A Birthday Cake for Little Tree

My near and dear bestie Nahal is celebrating her first birthday in the States. I've decided to make my first ever fully frosted cake to mark the occasion. The last time I made chocolate cupcake, a friend told me the cake is a bit on the dry side because I tried to make it healthier (using cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips). This time, I'm not messing around -- I'm going straight to my WDM recipe for the cake case: the red velvet cake. I'm going to modify the recipe by adding more cocoa powder to punch up the chocolate content and pair it with hazelnut buttercream frosting. 

Recipe
For the cake base:
1 cut butter (room temperature)
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar


For the frosting:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup hazelnut syrup
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


For decoration:
10 Ferrero Rocher candies



First, we make the cake base. Preheat the oven to 325º. Cream together the butter with sugar. I hope you took the butter out of the fridge the night before. If not, heat it up in the microwave in 5 second increments until soft. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each and scrape down the sides of the bowl every once in a while so everything's well incorporated. Add in the salt, the cocoa powder and vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds. Be careful to start the mixer on low with the cocoa so you don't get a chocolate cloud in your face.

Mix in the cocoa slowly first

In three batches, alternately add the flour and buttermilk. Mix until just incorporated. Don't over-mix!! Remember elementary school? Well, I hope you didn't get picked on during recess because we're going to bring back a blast from the past from good old chemistry class (safety glasses optional)! In a separate glass, add one teaspoon of baking soda and pour in one tablespoon of distilled vinegar. The resulting reaction isn't exactly of biblical proportions, but I hope the bubbles get your blood going a bit. Give the mixture a swirl and pour into the batter; blend it via a spatula by hand until just mixed.

Ka-pow!!

Scrape down the sides often

Pour the cake into two buttered 10" spring form pans. Regular cake pans are fine too, just make sure to be very careful when sliding the cake out of the pan so they don't break. Bake for 45 minutes or until the test toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before removing the cakes from the pan.

Butter the pans well

Waitin' for frostin'

Now, onto the frosting. Combine the flour, hazelnut syrup and milk in a small sauce pan and head over medium low heat. Using a sturdy whisk, stir constantly until the mixture becomes a thick paste. The whole process should take around 20-25 minutes. Let cool. The mixture should thicken some more while it chills.

Getting ready for a workout

Don't be tempted to turn up the heat!

Using the wire attachment, cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugar on high until fluffy. Similar to the cocoa powder, gradually turn up the mixer so the powdered sugar doesn't get everywhere. Add in the completely cooled roux mixture from above into the creamed butter and mix on high for a minute or so. And we have butter cream frosting. 

Finger lickin' good

To decorate the cake, center one cake onto a large plate. Drop a generous dollop of frosting on top and spread out evenly. Top with the second cake, making sure both cakes are aligned. Drop another scoop of frosting on the top layer and spread out evenly. It would take a few passes before the top evens out. Next, spread a layer of buttercream on the side of the cake. I put the remaining frosting in a pastry bag with a star tip and put on a row of decoration along the edge of the cake. Cut the Ferrero Rocher candies in half and press into the side of the cake. And we have a birthday cake!

Even out the frosting	Not bad!
With the FR love	Let them eat cake

Reflections
I agonized over whether to use my chocolate lava cake or the red velvet as the base for the cake. As great as the lava cake is, I decided it would be too rich to pair the cake with frosting. I used some hazelnut syrup in the cake itself and I think that made the cake a bit too dense so I removed it from the recipe.