Janu's 5th birthday cake

Chocolate cake with mousse filling and fresh cream frosting

Chocolate cake from Barbara bakes:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar*
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used KA Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups hot water*
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (I substituted 1 teaspoon chocolate extract)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º with rack in the center. Spray two 9x2 inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. (Don't use a mixer.)
3. Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined, a few lumps are OK. Divide batter between pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack.. Leave cakes upside down (this flattens domed cakes) to cool completely.

Frosting:

125 ml cream; 250g chocolate

Heat cream till it bubbles.

Chop chocolate really fine.

Pour cream all over chocolate.

Leave to stand for a minute and then mix in with a spatula until smooth and shiny.

Take 1/2 cup of whipping cream and whip to soft peaks.

Fold in the ganache into the cream gently.

1 1/2 cups whipping cream - whipped to soft peaks, add 2 drops of gel colour and whip to stiff peaks.

Smooth finish as possible the first time itself.

Smooth out using hot water.

Pipe a top border in the same color - small stars.

Fondant - Make a large ball of light blue and dark blue fondant as well as white.  Make tiny balls out of these and put them all around the bottom of the cake.

Cut tiny stars out of the dark blue fondant and place them over the cake board and the cake itself on top.

Make the Doraemon topper and stand it over a nicely shaped fondant white base to prevent colour from leaking.

Timetable to make:

1. Make fondant Doraemon and the small balls as well

2. Bake cakes 

3. Make sugar syrup to moisten the cakes.

4. Make chocolate ganache and leave to set

5. Fill with ganache and frost with whipping cream

6. Place fondant topper on top.