Floor Party!

We are very blessed to have wonderful neighbours on our floor. We used to organised dinner outings where all of us will drive out and enjoy a nice meal and companionship.

Yesterday, we had our 1st Floor Early Christmas Celebration and we had it pot luck style:) What a wonderful way to celebrate friendship and neighbourliness !

We contributed the following items:

• Mexican Shepherd's Pie
• Mini Nutella Cupcakes
• Oreo Chocolate Cake

Black Forest Cake

I've been baking birthday cakes for my son every since he turned one years old but so far, I've yet to bake a cake for my wonderful dada. So this year, I decided to bake a nice birthday cake to celebrate his birthday!.

We will be having a double celebration as my father-in-law shared the same birthdate as my hubby. With that in mind, my choice was narrowed down to a Black Forest Cake, something familiar and in a kind of way, nostalgic too since Black Forest Cake was the all time favourite for most birthday celebrations in the earlier days.

I simplified the making of my chocolate sponge cake by using Optima Chocolate Sponge Mix that I bought from Sun Lik Trading. I find that their premix chocolate sponge is as good as making it from scratch. However, I do noticed that it will gets a little dry on the 3rd day whereas the one that I used to make from scratch will stay soft and moist for at least 4 days before getting a little dry. Regardless, it is still a good premix and I'll definitely use it to save time unless I happend to run out of it :)

This Birthday cake was a great success as hubby loves it and my father-in-law, who is really conscious about eating healty, took 2 servings. My brother-in-law & aunt could not stopped raving about how good it was too. I'm just so happy that everyone enjoyed the cake as much as I do making it and that also spurs my love for baking to a greater height.

Black Forest Cake
Yields a 9" Round Cake


Ingredients
250g Optima Chocolate Sponge Mix
4 Large Eggs
50ml Water
65g Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp SP Spong (this is like ovalette but better)

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 170°C. Line the bottom of a 9" round cake pan.
2. Do not grease the side of the pan as the cake will need to be able to climb. Place rack on the lowest shelf.
3. Whisk egg & water at high speed till creamy.
4. Add flour slowly into the mixture followed by Ovalette or Sponge SP and continue whisking at high for 10mins until batter turns pale.
5. Scope out about 1 cup of batter and slowly add into the melted butter. This method will ensure that the oil will not deflate the air in the batter.
6. Once the mixture is well combined, pour the oiled mixture back into the balance batter and using low speed to stir until well combined.
7. Bake at lowest rack for 30 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
8. Once the cake is done, leave it in the cake pan and place it on a wire rack to cool. Wait for the cake to be completely cool before removing from pan.
9. Slice into 3 even layers.

How to Assemble the Cake

300g Non-Dairy Whipping Cream - whipped till Semi Stiff Peak.
1 tin Dark Pitted Cherries - drained
200g Blueberry Pie Filling
200g Grated Chocolate Shavings or Chocolate deco - for sides

1. Spread some whipped fresh cream on the 1st layer of sponge cake, then spread some blueberry pie filling on top and place some pitted cherries on top. Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the same process till the 3rd layer cake is on top.
2. Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the same process till the 3rd layer cake is on top.
3. Frost the whole cake with fresh cream.
4. Spread chocolate shavings on the side and top of the cake.
5. Decorate to your desire.
6. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours before serving.
   

Tips

** Sponge SP is better than ovalette. You can get it at Sun Lik.