I love baking (love eating cakes too but try to avoid baking just for this reason). But it was N's birthday last week and I thought it would be nice to bake a cake over the weekend and invite our closer friends. I picked the Hummingbird Bakery recipe book and decided on the Brooklyn Blackout cake. It looked so yummy!! Here is the recipe if you want to try it.
Curious about the result?
Lots of chocolate!
Lots of chocolate!
Ps: I made the bunting myself using this template.
Recipe from the book
Preheat oven to 170 degrees (Gas 3). Put the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or a handheld electric whisk) and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and beat in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well mixed. Add half the flour, then all the milk, and finish with the remaining flour. Mix well until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate custard: Put the sugar, golden syrup, cocoa powder and 600ml of water
into a large saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Mix in the cornflour with 120ml of water, then whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to boil , whisking constantly. Cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour the custard into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill until very firm.
into a large saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Mix in the cornflour with 120ml of water, then whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan. Bring back to boil , whisking constantly. Cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour the custard into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill until very firm.
Put one cake on a cake stand and spread about one-quarter of the chocolate custard over it with a palette knife.
Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the custard over it.
Top with the last cake and spread the remaining custard over the top and sides.
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Notes: There is a slight problem with the proportions I think. Waaaay too much custard and not enough cake...
Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the custard over it.
Top with the last cake and spread the remaining custard over the top and sides.
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Notes: There is a slight problem with the proportions I think. Waaaay too much custard and not enough cake...
