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Chocolate owl cake
Ingredients
325g butter
325g plain chocolate
2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
325g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1.
Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 4. Base line a 20cm
round and a 18cm square cake tin.
2.
Put the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and stir over a
very gentle heat until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat
and stir in the vanilla extract.
3.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a
large bowl. Add the sugar, breaking up any lumps if necessary.
Beat together the eggs and soured cream and pour onto the flour
mixture. Add the melted chocolate and mix all well together until
smooth.
4.
Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and bake in the
oven for about 55 mins - 1 hour. A good way to check that the
mixture is equally divided is to put a cocktail stick into each mixture
and the levels should be the same.
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
450g light soft brown sugar
5 large egg
300ml soured cream
For the icing
250g butter
350g icing sugar, sieved
50g cocoa, sieved
2 tbsp milk
Decorations
8 giant white chocolate buttons
2 packs milk chocolate buttons
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5.
To make the icing, put the butter into a bowl and beat until
creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa a little at a time beating well
between each addition. Add the milk to mix to a soft spreading
consistency.
6.
To assemble, place the round cake on a large wooden board or
tray (the cake will need to served on this). Place the round cake tin
on the square cake about 12cm from one edge and cut around the
edge of the tin. Remove the smaller piece and place at one end of
the round cake to represent the ears.
7.
Using the remains of the square cake cut almost in half to give
an oblong (for the fence) and a semi circle (for the wings). Place the
oblong at the bottom of the owl cake. Slice the semi circle in half
horizontally through the middle. Arrange one piece each side of the
round cake to make the wings.
8.
Spread the butter icing all over the cake. Cut the flake bars into
small pieces and arrange on the wings to represent feathers. Keep
the flake crumbs. Arrange milk chocolate buttons over the body.
Place chocolate fingers on the bottom cake to make the fence.
Using a fork, mark the icing to make the owl’s ears. Use the flake
crumbs to make a v-shape between the ears like a 'widow’s peak'.
Arrange the white chocolate buttons in two circles to make the eyes
and place a milk chocolate button in the centre of each. Use a third
of the marzipan to shape a beak and use the remaining marzipan to
make two feet.
9.
Place the candles on the ‘fence’ part of the cake. You can also
pipe a child’s name or message on the fence using writing icing.
2 chocolate Flake bars
60g yellow marzipan
125g pack chocolate finger biscuit
candles (optional)
writing icing (optional)