Easy peasy birthday cake
This simple layer cake is so easy to make and a great way to impress any loved one – especially with the delicious chocolate drip. The beauty of this easy cake is that you can tailor it for absolutely anybody by making the decorations out of their favourite chocolate bars or sweets, so it is really personal to the recipient!
This method is easy, especially if you give yourself plenty of time to decorate the cake. It really helps to get a nice neat finish if you pop your cake in the fridge to set before you add the ganache drip, as this helps to create a nice neat finish that’ll wow your loved one, and yourself!
Brought to you by: Juliet Sear
Juliet is a baking expert, cook, food stylist, TV presenter and best selling author. She is the go-to expert for out of the ordinary food challenges and creative food projects. Juliet is also a presenter for the BBC Good Food Kids Channel, as well as her own YouTube channel. She regularly presents on ITV’s This Morning and has also been a guest on Sunday Brunch and Live with Gabby.
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Ingredients
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). In the mixing bowl, beat half (300g) of the butter with all of the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, then mix in the flour until combined.
Step 2
Put around one third (400g) of the batter into each baking tin, and bake for around 20-25 mins. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn out to cool. Re-line one of the tins and bake the remaining batter to make the third sponge layer.
Step 3
Wash up the mixing bowl and wooden spoon to make the frosting. Place the remaining butter (300g) and vanilla extract into the bowl and gradually add the icing sugar, beating until soft and creamy.
Step 4
To stack the cakes, trim the sponge layers with the bread knife so they are flat on top and stick one of the layers to a plate with a blob of icing. Spread a layer of frosting onto the bottom layer of cake, top with another sponge, repeating the buttercream layer before placing the last sponge layer on top. Gently push down on the cake with your hand to secure the layers. Use the table knife dipped in a glass of warm water, spread the icing over the sides and top of the cake, re-dipping in the water to help create a smooth texture. Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 5
To make the ganache drip, put the cream and chocolate chips in the microwave on low power for 30 seconds or until the chocolate has melted and stirs into the cream with no lumps. Let the ganache cool slightly, remove your cake from the fridge and gently pour the ganache over the cake, covering the top and allowing it to drip down the sides. Finish off by adding your chocolate or sweets to the top and enjoy!
