Harry Potter's Sticky Chocolate Birthday Cake

Harry Potter fever has once again struck JibberJabber Tower. The adventures of the boy wizard are always in the thoughts of Miss JibberJabber but with the latest book published at the end of this week a countdown has begun. The unusual choice of a Sunday to launch a book is due to the fact that 31^st July is Harry Potter's birthday (the same as author J.K Rowling). This year he would be 36.

Of course in my view you can't have a birthday without a cake. For this one we go back to the first birthday Harry celebrates in the books. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or The Sorcerer's Stone as it was called in the US) Hagrid presents Harry with a cake on his 11^th birthday,

“From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.”

In the film adaptation of the book the cake is shown as being covered in pink icing with the green icing spelling out HAPEE BIRTHDAE HARRY – perfect for those a bit rubbish at cake decoration! We decided to go with this version but if you want a just a chocolate topping add some cocoa powder dissolved in hot water to the icing. Alternatively make a chocolate ganache to go on top.

Equipment: 9in (23cm) springform cake tin, lined, 2 large bowls, electric whisk/beaters, sieve.

Ingredients

4oz (115g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

5oz (140g) Caster sugar

1½ oz (40g) Icing sugar

6oz (175g) Self raising flour

2oz (60g) Cocoa powder

1tsp (5ml) Bicarbonate of soda

2 Eggs

8 fl oz (235ml) Milk

1tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

Topping

4oz (115g) Icing sugar

2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) Warm water

Pink food colouring

Green icing writing tube

Method

1. Pre-heat oven o 180°C/Gas mark 4

2. Cream together the butter, sugar and icing sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. Pour into the creamed mixture and add the rest of the cake ingredients.

4. Beat together until well mixed.

5. Pour into the cake tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack until completely cold.

7. Once cool make the glacé icing topping. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and then add enough water to make it into a runny. Add a couple of drops of pink colouring and mix well, repeat if required to get the required colour.

8. Pour over the cake and quickly spread it out evenly.

9. Leave the glacé icing to set before writing on the greeting.

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