Chocolate Birthday Cake | Italian Meringue Chocolate Buttercream

Whatever toppings you have in mind for this birthday cake is limitless and you need not change the recipes for the chocolate cake and the buttercream. The cake is so moist and rich in chocolate and the buttercream so smooth and creamy you really do not need to change anything else. But no rules!

---

RECIPE

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Unsalted Butter 230 g

Caster Sugar 200 g

Dark Brown Sugar 120 g

Vanilla Bean Paste 2 Teaspoon

Eggs 150 g

Greek Yogurt 240 g

Full Cream Milk 120 g

Lemon Juice 30 g

Plain Flour 280 g

Cocoa Powder 60 g

Bi-Carbonate Soda 6.5 g

Baking Powder 5 g

Dark Chocolate Crispy Pearls Qs

---

Method

1. Start by bringing all the liquid ingredients, eggs and butter to room temperature.

2. Line two 18 cm cake rings/pans with parchment paper around the borders and the bottom.

3. Place the room temperature butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla bean paste into a stand mixer bowl attached with a paddle. Make sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl occasionally.

4. Cream the mix until light and fluffy in texture.

5. Add in the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated before adding in the next egg.

6. Whisk to combine the yogurt, Lemon juice and milk together. In a separate bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together.

7. Once all the eggs have combined and the mix is smooth, alternatively, add in the yogurt/milk mix and the dry ingredients in 3 additions, starting with the liquid, ending with the dry mix.

8. When all the ingredients have come together, divide the cake mix in to two tins/rings (roughly around 670 g per ring/tin). Using a spoon or a small offset spatula, smooth out the top and tap the pans until they are even and to rid of any large gaps in the mix.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 45 - 50 minutes or until when tested with a skewer in the centre, it comes out clean.

Do not worry too much if the cake has a dome or crack at the top because you will be trimming them off later on.

10. Let the cake cool slightly, then remove from the tin/pan. Wrap the cake while still slightly warm and place in the fridge to cool fully. This will help keep the cake keep moist.

11. When the cakes are fully cooled, trim off the top then divide each cake in to 2 even slices horizontally with a serrated knife. You will have 4 portion in total.

---

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Full Cream 35% Fat 200 g

Milk Coverture Chocolate 400 g

Unsalted Butter 50 g

(room temperature)

Salt Pinch

1. Place the cream into a saucepan and bring it to a near boil. Around 75°C-80°C.

Place the chocolate into a bowl.

2. When the cream is warm enough, pour into the chocolate, ensuring that all the chocolate are fully submerge in to hot cream. Let the mix sit for 2 minutes, then using a spatula, gently stir the ganache until they come together.

3. Transfer the ganache into a deep jug and process with a stick blender without incorporating any air in to the ganache. When the ganache is around 35°C, which should be almost immediately after you stick blend the ganache, incorporate the room temperature butter and blend until smooth.

4. Transfer the ganache into a bowl covered with cling film touching the surface and leave to set to a piping consistency.

NOTE: If the ganache have set too much when the cake is ready, soften 1/3 of the ganache over the bain marie, then add the softened ganache to the 2/3 ganache and stick blend the ganache together until smooth.

---

ITALIAN MERINGUE DARK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Dark Coverture Chocolate 130 g

Caster Sugar 100 g

Water 60 g

Egg Whites 60 g

Salt Pinch

Unsalted Butter 120 g

Vanilla Bean Paste 1 Teaspoon

Method

1. Melt The chocolate and leave to cook slightly to below 35°C. Cut the butter in to cubes and bring to room temperature