As promised I thought I'd type up the recipe for the AMAZINGLY gorgeous choccie cake I made for my friend's 21st.
Ingredients:
Serves 8, preperation time:30 mins, Cooking time: 25 mins.
Cake:
- 125g butter
- 175g light muscovado sugar
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 225g wholemeal self-raising flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1/4tsp bicarb of soda
- 250ml sourcream or butter milk.
Icing:
- 300g golden icing sugar, sieved
- 2tsp cocoa powder, sieved
- 15g butter, melted
- 50g plain chocolate, coarsely grated
- Grease and line the base of a 7in x 11in rectangular tin. Preheat the oven to 180'c/fan 160'c/ gas mark 6.
- Put the butter, light muscovado sugar and golden caster sugar into a bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mixture, then pour in the sour cream/ butter milk.
- Stir everything together to create a smooth mixture, then spoon into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for 20-25 mins until just firm and shrinking away from the inside of the tin. (Push a cocktail stick into the centre, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.)
- Leave in tin for 5 mins then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sieve the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl, then pour in the butter and 2tbsp of boiling water. Stir together to make a smooth spreading consistency. If it's too stiff, carefully add some boiling water, drop by drop.
- Put the cake on to your serving plate or board. Spread the icing over the top of the cake, using a palette knife dipped in hot water, which will keep it smooth. Sprinkle on grated chocolate to decorate. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, if you can be that controlled!
When I had my dinner party I was cooking in between courses and speanding a while dishing up because of my disability. I knew this and planned ahead. If you're planning to break between meals and leave your guests to entertain themselves between courses I have a very simple means of occupying them.
For my dinner party:
I made Two menus and a wine list all in the colours that the meal would be set out in. I listed what we'd be eating and drinking .
I also did name places for everyone. I got coloured card and cut it into wide strips. I folded each strip in half and on the front I got a funny photo of the person's face ie. from a halloween party, or drunken night out, something that would make everyone laugh. Make sure that thay are all equally as embarassing as they may feel that you are victimising them. I did their name on the front and a little decoration that went with the table setting.
On the inside I printed of some information on their starsigns and a riddle.
I then made a metal wire frame by making coils ar each end and flattening the top on so that the card slipped in and was hled in place, much like a paper clip works. I then sprinkled little decorations that I had like metal butterflys, buttons, sequins etc in the middle of the bottom coils on the table. Around the table on the table cloth I sprinkled more beads and sequins. The riddles kept the guests guessing for ages whilst I was cooking and as only I had the answers it made sure they took their time as they drank the wine and enjoyed the short wait until the next course.
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