Be-Ro Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream


At the end of last month, It was my work colleague's last day.  I'm known for my bakes at work, so a homemade chocolate cake was fitting for a parting gift. He has always been a really supportive co-worker. Over the years, I have learnt a lot about youth work from him.

I used Be-Ro recipes for both the cake and the buttercream. I made a naked two-tier cake (like I normally would) and was going to leave it as it was. However,  by the next day, I was unhappy with the way it looked (so ugly!), so decided to cover it all with the chocolate buttercream.


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My second attempt at crumb-coating a tiered cake. I also piped some buttercream stars around the top of cake (using a Wilton star tip), as well as gave it a few sprinkles. Think it looks much better for it!


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I was pleased that I decided to cover the cake and add extra decoration. It was also extra practice in cake decorating for me! My co-worker was really touched by the cake :–)


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For the 2 sandwich chocolate cakes

Ingredients
200g (7 oz) Self-raising flour
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
75g (3 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
275g (10 oz) light brown sugar
50g (2 oz) butter, at room temperature
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml (1/4 pt) sour cream
75ml (3 fl oz) milk

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / gas 4.
Grease and line the base of s 2 x 23 cm (9 inch) sandwich tins.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Place chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds, until melted.
4. Cream sugar and butter together in another bowl.
5. Gradually add the eggs, with a little of the flour mixture after each addition.
6. Stir in the vanilla, sour cream, milk and melted chocolate.
7. Pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 30 minutes,
or until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool completely before icing the cakes.

For the chocolate buttercream

Ingredients
100g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature
220g (8 oz) icing sugar, sieved
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved
4 tsp hot water

Method
1. Beat butter until soft.
2. Gradually beat in icing sugar and cocoa powder then the water.


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