Tag Archives | #birthday

Birthday Hell

What kind of mom are you? Tiger mom, helicopter mom, MILF, sanctimommy, yummy mommy, alpha mommy, holistic mommy, yelly-bossy mommy? I’m the kind of mom that needs a glass of wine at the end of the day or even better a Negroni neat.

Welcome to September. September is not only back to school, clean last year wrappers from the back packs, realize all shoes smell and look like a wet rat, sign up for swimming at incredibly inconvenient to reach pool, travel soccer bonanza month. It is also lucky me, every-one in my family, birthday month. Don’t get me wrong. I do love a good birthday party and I give it up big for my kids. No restraints when it comes to baking a layer cake or singing as loud as I can the happy birthday tunes at Skyzone — in case you don’t know, that’s were lucifer fell from the sky and decided the build his headquarters while making a profit off kids high on sugar jumping on trampolines and hitting each others as hard as the can during the ultimate dodgeball game.

My son has simple taste when it comes to cakes. Boston Cream is his favorite cake. Every year we leaf together through all my recipes and my cooking books in search of the perfect birthday cake. Every year we come back to this custardy and chocolaty three layer wander. The soft sponge cake layers are sandwiched and kept in place with a smooth and silky vanilla custard and then topped with an intense and bittersweet chocolate ganache, the kind that drips gracefully down the sides. The cake looks impressive and it might seem hard to make but it’s actually very simple — if you get organized and follow the directions step by step. I make the sponge layers and the custard they day before the birthday; then I assemble the cake on a pretty stand and make the ganache an hour or two before I need  to serve it. My son measures all the ingredients and he is in charge of bowl and spoons licking, something he manages to do very efficiently.

Oh, hey just in case  you are interested, a good and nerve calming Negroni is 1 part dry Gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part Vermouth rosso. Ice. Stir. Repeat.

 

 

 

 

Boston Cream Cake
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Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Boston Cream Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Servings Prep Time
16/18 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/35 minutes 2 hours minimum
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
  • 3 sticks butter unsalted room temperature and cut in to pieces
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups self rising flour
  • 1/4 cup corn flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk lukewarm
Vanilla Custard
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 large eggs yolks
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate in small pieces about 6 ounces
Servings: people
Instructions
Sponge Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and line three 9 inches cake pans with parchment paper. Put all the ingredients except the milk in a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a blade. Beat until you get a smooth batter and then slowly add the milk a little bit at the time. You can be a purist and beat cream the butter and sugar first and then add the eggs one at time, the vanilla and then the flour, corn flour and baking powder one spoon at the time then the milk; but honestly, for this kind of sponge, it doesn't make much of difference.
  2. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and level with a knife. Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown, the cakes come away from the pans sides and the sponge is springy to the touch.
  3. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently turn them and leave them on the racks to cool completely. Once they have cooled I wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to plate.
Vanilla Custard
  1. Combine the corn starch and 1/4 cup of the milk in a non reactive medium bowl. Whisk in the eggs yolks Set aside.
  2. In a stainless steel medium saucepan combine the remaining 3/4 cups milk and the sugar, the vanilla extract and bring to a boil then simmer unit the sugar is all dissolved.
  3. Ladle one third of the sweet milk on to the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk the egg mixture in to the remaining hot milk in the pan. Whisking constantly bring to a boil then reduce the heat and boil very gently for a minute until thick and smooth.
  4. Transfer the custard in a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin to form. Refrigerate to chill and keep cold until ready to use. If the custard curdle, don't panic, you can strain it through a thin mech strainer or blend it.
Chocolate Ganache
  1. In a small heavy pan saucepan, combine the cream and the corn syrup. Bring to a simmer over low heat and stir to blend. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, let is stand for a minute or two then whisk well until smooth and shiny.
Recipe Notes

You can freeze the sponge cakes up to 3 months.

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Kit Kat Cake

I made a Kit Kat cake for my daughter 8th birthday and it was  a huge success. You can find similar cakes on Instagram and Pinterest but this is my decadent version. It’s homemade, it’s fun to bake, it’s easy decorate and it tastes like a birthday cake should; sinful, gooey and of all things chocolates. It’s definitely a show off kind of cake. Kids go crazy for it and adults turn into kids when they see it.

kitkatcake

The base for the layer cake is similar to an Italian sponge cake, except I use baking powder in my version. Sponge cake is an airy and fluffy cake. It’s the base for many desserts. You can slice it, fill it and layer it. (Hello Zuppa Inglese)

It’s best if you make it the day before and cool it well. It keeps for up to 3 days in an air tight container and it can be frozen.

Now, if making a sponge cake intimidates you, just bake two vanilla box cakes, I won’t tell anyone, but I encourage you do give it a try. Once you learn to make a sponge, it will become your go to cake, I promise.

The filling for the cake is a chocolate custard. Yum! If you don’t’ want to make a custard (but why not!), then use a chocolate frosting.

Finally, I use Nutella to cover the whole cake and to glue the bars, but again you may use frosting if you prefer or if you have a nut allergy.

Once your cake is assembled, just have fun decorating it with the Kit Kats and the M&M’s. I love Smarties too, but they are hard to find in the USA.

Finally, if you are making the cake for adults you can soak each layer with rum or an orange liquor before spreading the custard, it gives it a delicious boozy extra kick!

I’m sharing the recipes below. If you have any questions, email me! I love hearing from you and if you bake this fab cake share it on your socials and tag me #silviabaldini #traychic #sharefood

Happy Birthday to all and happy end of the summer!

Kit Kat Cake
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Print Recipe
birthday cake delight
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Kit Kat Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
birthday cake delight
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Servings Prep Time
20 people 40 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
25/30 minutes 24 hours cooling time
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
  • 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 10 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Custard for filling
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted
  • 3.5 ounces baking chocolate semisweet or dark
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 medium grated lemon zest
Decorations
  • 3 packs kit Kat bars get a couple of extra packs for safety
  • 1 bag M&M's smarties or jellybeans are fun too
  • 1 medium Jar nutella chocolate frosting can be used instead
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven at 350, butter and flour or spray with baking spray two 10 inches baking pans.
  2. Put the eggs, sugar and lemon zest and vanilla extract in a bowl of your stand mixer. Beat the eggs until very fluffy and pale yellow (about 15 minutes on medium/high speed). To test that it has been beaten enough, let some of the mixture fall into the bowl, it will make stiff ribbons.
  3. Sift the flour and baking powder on top of the egg mixture, a little at a time, and fold it gently with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Don't smooth the top or bang the pan on the counter, leave it as it is!
  4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Remember: do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes!)
  5. Turn off the oven but leave the cake inside (put a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly open) for at least 10 minutes so it can cool down slowly. After that, remove it from the oven, let it cool 10 more minutes, loosen around the edges with a knife, then flip the cake on a wire rack upside down (without the pan) to cool completely.
Chocolate Custard
  1. Melt the Chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, set aside.
  2. Heat milk in a medium heavy saucepan with the lemon zest until bubbles appear around edge.
  3. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with wire whisk or mixer until pale yellow and thick. Beat in flour until well mixed.
  4. Gradually beat in hot milk; pour all back into saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to boiling, lower heat. Mixture will be lumpy in the beginning, but lumps disappear during cooking and stirring.
  5. Add the melted chocolate and stir well.
  6. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, over low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will be quite thick.
  7. Chill at least 2 hours. If filling becomes too stiff after it's chilled, gradually stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Assembly and Decoration
  1. Slice the 2 cakes in 4 even layers. Place the first layer on a cake stand or a card board round mat if you plan to transport the cake. You can spread a dollop of cream on the cake stand base or on the cardboard to glue the cake.
  2. Spread enough chocolate cream to cover the surface on the top of the first layer then place the second half of the cake on top of the cream. Repeat the process until you have all for layers stacked.
  3. With a metal spatula or a knife cover the whole cake in an even coat of Nutella or chocolate frosting. This will be the glue for your Kit Kat bars.
  4. Break apart approximately 36 Kit Kats, 2 at the times. Begin to place them around the cake and cover the diameter. Tie with a ribbon, if desired. Top with M&M's.
Recipe Notes

Make the cakes the day before. Keep overnight in an air tight container. You can bake them 3 days ahead or even freeze them.

Make sure your layer cakes are not taller than a Kit Kat.

You may want to freeze your Kit Kats to avoid fingerprints.

You can use your favorite frosting instead of the custard and the Nutella.

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