Happy 6th Birthday Little Man

Woop woop we have been partying over the weekend and just like that my little man has turned 6. In a blink of an eye.

As you can see the boy is space mad and therefore it just had to be a space cake. Not just any space cake but a chocolate cake with smarties (meteorites) in the middle. We had party games, food with family over to enjoy!. He was spoilt.

How do you like to spend your birthday? show me your birthday cake creations below...

Space 'smarties' Chocolate cake

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Makes: 12 servings

Space smarties cake

Ingredient

For the sponge

250g of Self raising flour- sieved

250g of Light brown sugar

250g of Butter - softened and cubed

80g of Cocoa powder

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp of Baking powder

3 tbsp of Water

4 tubes of Smarties

For the buttercream

You are going to make 2 batches - one cocoa and one vanilla.

600g of Icing sugar - sieved

300g of Butter - room temperature

80g of Cocoa powder - sieved

2 tsp of Vanilla essence - for vanilla flavour only.

1 tbsp of Milk

Golden stars and topper to decorate

Equipment

3 circular cake tins (18”)

Mixing bowl

Whisk

Greaseproof paper

Wooden spoon

Large cookie cutter

Cooling rack

Spatula for buttercream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease and line the cake tins with the butter and greaseproof paper.

3. In the mixing bowl place the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and roughly mix together with the wooden spoon.

4. In the other bowl cream together the butter and sugar with the whisk until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add 1 of the eggs.

5. Begin to add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and gently whisk. Add one more egg.

6. Whisk the mixture further to ensure all the ingredients are beginning to combine and add the last egg. Whisk again.

7. When you have a light batter consistency pour the mixture between the cake tins, sharing equally.

8. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. TIP! Check the cake is baked through with a skewer. If any mixture on the skewer place foil over the top of the cake tins and cook again for 5 minutes.

9. Once baked. Keep in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a cool rack and leave to cook completely.

10. Once cooled place the cake pieces on top of each other and level them.

11. Take apart again and with the bottom and middle cake piece, using the cookie cutter make a hole, ensuring they align in the middle. This will be your smarties hole.

12. Using the chocolate buttercream, begin to layer the butter cream onto the bottom cake piece with the spatula, do not put any over the smarties hole. TIP! Do little bits of buttercream at a time and spread evenly.

13. Place the middle cake piece on top of the bottom layer.

14. Apply the butter cream evenly on the middle cake piece.

15. Pour the smarties into the hole and fill to the top. Place the top cake piece on. Ensure the cake is level.

16. Your smarties cake is now ready for decoration of your choice………

17. Enjoy!