Family Chow Hall

Chocolate Birthday

June 22nd, 2009

When asked what he wanted for his birthday, my (now) five-year-old son simply answered, “MY birthday is going to be CHOCOLATE!”

Now, I like the way this kid thinks. My birthday is going to be chocolate. So, basically, he doesn’t care about anything except that his cake/pie/dessert is some kind of chocolate. This is the kind of answer every cook loves to hear, isn’t it?

I can make chocolate mousse, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate cream pie, fudge… you name it. If I were feeling a bit lazy, I could get away with using a brownie boxed-mix.

Often as not, I end up making birthday pies rather than cakes, so I am sticking with cake for this one. I generally use cake mixes rather than making them from scratch, my homemade cakes tend to be dryer than the mixes. But, to make up for this sin, I make my own frosting, which is loads better than that pre-made stuff you buy in the tub.

Homemade frosting is very simple to make, you just need a few ingredients and a hand-held mixer (or strong arms). Start with a lot of powdered sugar (at least half of a bag). Add a spoonful or two of shortening - I’d say 2-3 Tablespoons. Then drizzle just a little water or milk and about a half-teaspoon of vanilla. Beat this all together, adding more liquid if it’s too thick. Of course, for chocolate frosting, you will add some cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Keep beating and adding sugar if it’s too thin and water if it’s too stiff. We all know what consistency we want for frosting — spreadable. Don’t hesitate to taste it while mixing, to be sure you are getting it right.

The difference between frosting and glaze is that glaze has no shortening, it’s basically just watery powdered sugar. So, if your frosting is turning out drippy like glaze, add some shortening (or butter), plus some more powdered sugar, and keep mixing.

To make Peter’s birthday extra chocolaticious, I am using a chocolate fudge cake mix, chocolate frosting, and sprinkles. Hope he likes it!!

Entry Filed under: Recipes