birthday cake {recipe for glossy chocolate frosting}
Hold on to your hats! It’s time for birthday cake!
I know it’s not your birthday yet, Haddy. But I also know that you’ve got some special visitors tomorrow, and I’ve seen them eat. Odds are, you’ll be too full for cake tomorrow.
I was going to recreate the cake in that photo up there, but lighting Barbie’s crotch on fire just seemed soooo political. After considering a number of options, I settled on this instead:
I know what you’re thinking: it’s not a very fancy cake, especially given that it’s your 40th. I mean, you’d hardly know I went to baking school, would you?
You probably thought I’d make you a 10 layer genoise topped with French buttercream. Or a life-sized dog cake scultped to look exactly like Lucas J. McSnuggles. Perhaps you were expecting 3D replica of one of your book covers.
Alas, none of those options seemed right. A birthday cake, after all, must be carefully selected. For the look on someone’s face when you bring out the perfect cake, and set it before them on a table? Well, that photo at the top of this post does a pretty good job of summing it up. And when you light some candles for someone you love, and then give them a wish? A wish for anything they want? Priceless.
So, I made you a bundt cake. It’s rich and chocolatey. And I topped that bundt cake with a glossy frosting – made with unsweetened chocolate. The frosting is sweet, but not cloyingly so. Then I topped your cake with a few Smarties and lit two candles on your behalf.
I dunno. I took a chance.
Make a wish, Haddy!
. . .
For the cake, I used this recipe for Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake at Two Peas & Their Pod. It was decadent and easy to make – I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a rich, chocolate bundt cake.
The recipe for the frosting is below. It is rich and chocolatey, and has a lovely creamy texture.
Glossy Chocolate Frosting
Yields enough to frost a bundt cake or a two layer 8 inch cake (with no piping).
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (4 Baker’s squares)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (35% milk fat)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Measure out all of your ingredients.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat.
Add the icing sugar, salt, heavy cream and vanilla and beat with a hand-held electric mixer. Start on low speed and increase to medium speed as the ingredients begin to incorporate. (You could also use a stand mixer, or beat by hand – this will take much longer.) Beat until the frosting is smooth, glossy and of spreading consistency.
Use immediately, and don’t overwork – it will cut down on the gloss. Re-beating the frosting will bring it back to life and add luster should it be required.
Looks great! My go-to glossy frosting is just simple whipped ganache. Semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream and a pinch of salt melted, chilled and whipped. It couldn’t be simpler! This looks delicious. You’re inspiring me to bake!
Your ganache sounds lovely!
I ADORE THIS WEEK of birthday posts! Happy birthday to Haddy but yay for your readers! What a great Bundt cake, Movita. That glossy frosting is celebration enough. Never mind the other 38 candles.
Ya. I mean, who cares that Haddy is officially middle-aged now? Not me!
hey movita… I didn’t understand if you were making the cake for your daughter or someone else, until i read the previous posts, and I think it’s so cute you’re writing these haddy-inspired posts for her birthday. What a lovely present. And she was so cute as a baby! I especially like the photo of her eating raising on the toilet seat a few posts back! Hope she has a wonderful birthday! 🙂
lots of love,
felicia
No, Felicia, NO!!! We don’t allow children into our house! Bleck!
But you’re right, she was an adorable child. (And gorgeous grown up.)
Love your blog. It’s so much fun and good food.
Aw, thanks!
I need birthday cake too. Can I be related to you? I keep begging you, but the adoption papers haven’t happened yet. Whatupwitdat?
I LOVED the smarties part of the post ! You are a real Canuck :). I cracked a comment at the kids yesterday that I love cake like a fat kid on a smartie. Then… they reminded me that my American friends would never understand what a smartie is. Yes, we have those kinds of convo’s in our household. Fat kids on smarties. White on rice. Am I not going to get the mother of the year award again? Drats.
LOVE this cake. Love love love love love love.
Lynne 🙂 xx
Phfffffft. Mother of the Year? She’s probably horrid. I bet everyone in town hates her. You don’t wanna be her. TRUST me.
About 90% of my readers are American. (I guess Canadians just don’t get me?) I had completely forgotten that they don’t have Smarties! Which is a real shame, because Smarties are my fav!
Also, I’ve had about 400 requests for admission into The Beaucoup Family this week. I think we should just start calling it what it is: a cult.
I’m sitting on your steps waiting for cake and cookies. Don’t be alarmed.
This is just the sweetest post ever. I want to steal a swipe of that oh so glossy frosting.
Thanks, Jennie.
Please stop sticking your fingers in the icing.
I think I’ve made that cake and it IS easy & SUPER delicious! A glorious cake for any birthday. The pictures, priceless. You’re so adorable. You’re both adorable. Is it too forward to ask your parents to adopt me so that I can be part of your family too? I can bring some baby pictures with me, we’ll just crop you two in!
As stated above, I’ve had about 400 requests to join The Beaucoup Family/Cult. So… it’s gunna get crowded. You are, however, the only person who has offered to photoshop us…
D’aww, so cute! The cake sounds awesome… I don’t think looks matter hardly as much as cake, and who doesn’t like dark chocolate and smarties? Totally perfect.
I agree. If the cake tastes good, it’s a winner!!
Awww, I love that you reproduced the cake in that photo! Happy Birthday, Haddy!!!
It’s not a million layer butterscotch cake, Amy, but it’ll do!!
Just when I thought the Haddy posts couldn’t get any better…
Just you wait and see…
I’m going to see if USA Foods has unsweetened chocolate in yet. They don’t sell it in the supermarkets here.. weird, I know. Lovely cake for Haddy!
WHAT? Well, you learn something new every day! It’s so handy – though it’s easy enough to sub in semi-sweet or bittersweet. I’ve seen your blog… you don’t seem to be struggling!! xox
I’m so loving this series of birthday celebrations for your sister. My gosh, she must be bawling every time she sees these photos and reads your sweet words. What a great sis you are!! xx
I would have submitted my official request to join The Beaucoup Family, but I now know that I don’t need to: I was clearly simply separated from y’all at birth.
Smocked blue birthday jumpers? CHECK.
Flaming Barbie bits n’ pieces? CHECK.
A deep affection for glossy chocolate frosting. CHECK. CHECK CHECKROOOOOOOONY.
Happy birthday to Haddy! I’ll see you at the next TBF reunion!
Day Three: HaddyWeek. Still want very much to be Haddy.
2 questions:
1)Where did the Beaucoups find all that fabulous wallpaper? Every picture in these posts is another mosaic of colour and texture (and flashback).
2) Is that a Clinch in the “hold on to your hat” photo? It definitely looks like a Clinch.
Happy (belated) Birthday, Haddy – welcome to your forties.
Dear Heatherjay,
Rosie Beaucoup has always had a sense of style. She probably crafted that wall paper herself.
Yes, that is a Clinch. I love his expression.
xox movita
Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in September 2013. Thanks for stopping by!