sanding sugar to finish off.

The Smarties & Kit Kat Double Chocolate Birthday Cake!

Last week was Byron's birthday! I have been anticipating baking his cake for about the past 2 months now! and I had big plans...that didn't last for too long when he told me he wanted a Smarties cake....

again?? I hear you say! yes I know...again! I was disappointed too...apparently the smarties cakes of '09 and '10 were so great he didn't want to break with tradition! Could I even convince him to have m&m's so at least we could have incorporated a bit of flavour in there like mint or coconut? no...only Smarties would do! 

So Smarties it was...and a whole lot of Smarties too - I initially bought 7 tubes of smarties to pile on top of the cake but at the last minute dashed out to buy 7 more! What the birthday boy wants the birthday boy gets! although I guess 14 is an improvement on the 22 tubes I had to buy for his cake last year!

I finished it off with this lovely purple chiffon bow, purple is my FAVE colour and I think it's even starting to rub off on Byron a little since a few weeks ago he bought a purple polo shirt and he would have never have done that at one time! so I decided to strike while the iron is hot and press on with the purple theme! 

Cue matching purple fountain candle! These things are the best! and certainly make everything seem more impressive, I even managed to sneak some little cupcake candles in there too! 

and this time round I'm not going to leave you hanging, I've decided to not be lazy and post it without the recipe...I even had to delve into the attic to get out my recipe book to make sure I posted it perfectly so here's hoping it goes to some use! This is hands down the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten, it always turns out delicious and stays moist for up to a week after too! Perfectly chocolatey without being too rich, and even being paired with the chocolate frosting isn't an overkill! If you're looking for a go to chocolate celebration cake recipe - this one is a winner! 

The Smarties & Kit Kat Double Chocolate Birthday Cake:

Serves 12-14

Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

From The Primrose Bakery

The book says it makes two 8-inch cakes, but I managed to make three 8-inch cakes with this recipe!

Ingredients:

230g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids - I used Lindt)

170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

350g light soft brown sugar

3 large eggs, free range or organic, separated

370g plain flour, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

500ml semi skimmed milk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

Break the choc into pieces and melt in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave.  Set bowl aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes until the mix is pale and smooth.

Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat them for several minutes, slowly add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar and beat well. 

 Add the cooled chocolate to this mixture and beat well again.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a jug.  Add one third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well.  Pour in one third of the milk and beat again.  Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

 In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the main batter using a metal spoon (Do not beat or you will take the air out of the mixture).  

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake for about 30 minutes.

Insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes, it should come out clean if cooked.  Leave to cool.

To Decorate:

Chocolate buttercream frosting:

175g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids - I used Lindt)

225g unsalted butter, at room temp

1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temp

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

250g icing sugar, sifted

Melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals in a glass bowl in the microwave until smooth.  Leave to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth - this can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer.  

Add the melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy.  If it looks too runny to use, simply keep beating to thicken.

To Assemble:

1 batch of Chocolate frosting 

14 tubes of Smarties

20 two-finger Kit Kats

FYI:

Don't do like I did and buy 4 multi packs of Kit Kats, the cake I took my insipiration from on google was clearly baked in way bigger pans than I used and so I had waaaay too many Kit Kats left over!

Do do like I did and check each Kit Kat once it is unwrapped for imperfections...only the prettiest looking made the cut for my cake, yes that did mean I ended up eating about 8 lots of rejects...all in the name of quality control of course! 

Sandwich the cakes together with a generous layer of chocolate frosting.  Then decorate all around the sides of the cake with the same frosting, you can be as messy as you like as the Kit Kats then go on top but they may not sit perfectly straight if your frosting isn't perfectly straight so I still smoothed down my sides!

 Brush a very thin amount of frosting onto the back of each Kit Kat and starting at the base of the cake stick them around the edge.

Once you have a completed edge, fill the middle of your cake with Smarties! 

 Sit back, marvel at your creation and then devour the yumminess!