23. My Best Chocolate Birthday Cake

The easiest one bowl chocolate sheet cake + chocolate frosting recipe

Hello,

Welcome to a New Year and a new edition of Roll With It. I hope you’re keeping well.

January is a month that encapsulates the hope of renewal. We are told to take on new challenges, to take on new exercise regimes, to fill blank pages with ambitious commitments, to feel as if we’ve been given a fresh start and to feel the most rested we’ve ever felt. These demands are not something I want to get down with this year. (Sorry Capitalism).

Instead, I’ve decided to embrace the timeless practice of ‘Wintering’. This is the idea that humans should embrace and follow the cyclical, lunar and seasonal rhythms of life to help us restore and reconnect with our creativity and inner goings on. This concept is likened to the way fields are left to rest after they have been cultivated, known as a fallow season. During this period the soil is given time to regenerate ultimately making it more fertile and productive in the long run.

So for me this means taking long crisp walks, practicing yoga, becoming a regular at the cinema, getting cosy with a book (Enchantment by Katherine May to be exact), drinking unlimited cups of tea, eating lots of cake, staring up at the moon, cooking from the heart and writing endlessly. It is also the month that marks my 30th birthday, and although it might not have started as I had hoped, I can’t think of a better way to begin a new decade than embracing and getting comfortable (however uncomfortable) reflecting, restoring and dreaming.

To celebrate my 30s I have made a cake that has lived in my family since the early 2000s, known to us as the ‘famous’ chocolate cake. Its celebrity status grew because it was a cake that I would make almost every weekend and for birthdays. The pages from the cookbook are now so congealed (see image) that they are rippling from the moisture.

As I have grown up, so has this cake. It has matured from a basic sponge, sandwiched with lashings of whipped cream and topped with a thick layer of ganache, to a rich and fudgy chocolate sponge cushioned with layers of whipped cream and cherry compote and covered with a chocolate swiss meringue buttercream.

You could argue that this is now so far from the original cake it can barely be called by the same name. However the sentiment of the ‘famous’ chocolate cake remains the same and I hope you find as much joy in it as I have over the years.

Happy Baking,

Cissy…xo

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Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe

Serves 15-18 people

Equipment

• deep baking tray (30 x 20 x 5cm)

• stand mixer or electric beaters

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge:

• 130ml olive oil

• 130ml neutral oil (such as vegetable)

• 190g caster sugar

• 190g light soft brown sugar

• 150g eggs (3 medium)

• 260ml freshly brewed coffee

• 120g cocoa powder (Dutch processed)

• 300g plain flour

• 8g fine sea salt

• 14g bicarbonate of soda

• 8g baking powder

• 260g plain Greek yoghurt (thick yoghurts such as Fage brand are not recommended)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180c (fan).

• Line the baking tray with parchment.

• In a large bowl whisk together the oils and sugars, followed by the eggs.

• Add in the warm (but not boiling) brewed coffee and whisk to combine.

• Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

• Finally whisk in the yoghurt.

• Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 35-40 mins, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

• Allow to cool.

Ingredients

For the chocolate frosting:

• 150g unsalted butter, softened

• 250g icing sugar, sifted

• 70g cocoa powder (Dutch processed), sifted

• 100g crème fraîche

• A big pinch of flaky sea salt

• 70g milk chocolate, melted

• Vermicelli sprinkles (optional)

Method

• To make the buttercream, beat together the soft butter, salt and icing sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Around 5-10 minutes.

• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate until melted then remove from the heat.

• Add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate to the buttercream and beat until fully incorporated.

• Finally add in the crème fraîche and mix until smooth.

• To assemble the cake, turn the cooled sponge out onto a board or tray.

• Using a palette knife spread the chocolate frosting onto the cake and, if using, scatter with sprinkles.

• Slice and serve the cake immediately.

Storage

• Keeps uncovered at room temp for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 5.

• Always eat at room temp.

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