GILDED CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Tomorrow my son will be thirty one years old. An occasion which demands the baking of a special cake,during the last few weeks I have made quite a few and so I racked my brains for something a little different.

Now it has to be faced,my son adores chocolate cake and to present him with anything other than chocolate cake on his birthday would be tantamount to child abuse! Chocolate cake it must be.

Using a chocolate brownie recipe I made two round cakes and while they were cooling I made a soft cooked fudge icing.

3 oz butter

12oz icing sugar

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of single cream.

Gently heat the butter then add half of the icing sugar and the vanilla essence,beat until smooth.

Add the rest of the icing sugar and the single cream and beat again until a soft spreadable icing is formed.

When the cakes were cool sandwiched them together with some of the soft fudge icing,placed on the second tier and covered it with the remainder of the icing,letting it run down the sides. Using a palette knife I smoothed the icing around the sides of the cake making sure that it was covered. The top of the cake took care of itself.

While the icing was still wet I sprinkled the top of the cake generously with chocolate shards then I gilded the entire cake by gently blowing edible gold all over the cake,top and sides.

Tomorrow the cake will be served with vanilla iced cream and hot chocolate syrup.

I also managed to add another eight jars of jam to the family store cupboard for use in winter so its been a busy day.

Now I you will excuse me ,I have a parcel or two to wrap. [p'Thirty one years old......where did my baby go?