Iron Chef Shellie
 

Turning 28 with Chocolate Cake

A delicious cake with homemade flags to celebrate my birthday.

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Turning 28 with Chocolate Cake
April 20, 2013
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Turning 28 with Chocolate Cake

Today I turn 28.

For some reason, I like being an even number instead of an odd number. 

I also like even numbers on the volume control in my car. OCD much?

I think that being 28 will be a great year for me. I’m looking forward to change. Something new, something fresh, something exciting, something to put me out of my comfort zone… as much as I will hate being out of my cooshy comfort zone! 

I’ve learnt a lot from being on this planet 28 years.  

I never stop learning though. My 80-something year old grandma also tells me she never stops learning too <3 

You are never insignificant; you can make a difference. Anything is possible, and if it’s not, well you haven’t tried hard enough. Although sometimes, I do like to just give up! 

People will come and go from your life, but the real gems will stay… you people know who you are. I love you people 🙂 <3

Before I get too emo, let’s share have some cake.

Chocolate cake to be precise. Who doesn’t like love chocolate cake? 

Do you like the little cake flags I made? I was having a pinterest spiral at work this week and decided I wanted needed cake flags in my life.

All you have to do is take a piece of ribbon, glue it in place (or if you are pov like me and don’t have glue, blutac works just as well!), sorta shape it , then spray it with stiff starch and let dry. Viola! Now you don’t need to go buy them! … but you can pay me for this tutorial if you like 😛  

This recipe comes from amazing food stylist/photographer and blogger, Katie Quinn Davies. My BFF Alana bought me her book for Christmas, and I knew I had to try this chocolate cake. 

When I instagramed the ingredients, a lot of people assumed I was making tiramisu.. oh how wrong they were! I was making myself a birthday cake. Sad. Tragic. Deliciousness. The batter was so good I debated if I should bake it, or just go into the corner and devour the whole bowl. I’ll be serving it tonight, minus one slice to my friends 🙂

I’m off to spend the day with family and friends, over food. My “birthday weekend” has been planned purely around food. The way it should be! Stalk my noms through the usual channels twitter or instagram. 

Easy Chocolate Cake Turning 28 Chocolate Cake

Easy Chocolate Cake
Katie Quinn Davies

6 small savoiardi biscuits, crushed
300g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
150g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 (165g) caster sugar
4 free-range eggs
1 1/4 cups (155g) almond meal
150g mascarpone
3 tablespoons Frangelico
Icing sugar, shaved chocolate and double cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced. Grease and line a 22cm round springform tin. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of crushed savoiardi biscuits, just to coat the base of the tin.

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl that fits snugly over the pan without touching the water, stirring occasionally. Carefully remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition – don’t panic if the mixture resembles scrambled eggs at this stage. Stir in the remaining crush savoiardi biscuits, the almond meal, melted chocolate, mascarpone and Frangelico. Mix until combined.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 55-65 mins until the cake has a crust on top and is firm around the edges – a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Be careful not to overcook, as the centre of the cake should remain a little moist.

5. Dust the cooled cake with icing sugar and sprinkle with chocolate shavings before slicing and servie with a generous dollop of cream.

Comments

53 comments on “Turning 28 with Chocolate Cake”

  1. Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today

    Happy happy birthday!

    April 20, 2013 at 3:37 am

  2. Gourmet Getaways

    Happy Birthday Shellie!! I hope you have a wonderful foodie weekend.
    I love the gorgeous cake images, so delicious and arty, well done. The ingredient’s list looks magic… I might have to steal this recipe 😉

    April 20, 2013 at 9:03 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thank you Julie! Please steal the recipe, I had the last slice for breakfast this morning! oops!

      April 23, 2013 at 9:38 am

  3. Michelle aka The Bakeanista

    Beautiful pictures yet again!!! And how cute are those cake flags – I love them! I hope you have a super fun birthday weekend. Happy birthday again!!! 😀

    April 20, 2013 at 9:14 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      awww thank you 😀 Cake flags rock don’t they? I think I need to make MORE!!

      April 23, 2013 at 9:39 am

  4. Maria @ Feisty Tapas

    Happy birthday! It’s my husband’s birthday today too. He won’t get such an amazing cake though. Aaaah 28, you just reminded me I never was 27, for some reason I totally skipped that year and was 26 two years in a row, I too prefer even numbers

    April 20, 2013 at 9:20 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      awww Hope your hubby had a good birthday too! hahaha I’m glad I’m not the only one with an even number fetish 😛

      April 23, 2013 at 9:40 am

  5. Katherine

    Happy birthday. Love the look of your cake? Did you go out for dinner?

    April 20, 2013 at 10:25 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thank you! I went out for breakfast, lunch AND dinner!

      April 23, 2013 at 9:46 am

  6. Kristy @ Southern In Law

    Happy Birthday Shellie! This cake looks absolutely delicious!

    I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful weekend! <3

    April 20, 2013 at 10:51 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thank you Kristy 😀 It was a great weekend!

      April 23, 2013 at 9:49 am

  7. Kim

    that is a gorgeous cake!

    happy birthday!

    April 20, 2013 at 11:32 am

  8. Hannah

    Change is the best. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and breathing in the exhilarating air of adventure and challenge, never knowing if you’ll skitter or soar but knowing that you’ll grow exponentially either way… it is what makes life worth living.

    Happy birthday, baking queen. Here’s to an amazing 28th year for you. xoxo

    April 20, 2013 at 11:53 am

  9. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    Any cake that has the baker wondering if she should eat the batter before baking is a cake I want to try 🙂 Happy Birthday my lovely friend. 🙂

    April 20, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      haha you have to try it!! Thanks Maureen 🙂 xo

      April 23, 2013 at 9:57 am

  10. Matt

    That looks so delicious.

    April 20, 2013 at 12:57 pm

  11. jac

    Love the flags! Happy birthday 🙂

    April 20, 2013 at 9:41 pm

  12. Winston

    HAAAAAAPPEEEEEE BOIIIIFDAYYYYY, SHELLIEEEE!!! You are such a great person, always beaming on the inside and out. Too much fun to be around. Slowly and happily corrupted by you and your 2 other partners in crime lol. Past 28 seems like a great journey for you so cheers to the next 28 to come! You go, superstaaah!

    April 20, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      bahahaha!! Oh Wince… you are too funny!!! 😛

      April 23, 2013 at 10:07 am

  13. tania@mykitchenstories.com.au

    Happy 28th birthday. lovely cake and great flags

    April 20, 2013 at 10:53 pm

  14. The Master Chefette

    Happy Birthday! Now I don’t feel so bad that I made my own birthday cake last week haha! Loved the “or if you are a pov like me” haha, cake looks amaze!!!

    April 21, 2013 at 4:37 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thank you! I’ve made it most years, and I didn’t know if it was tragic and sad or not 😛 haha I’m glad you liked the pov bit :p

      April 23, 2013 at 10:12 am

  15. Keren

    What a gorgeously delicious way to celebrate your birthday … hope it was a good one!

    April 22, 2013 at 6:58 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thanks Keren, it was the best one yet 🙂

      April 23, 2013 at 10:13 am

  16. msihua

    With great years comes great experience. We have learnt that when you start turning 28, you say things like #ballsinmymouth 🙂 Love you and glad I managed to spend some of your birthday with you 🙂

    April 22, 2013 at 7:09 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      hahaha, indeed 😛 It was an honour to spend my birthday with the highly influential Ms I-Hua 😉

      April 23, 2013 at 10:18 am

  17. Tina @ bitemeshowme

    Happy Happy birthday shellie! Hope you had a fabulous time celebrating. Instagram tells me you ate plenty of cake! Haha. I’ve been making my own birthday cake as of late, I can’t remember the last time someone bought me one or even baked me one! Anyways, those ingredients for that cake sure do sound like ingredients for tiramisu so I would’ve been fooled also. I love the look of the DIY flags. I’m a sucker for artsy crafty toppers that are EASY… haha xx

    April 22, 2013 at 7:46 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thank you Tina!! Yes, a minimum of 4 types of cake were consumed 😛 I’m a sucker for crafty toppers too!
      x

      April 23, 2013 at 10:19 am

  18. milkteaxx

    happy birthday queen of balls! i like even numbers too, odd numbers are.. well just odd.

    April 22, 2013 at 11:29 am

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      hahah thank you Amy! Glad i’m not the only one re: even numbers!

      April 23, 2013 at 10:22 am

  19. Daisy@Nevertoosweet

    Happy Birthday again dearie 🙂 Not sure how many times I’ve said it, but I guess we can’t stay it enough ~ I loved this post and couldn’t agree with you more, your real friends will always stay with you through the good, bad, pretty and ugly 🙂 As for the making a difference part…I’m still trying because I don’t think I really make a difference to this world except I make it a ‘sweeter’ place 😛 hahaha well you know spreading my love for desserts and trying to convert everyone around me ~

    Anyhow, so glad to have celebrated your bday with you and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for you xox

    Ps. Loveee the flags and I like how they’re so easy and cheap to DIY at home!

    April 22, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      THANK YOU!!!! My mum used to make all my cakes when I was younger. You are definitely making the world a sweeter place! xoxoxo LOVE YOU LONG TIME DAISY!!

      April 23, 2013 at 10:32 am

  20. chocolatesuze

    happy birthday beautiful! that cake looks amaaaazing!

    April 22, 2013 at 4:14 pm

  21. vegeTARAian

    Hap-hap-happy day! That cake looks deliciously amaze 😉

    April 22, 2013 at 7:34 pm

  22. Cara @ Gourmet Chick

    Happy birthday Shellie – what a cake! You have certainly celebrated in style (love the topper as well)

    April 22, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thanks Cara! Style is the only way to celebrate 😛

      April 23, 2013 at 10:36 am

  23. Agnes

    Happy birthday dear Maz 2.0. Here’s to bigger and better 2.0ness in the year to come.

    April 23, 2013 at 8:54 pm

  24. Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen

    Happy belated birthday! I love your cake flags – and of course your cake! It looks and sounds divine, love the addition of Frangelico.

    April 24, 2013 at 1:07 am

  25. Heidi - Apples Under My Bed

    Happy birthday, sweet Michele! I think 28 will be amazing for you 🙂 This cake looks divine. Oh, and “Sad. Tragic. Deliciousness.” – love it haha.
    Heidi xo

    April 24, 2013 at 1:59 pm

  26. Alana

    I went through a stage where the volume on my car had to be divisible by 5 so girl I totally feel you.

    KQD is a queen, isn’t she? I have her book too and it’s quite possibly the most beautiful publication I own. You’ve clearly done her cake justice here, it looks GREAT, I love your flags (team twee!) and I’m glad to hear they didn’t ignite when the candles were lit. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

    April 25, 2013 at 1:25 pm

  27. Sarah

    Happy happy birthday, lovely lady! All the best for a wonderful year ahead! That cake looks all kinds of delicious, and I love the cute little pot/jar of cream on the side! 🙂

    April 25, 2013 at 3:30 pm

  28. Ling

    Happy Birthday old hen! Damn you and your wonderfully styled pictures. Now I want to buy a cake stand that will not fit in my overwhelmed kitchen cupboards/drawers.

    April 29, 2013 at 4:15 pm

  29. Jackie

    I’m a bit late but hope your birthday was awesome! And with a cake like that I’m sure it was.

    May 1, 2013 at 5:14 am

  30. Sara @bellyrumbles

    Happy birthday…. is a belated happy birthday, but I hope you had an amazing one. I can see you had great cake.

    May 31, 2013 at 12:13 am

Turning 28 with Chocolate Cake

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Shellie Froidevaux

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