Birthday Chocolate Cake

It's been 9 years and blink my naughty niece already that big. She is my family first grandchildren and also great grandchildren. I sure every kid would love to have a birthday cake on their b'day. So i decide to make one and try.

This is my first time making a birthday chocolate cake, and do you know a slice of chocolate cake is about 300 calories. I knew it after i was browsing through the recipe book and realise is really sinful but i still love to eat chocolate cake. =p

My family praise the cake is delicious but of course still need to improve due to the sponge cake not that soft and fluffy, even the 4 little cuties (including the b'day girl) like it. Happy 9 years old Birthday to my naughty Min Min, hope u like the cake.

Ingredient:

Sponge

• Plain Flour 115g
• 3 Eggs
• Castor Sugar (superfine) 130g
• Unsalted butter 30g
• Fresh whole milk 45g
• Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Chocolate Frosting

• 225gm semisweet chocolate
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 5 tbsp evaporated milk
• ½  tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Line an 18-cm round cake pan with a removable base with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour twice. In a clean bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, then add sugar. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and mix well
3. When egg mixture is warm, use an electric mixer to beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and continue beating for about 1 minute.
4. Place butter, milk and vanilla in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Once butter has melted, stir through to mix.
5. Add one-sixth of egg batter to butter mixture and mix well, then add butter mixture to remaining egg batter and fold through evenly. Sift flour into bowl and fold in using a spatula until batter becomes glossy.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. When cooled completely, trim crust off the top and bottom, then slice cake horizontally to get 2 layers.
7. To make the chocolate frosting, place the chocolate, brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla extract in a heavy-bottom pan. Heat gently, stirring continuously until melted.
8. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until spreadable.
9. Spread chocolate frosting onto cake layer and side. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set.