Just a simple Christmas Celebration Cake.
My birthday is very close to Christmas so I always have a joint birthday/Christmas party, a great excuse for all my favourite people to get together and, of course, I always bake. So, a short intro, but there’s a lot to this recipe. Here it is, the Christmas Celebration Cake (with a bit of birthday in there too!)
Don’t let the amount of writing put you off, it’s actually quite simple!
Ingredients for Christmas Celebration Cake
Sponge Layer – oh so moist! (With a hint of coconut)
60g unsalted butter
220g self raising flour
220g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
180ml coconut milk (or whole milk)
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Layer
120g unsalted butter
260g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
200ml butter milk (or 200ml of whole milk & 1 tbsp lemon juice – see here for the process, tip 12)
300g plain flour
40g cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
125g unsalted butter (at room temp)
150g cream cheese (full fat)
400g icing sugar
Decoration
Whatever Christmas design your heart desires! I sprinkled dedicated coconut on top and used royal icing to make the trees, as well as holly and ivy sugar decorations for around the edge.
2 loose bottomed cake tins, greased and lined.
Preheat oven to 175oC
Sponge layer
1) Lets begin with the sponge layer. In a large bowl chuck in the butter, flour, sugar and baking powder. Whisk until it resembles a sandy consistancy. Now pour in half the milk, once that is combined add the remaining half, until all is evenly mixed.
2) In a seperate bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat into the mixture. Be careful not to overmix but make sure all is combined. Pour into one of the prepared baking tins (handy tip for a level cake here tip 8) and pop in the middle shelf to cook for 22-25 mins. It’s done when a skewer inserted comes out clean and is slightly browned around the edges.
3) Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate layer
1) In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy (handy tip here number 6) Once done, add the eggs and whisk until combined.
2) Now add half your buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon. Once done, sift in half the flour and half the cocoa, fold with a wooden spoon, but don’t overmix. Then repeat the process untill everything is incorporated.
3) Pop in the vinegar and bi carb and fold again until everything is evenly mixed. Pour into your prepared baking tin and place in the oven for 35-40 mins. Or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1) In a large bowl whisk together all the ingredients, for at least 5 mins, until, you get your preferred consistancy. Done.
To Assemble
1) Once the cakes have cooled completely it’s time to assemble. Take your chocolate layer and slice it in half with a very sharp knife. I usually pop it on its side and slice down. Place one of those on your serving dish and dollop a little less than a third of the cream cheese in the middle of the cake. Using a blunt knife or a spatula to spread it out to the edges of the cake.
2) Place the sponge layer ontop of this and dollop the same amount of frosting in the middle and repeat the process. Then again with your final layer of chocolate.
3) Once all three layers have been assembled and have a coating of frosting, use the remaining cream cheese to cover the sides. Now you can have fun decorating the top.
And there you have it. Your Christmas party piece. Merry Christmas bakers xx
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