Birthday season

 

In the Pollock household, August is birthday season.

The girls' birthdays are nine days apart. Although we didn't plan it that way, it made birthday party planning twice as easy when they were kids. (Imagine the efficiencies gained from thinking about party loot bags just once a year instead of twice.) I'm sure I've written before about the cake ideas the girls and I chose from The Disney Party Handbook and The Pennywhistle Birthday Party Book, every year. 

The days of 101 Dalmatians cakes are behind us, but I still love baking a birthday cake. Rachel chose this one from Icing on the Cake, by Tessa Huff. It's a long recipe, but none of the steps are difficult. Don't be afraid to give it a try when you're baking for someone you love!

(By the way, the pandemic seems to have brought out the master baker in me, or else I've been inspired by The Great Canadian Baking Show. Either way, look for more cake recipes in the weeks ahead.)

Brownie Sundae Cake

 

Adapted from Icing on the Cake by Tessa Huff

 

For the Brownie Cake

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2 ¾ stick) unsalted butter, diced

10 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used a combination, based on what I had on hand)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 2/3 granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

For the Strawberry Cream

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

3-4 Tbsp strawberry jam

 

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

2 Tbsp whole milk or cream

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Drizzle

4 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup corn syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

To assemble

½ - ¾ cup sprinkles

12 – 16 fresh cherries, stems attached

 

 

For the Brownie Cake

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

 

Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring an inch or two of water to simmer over medium-low heat. Place the bowl with the butter-chocolate mixture on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler (be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Heat until the butter and chocolate begin to melt. Remove from heat and stir until smooth and well combined. Set aside to cool.

 

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, eggs, and egg yolk on medium-high until foamy and pale in colour, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

 

With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in two batches, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between the additions.

 

Stop the mixer and add the melted butter-chocolate mixture. Fold the batter together until combined.

 

Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 20 – 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake.

 

Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes before carefully removing from the pans. Let them cool completely before removing the parchment

 

To make the Strawberry Cream

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running on low, gradually add 3 ½ cups of the confectioners’ sugar and 3 Tbsp of the strawberry jam. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix until the filling is smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar and/or 1 Tbsp strawberry jam until desired consistency is reached; the filling should be soft and spreadable, but not runny.

 

To make the Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

 

Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running on low, slowly add all but 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, as well as the milk and vanilla. Once incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for 3 to 5 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar as needed, ¼ cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached; the buttercream should be soft and spreadable, but not runny.

 

To make the Chocolate Drizzle

 

Put the chocolate, cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the cream begins to steam and the chocolate starts to melt.

 

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla until combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature until it is thick yet still fluid, about 10 minutes.

 

To assemble the cake

 

Place one brownie cake layer on a serving plate. Spread on half the strawberry cream to cover. Top with a second brownie cake layer and repeat with the rest of the cream; place the final cake layer on top.

 

Crumb coat the cake with buttercream and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

 

To decorate the cake

 

Place strips of parchment paper or foil around the base of the cake, to collect wayward sprinkles.

 

Frost the cake with the buttercream, leaving a smooth finish. Scoop and press the sprinkles around the bottom portion of the cake, until the bottom inch or so is covered.  Chill the cake in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes to set the buttercream before adding the chocolate drizzle.

 

For the chocolate drizzle, use a small spoon to carefully drip the cooled chocolate drizzle around the top edge of the cake. Pour the remaining drizzle onto the centre of the cake and quickly smooth it out to the edges. (Note: it’s pretty important that the chocolate be the right consistency in this step. It cooled down slightly while I was doing this, so I gently reheated it – I was more loosening it than warming it up.)

 

Place cherries around the top of the cake.