I'm one of those lucky few that actually get along with the people they have to work with and this Friday is my colleague/friend Laura's birthday.
Having known Laura for little over a year I know that she loves two things - cake and peanut butter. So combining the two I've rustled up a chocolate cake finished with peanut butter icing for her to enjoy.
Cake ingredients (Mary Berry's own recipe):
50 g (2 oz) sifted cocoa powder
6 tablespoons boiling water
3 large eggs
50 ml (2 fl oz) milk
175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
100 g (4 oz) softened butter
275 g (10 oz) caster sugar
Peanut Butter Icing ingredients:
110g butter, softened
250g creamy peanut butter
250g icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
Putting the oven on 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4, I decided that I would utilize my silicone heart shaped cake mold to make this cake. (Laura had actually got me this for my birthday a few weeks ago, how handy)
Blending the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl you then add the remaining cake ingredients to the bowl and mix until smooth.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sponge is springy to the touch. Leave this to cool.
Now for the icing. Take your butter and peanut butter and place into a bowl. If you have an electric mixer then you jammy people out there can whip this up in seconds. However, my culinary tools have limited me, therefore some graft is put in to making this first part.
Gradually mix in the icing sugar until it starts to thicken, this is when you start adding the milk one tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency that you want.
Voila! Fluffy peanut butter icing ready to top of the cake.
For the middle layer I used a mixture of peanut butter with a Betty Crocker Buttercream Style Icing. So yummy!
Finished off with a sprinkling of Butterscotch pieces.
There you have it, a birthday cake that's fit enough to show off how good of a chef you are at work.
