Vanilla Sponge Birthday Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Birthdays are my favorite event of the year, because it gives me another excuse to bake something...as if i needed one!

This is a very simple birthday cake, using a classic Victoria sponge recipe and rich buttercream icing and decorated with minstrels...just to add a few extra calories ;)

Ingredients 

250g Unsalted Butter (softened)

250g Caster Sugar

2tsp Vanilla Extract 

4 Large Free Range Eggs (beaten)

250g Self Raising Flour

1 Good Pinch Salt 

2-3 tbls Milk (for mixing)

Icing Sugar

Butter 

200g Dark Chocolate 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180'C 

Cream the butter and sugar together until it is soft and fluffy. This will take at least 4-5 minutes in an electric mixer, and it's incredibly important to make sure that it is properly creamed - if not then the cake will not rise properly (and no one likes that)

Creamed butter and sugar

Mix the vanilla extract into the beaten eggs 

One tablespoon at a time add the egg mixture to the creamed sugar and butter. Make sure that the mixture is beaten together peach time each time you add the eggs or the mixture will curdle. I am a very impatient person, and I always used to get bored and add the egg to quickly which will always lead to curdling. If the mixture starts to curdle then add a tablespoon of the weighed flour. If done correctly, this will give you a really smooth silky mixture.

Once the egg has been added 

Stir the flour and salt together, and then sift into the wet mixture. Fold it in using a metal spoon (this will mean the least amount of air is lost) making sure not to over fold. 

Add milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency and then divide the mixture evenly between two 20cm cake tins. 

Bake the cake at 180'C for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a skewer comes out clean. 

Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins and leave to cool completely before icing. 

A rich golden brown colour 

Mix together butter and icing sugar to make buttercream. However, unlike plain buttercream make a crumbly mixture which you can then add 200g melted dark chocolate to. Depending on what consistency you want, add icing sugar, milk and butter as you see fit. 

Using a knife or icing utensil spread the icing in the middle of the cake and then over the top and sides. 

Yum Yum 

I really do love icing ;)

Decorate however you want, I have used minstrels. 

Then watch as it disappears!

ENJOY CX