Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Happy Birthday to my sister and one of my best friends, as far as sisters go I have to say I gotta pretty lucky with the two that I have. One is fiery and just dares you too hurt the one's she loves the other calm and rational but just as protective! It is the calm ones birthday (ahem calm most times ) and I try to make her cake almost every year and this year she has chosen the Brooklyn Blackout Cake from my Hummingbird Bakery Cook Book. I must admit it does look a bit intimidating , but what the Birthday girl wants the Birthday girl gets ! 

When we were growing up we always had this rule , that for the 24hrs of a birthday we all had to be super nice to the birthday girl which ever one of us it was. All sibling rivalry was put to rest for those 24 hrs, which of course meant the birthday girl would take full advantage of this .The rest of the siblings would have their patience tested and we would be sitting there waiting for the truce to be over,not to mention waiting for when it was our turn to be the birthday girl So in the spirit of that tradition , I am starting my being super nice early by taking on this cake.

Confession time , I didn't have quite enough to slice of my cakes for the topping so off to the shops I went. I bought a plain chocolate cake and sliced a thin layer of the cake and popped it into the food processor and taah dahh instant cake topping.

Someone else had already kindly typed up the recipe , which I got from Food Made With Love blog. Here it is !




Recipe:
(From The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)


ingredients:

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
260g caster sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
45g cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt
170g plain flour
160 ml whole milk


chocolate custard:


500g caster sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
125g cocoa powder
200g cornflour
85g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


also need:
3x20cm cake tins, base-lined with greaseproof paper


Steps :


1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius (Gas 3)


2. Put the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or a handheld electric whisk)
and cream until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl
with a rubber spatula after each addition.
Turn the mixer down down to slow speed and beat in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well mixed.
Add half the flour, then all the milk, and finish with the remaining flour.
Mix well until everything is well combined.


3. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins.
Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins
before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.


4. For the chocolate custard: Put the sugar, golden syrup, cocoa powder and 600ml of water
into a large saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally.


5. Mix in the cornflour with 120ml of water, then whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan.
Bring back to boil , whisking constantly.
Cook until very thick, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
Pour the custard into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and chill until very firm.


6. When the cakes are cold, using a serrated knife, slice a thin layer off one of the cakes.
Put this layer into a food processor and process to make fine crumbs.
Put one cake on a cake stand and spread about one-quarter of the chocolate custard over it with a palette knife.
Place a second cake on top and spread another quarter of the custard over it.
Top with the last cake and spread the remaining custard over the top and sides.
Cover with the cake crumbs and chill for about 2 hours.