Children’s Day celebrates everything sweet and fun-sized and for this occasion why not surprise them with a cake? Or, if your child enjoys watching you cook or bake, indulge them by asking them to help you make this special dessert recipe for kids that is as fun as it looks and sounds. It’s made with a generous amount of our favorite Cadbury Cocoa Powder, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, and Cadbury Gems.
Surprise Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate sponges
- 150 ml vegetable oil (extra for greasing)
- 200 gm all-purpose flour
- 8 tbsp Cadbury cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 280 gm soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 ml buttermilk
- 100 ml espresso
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
To decorate:
- 2 ½ x 115 gm pack of Cadbury Dairy Milk Fingers
- 400 gm assorted sugar-coated chocolates (like Cadbury Gems)
For the chocolate fudge icing:
- 100 gm Cadbury Dairy milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces, (plus 50 gm for decorating)
- 200 gm slightly salted butter, softened
- 400 gm caster sugar, sieved
- 4 tbsp Cadbury cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp milk
Essential Tools:
- 1 stretchable straw
- 2 wooden skewers
- 1 paper bag
- Sticky tape
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 8-inch cake tins with parchment paper. If your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to cover at least 1 inch.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Work through any solid lumps with your fingers, crushing them completely.
- In a measuring jug, pour the buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla extract. Crack in the egg and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth and well-mixed liquid.
- Pour this liquid in batches into the flour bowl, and whisk well to have a smooth batter.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake tins, and bake for 25-30 minutes. The tops will rise and a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Remove the tins from the oven and let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, and let them cool completely.
- For the chocolate fudge icing, add the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted.
- Remove from heat and let it cool. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, mix butter and sugar with a spatula, then whisk with a hand mixer until perfectly smooth. Sift in the cocoa powder and pour the melted chocolate and milk. Mix until silky smooth.
- Use approximately half of the prepared icing to sandwich the cakes together, placing them carefully on a chosen cake stand or board. Take a palette knife and spread the remaining icing over the entire cake, covering the top and sides completely.
- Immediately after icing, while the surface is still soft and fresh, press the chocolate fingers around the sides of the cake, before the icing sets.
- Take the remaining 50 grams of chocolate and melt it. Once melted, let it cool until spreadable. You can make it quicker by keeping it in the fridge. Just make sure to take it out and stir it well every five minutes, or so to prevent the chocolate from becoming solid.
- Insert a skewer directly into the center of your cake and carefully slip the straw over the top. This will provide stability so you can easily decorate. Push approximately one to two cm of the straw down into the cake surface.
- Using a cutlery knife, spread a small blob of your cooled melted chocolate onto each sugar-coated chocolate sweet and, starting at the base, begin attaching them to the straw. Do this gradually, and let each layer set partially before adding the next to prevent sliding.
- Continue working your way up the straw methodically until it's completely covered. If your chocolate begins to firm up too much in the bowl, warm it again until it returns to a spreading consistency. Continue this process until you reach the bend in the straw.
- Take the remaining skewer and insert it into the top section of the straw, positioning it so it protrudes at an angle. Position the paper bag on top of this arrangement – you may need to secure it in place with a small piece of sticky tape to ensure it stays put. Examine the straw carefully and if any sections remain exposed, cover these areas with additional sweets using the same chocolate-adhering method.
- 16. Finally, take all remaining sweets and arrange them generously on top of the cake, creating a flooding effect across the entire surface. The cake is ready to serve.