Chocolate Covered Celebration Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• In 1-quart saucepan, mix 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. In small bowl, place cranberries. Pour syrup over berries; stir to blend. Refrigerate, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Remove berries from refrigerator and drain; discard liquid. In small bowl, place remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Working with a few berries at a time, roll one by one in the sugar to completely coat. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour or until dry. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat Cake ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour 1 2/3 cups of the batter in each pan.
• Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, softened butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time, until spreading consistency.
• Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top; top with second cake layer. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top; top with third cake layer. Frost sides with a thin layer of frosting so sides are covered but cake still shows through. Spread remaining frosting on top.
• Place sugared cranberries around base of cake, and press in slightly to adhere to frosting. Place remaining cranberries on top, mounding in center of cake; garnish with sprigs of rosemary. Loosely cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
• Grease a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
• For the sponge, smash up the chocolate and melt in a large heatproof bowl with the butter, oil and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then, using an electric hand whisk at high speed, one-by-one beat in the eggs until combined.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa with a good pinch of sea salt and beat for a short while until just combined.
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out ever so slightly gooey (the top of the cake will rise up and crack slightly, but don't worry, it'll end up covered by all your lovely toppings).
• Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place on a cake stand, use a long knife to carefully slice the sponge into 3 equal rounds and remove the top two sponges to separate plates (scroll down to watch the how-to video below).
• For your mega-crispy chocolatey rice layer, smash up the chocolate and melt with the butter and cream in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes (to avoid soggy cereal!), then stir in the puffed rice until evenly coated. Divide the mixture onto the 3 cooled sponge layers and spread out evenly across the tops, going right to the edges.
• To make the nougat frosting, place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl with the honey, sugar, cream of tartar, a good pinch of salt and a splash of water.
• Place over a pan of gently simmering water, turn up the heat and, with an electric hand whisk, beat for 6 to 7 minutes or until it starts to form peaks.
• Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla extract, orange blossom or rose water and a dot of food colouring (if using), then carry on beating the mixture until thick.
• Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then evenly top each sponge and stack them up nicely.
• To finish the cake off, use a large knife to shave some extra chocolate, then sprinkle it over the top (scroll down for a video to show you how to do this). Add your candles or sparklers, get them lit and indulge in chocolate celebration cake heaven.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
• Microwave chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with cookie crumbs and remaining cake layer. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand 10 min. or until firm. Decorate with icing. Keep refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the first seven ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans., Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28-32 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioner's sugar and cocoa until light and fluffy. Beat in milk until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake., For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing ganache to drape down the sides. Arrange strawberries on top of cake. If desired, brush jam onto strawberries.

CHOCOLATE & VANILLA CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil three 20cm cake tins and line with baking parchment. Weigh out the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb and sugar into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk gently to combine. Shake the bowl to bring any lumps of sugar to the surface and squeeze these with your fingertips.
• Measure the oil, milk, vinegar, coffee and vanilla into a jug, then add the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a whisk until smooth, making sure there are no pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl - the mixture will be quite runny. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven (or middle and top if they don't all fit on one shelf) for 25 mins. Swap the tins around and bake 5 mins more.
• Check the cakes are cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of each - if any wet batter clings to the skewer, return the tins to the oven for another 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins for 30 mins, then turn the sponges out onto wire racks to cool completely. If making ahead, wrap the cooled sponges well and store in an airtight container for up to three days, or the freezer for up to two months.
• For the buttercream, beat the butter using an electric whisk or in a stand mixer for a few minutes until smooth and creamy. Add half the icing sugar and beat again to combine. Add the remaining icing sugar, the vanilla and 4 tbsp milk and beat again to combine, adding a splash more milk if needed to make a smooth, fluffy buttercream. Divide between three bowls. Add a few drops of different food colouring paste to each bowl, then mix well - we used pastel pink, purple and yellow.
• Spoon the coloured buttercream mixtures into three separate piping bags and snip off the tips. Pipe a dot of buttercream onto a cake stand or board and place a sponge on top to help keep it in place. Pipe small blobs of purple buttercream all over the top of the sponge by holding the piping bag directly above the cake, about ½cm from the surface, and squeezing the bag while pulling upwards to create a small peak.
• Place the second sponge on top, then repeat the process with the pink buttercream. Add the third sponge on top, then neatly pipe blobs of yellow buttercream over the surface. Decorate with edible flowers, sugared almonds or mini chocolate eggs, if you like. Will keep in a tin at room temperature for up to five days.

LAYERED CONFETTI CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously spray bottoms and sides of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Gently fold in 1/2 cup decors. Divide batter evenly between pans.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Remove from oven to cooling racks; cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans onto cooling racks; cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together 1 container frosting and 1/3 cup decors.
• When cakes are cool, level cakes with large serrated knife. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate or cake stand. Top with thin layer of frosting. Place second cake layer on top. Use remaining frosting to cover sides and top of cake.
• Cut graham crackers into pieces with large knife; place randomly on sides of cake.
• Transfer 1/2 container (2/3 cup) frosting to decorating bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 12 rosettes around top edge of cake.
• Use small round cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds from remaining graham crackers. Place additional decors in small bowl; place remaining frosting in separate small bowl. Dunk each cracker round in frosting then dip into decors. Insert each dipped cracker upright into 1 rosette on top of cake.
• Sprinkle top of cake with additional decors. Store cake loosely covered at room temperature.