Hi everyone,
As promised in my last post, I have recreated the chocolate honeycomb cake I made to say thank you to the Cardiac Unit at Torbay hospital, for the excellent care of my brother after his recent heart attack. Before I continue, a quick update. Mark is continuing to make slow but steady improvement. The ‘slow’ part is driving him crackers with frustration mind you! But he’s following all the rehabilitation advice and trying to be a patient patient 😀
So, on to the cake! It’s based on the Cadbury Crunchie Bar, which was famously advertised (in the UK at least) as giving you ‘that Friday Feeling’, and also by the chocolate honeycomb flavoured icing sugar from the Sugar and Crumbs range. I used it in place of some of the caster sugar in the cake batter as well as the buttercream, and oh my! It was delicious!
I started by making 3 x 6” round cakes (recipe below) Once cooled, I levelled the tops and split them all in two, making 6 layers in all
I then added a layer of buttercream, and sprinkled on some chopped ‘Crunchie’ for extra….well….crunch!
I continued stacking and layering, and by the time I’d used 5 cake layers, it was pretty tall, so I didn’t use the 6th one in the end. I gave it a light layer of buttercream on the sides and top, and stuck more pieces of Crunchie randomly all round the cake.
To finish, I used a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip to add a border round the top, and more Crunchie bits in the middle.
I used some cake offcuts, buttercream and leftover Crunchie bits to make cake pop balls too! Waste not, want not!
And the finished product came with me on Sunday evening to the first read through of ‘Treasure Island’, my Panto Society’s January 2020 production! Reading the script for the first time is always exciting, but when I found out my character name is ‘Mad Dog Maghee’ (in pirate guise at least) I knew it was going to be a hoot!
The rest of my week is also quite exciting. Tomorrow, my niece, her fiancé and dog Ellie are coming to stay until Sunday. It’s my Mums birthday on Thursday, so we’re going for lunch, then I’ll be baking in the afternoon, and down to Panto again in the evening for the chorus registration. Friday will be spent cake decorating, then Saturday morning I have a baby cake being collected, and in the afternoon a family get together to officially celebrate Mums birthday. After that I shall sleep through the next 3 days! (You think I’m joking. I’m not, that’s how long it will take me to recover!)
However, I will have had a lovely few days with my family, and the ‘payback’ is the other side of the balance sheet. The enjoyment is worth the consequences!
More on birthday cake, baby cake and Panto next time
Until then
Stay safe and healthy
Debbie ❤️
Chocolate honeycomb cake recipe:
375g Self Raising Flour
25g Cocoa
375g Baking spread
187g Caster Sugar
6 large free range eggs
187g Sugar and Crumbs Chocolate Honeycomb Icing sugar
60g Greek Yoghurt
10ml Vanilla Extract
1 tsp salt
Method: Preheat oven to 160 Celsius
Mix the baking spread and sugars together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment until pale and creamy.
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together in a separate bowl
Add the eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time whilst the mixer is running, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add a tablespoon of the dry mix with eggs after the 2nd one has been added to prevent curdling. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add vanilla and half the remaining dry mix, just until incorporated. Add yoghurt and rest of the dry mix, then scrape down the bowl a final time.
Using a spatula, finish mixing by hand to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Divide batter between the 3 tins, which should be greased and have a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.
Optional step: Add baking strips to ensure even baking. I use PME
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto cake rack to cool completely. Level and split each cake into two layers.
Buttercream:
250g soft unsalted butter
500g Sugar and Crumbs Chocolate Honeycomb Icing Sugar
Pinch salt
2 – 4 tablespoons milk
Method:
Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar in small amounts while the mixer is running. Add the salt during this stage too. Add enough milk to achieve the texture desired. Use to fill and cover the cake as described or anyway you please 😀 Add Crunchie bits if desired.
My favourite products:
Kitchenaid flex edge paddle beater
Queen of Hearts Disposable Piping Bags THICK Pack of 100
Pme round cake tin 6×3” , Pme cake tin 8×3” round, Pme cake tin 10×3” round, Pme cake tin 12×3” round
Cake Star Push Easy Cutters MINI ALPHABET UPPERCASE
Baking for Therapy 