One thing is clear, we will all have at least one lockdown birthday and celebrations are limited to our nearest and dearest at home.
There is something about a homemade birthday cake that makes us feel special.
These birthday cake recipes are perfect for at home celebrations, pair them with a glass of bubbly and you’re are sure to kick start any kitchen disco….oh, is that just me?
Birthday cake recipes – STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE
Serves 8, 20 mins baking
Ingredients
- A little Trex, for greasing
- 125g Self-raising flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 115g Caster sugar
- 75g Trex, at room temperature
- 2 Eggs
- 3 tbsp Milk
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Finely grated lemon zest
TO DECORATE
- 3-4 tbsp Strawberry jam
- 150ml Double cream
- 150g Strawberries, sliced
Method
- Position the oven shelves towards the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease two 18cm (7in) sandwich tins with a little Trex, line their bases with circles of greaseproof paper, then lightly grease the paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, Trex, unbeaten eggs, milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Use a wooden spoon to beat the mixture together until smooth and creamy – this will only take 1-2 minutes.
- Share the mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 18-20 minutes. To test that the cakes are cooked, they should be golden brown, and when touched lightly the tops should spring back into place. Put the tins on to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
- Remove the cakes from their tins and cool on a wire rack, then remove the lining paper. When completely cool, sandwich the cakes together with strawberry jam, whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Spread whipped cream over the top and arrange more sliced strawberries over the surface.
Birthday cake recipes – Carrot Cake with Watercress & Cream Cheese Frosting (vegan and gluten free)
Serves 8. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes
For the cake
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 80ml rapeseed oil plus a little extra to grease cake tins
- 60ml golden syrup
- 235g apple sauce (preferably unsweetened)
- 200ml non-dairy milk (we used soy milk)
- 100g dark brown soft sugar
- 50g caster sugar
- 160g grated carrot
- Pinch of salt
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 170g ground almonds
- 150g gluten free flour (we used Dove’s)
- 30g chopped walnuts
- 30g raisins
For the icing
- 100g vegan butter (we used Naturli, a hard block which is better for this than a spreadable tub)
- 1 tub vegan cream cheese
- 500g icing sugar, sieved
- 30g watercress, finely chopped
To decorate (optional)
- Edible flowers
- Chopped nuts
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Prepare three 15cm loose based cake tins by brushing the insides with rapeseed oil and placing a circle of greaseproof paper in the bottom of each.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the baking soda and vinegar, then add in the rapeseed oil, apple sauce, oat milk, sugars and golden syrup. Mix together. Add in the grated carrot and stir thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl sieve together the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground almonds and gluten free flour. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, ensuring they are fully incorporated, then add in the chopped walnuts and raisins and stir through.
- Divide the mix equally between the three cake tins. Bake for 40 minutes before inserting a skewer or knife into the centre of each cake. If the skewer comes out clean then the cakes are baked, otherwise return to the oven and check again after five more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing carefully from cake tins. Once removed allow the cakes to cool completely before icing.
- To make the icing, take the cream cheese out of the fridge one hour before using so that it is slightly softer and ensure your vegan butter is soft too. Use an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment to beat the butter until smooth. Then add in the cream cheese and beat on a low speed until fully combined. You may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides before beating again to ensure everything is fully mixed. Be careful not to beat on too high a speed as the mixture may split. Add in the icing sugar then beat on a medium speed until combined fully before stirring through the chopped watercress.
- Once your cakes are cooled completely, use the icing to cover each layer before stacking, finishing with a thick layer of icing on top. Add fresh edible flowers and/or chopped nuts to decorate
Birthday cake recipes – COFFEE & WALNUT CAKE
Serves 8, bakes in 20 mins
Ingredients
- A little Trex, for greasing
- 100g Self-raising flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 100g Light muscovado sugar
- 100g Trex, at room temperature
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 tbsp Instant coffee granules or powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
FILLING AND FROSTING
- 75gButter, at room temperature
- 150g Golden (or regular) icing sugar
- 2 tsp Instant coffee granules or powder, dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water
- 25g Walnuts, finely chopped
- 6-8 Walnut halves
Method
- Position the oven shelves towards the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease two 18cm (7in) sandwich tins with a little Trex, line their bases with a circle of greaseproof paper, then lightly grease the paper.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, Trex, unbeaten eggs, cooled coffee liquid and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to beat the mixture together until smooth and creamy – this will only take 1-2 minutes.
- Share the mixture equally between the prepared tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Test that the cakes are cooked by touching the tops lightly – they should spring back into place. Put the tins on to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
- Remove the cakes from their tins and cool on a wire rack, then remove the lining paper.
- Whilst the cakes are cooling, beat together the butter and icing sugar until light and creamy. Add the cooled coffee liquid and beat again until smooth.
- Spread half the coffee icing over the surface of one cake and sprinkle the chopped walnuts evenly over the surface. Sandwich the two cakes together. Spread the remaining mixture over the top and decorate with walnut halves.
Birthday cake recipes – LEMON & LIME DRIZZLE CAKE
Serves 12, 45 mins baking
Ingredients
- A little Trex, for greasing
- 100g Trex, at room temperature
- 100g Caster sugar
- 3 Large eggs, beaten
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon of 1 lime
- ½ tspVanilla extract
- 225g Self-raising flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 50g Icing sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
- Put the Trex and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy, using a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition. Stir in half the lemon and lime rind and the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour and salt into the creamed mixture, then fold it in gently with a large metal spoon, stirring in the milk to lighten the texture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the surface.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the cake is cooked. Test with a fine skewer – it should come out clean. Stand the cake tin on a cooling rack and pierce the surface of the hot cake about 12–15 times with a skewer, right through to its base.
- Heat the lemon juice, lime juice and remaining rind with the icing sugar until the sugar dissolves. Slowly spoon over the cake whilst hot. Allow the cake to cool and absorb the citrus syrup before you remove it from the tin.
Easy Peasy Birthday Cake
Baker’s Equipment
- 2 x 20cm round cake tins lined with baking paper cake tin liners
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Palette knife or table knife
- 2 x Dessert spoons
- Microwaveable bowl
- Bread knife
- Saucepan
- 2 x Plates
Ingredients – Cake
- 300g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 300g caster sugar
- 6 medium eggs
- 300g self-raising flour
Buttercream Icing
- 300g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 600g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp Vanilla essence or extract
Ganache Icing Drip
- 150g plain chocolate chips
- 100g double cream
Chocolate treats or sweets of your choice to decorate
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). In the mixing bowl, beat half (300g) of the butter with all of the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, then mix in the flour until combined. Put around one third (400g) of the batter into each baking tin, and bake for around 20-25 mins. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn out to cool. Re-line one of the tins and bake the remaining batter to make the third sponge layer.
- For the buttercream icing, place the butter and vanilla extract into the bowl and gradually add the icing sugar, beating until soft and creamy. To stack the cakes, trim the sponge layers with the bread knife so they are flat on top and stick one of the layers to a plate with a blob of buttercream icing. Using your palette knife or table knife, spread a layer onto the bottom layer of cake, top with another sponge, repeating the buttercream layer before placing the last sponge layer on top. Gently push down on the cake with your hand to secure the layers. Use the knife to spread a few tablespoons of icing around the sides and top of the cake to create a thin coating. Use any icing that has come out of the layers and fill any gaps between the sponge layers.
- Place the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover the cake with the rest of the icing, and using the knife dipped in a glass of warm water, spread the buttercream icing over the sides and top of the cake, re-dipping in the water to help create a smooth texture. Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- To decorate with the drip, boil the cream in the saucepan then pour it over the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Place a plate on top and leave for a few minutes so the heat of the cream melts the chocolate chips or pieces. Then stir well in the centre with a spoon until it comes together and is smooth and lump free. Let the ganache cool for three minutes, remove your cake from the fridge and gently pour the ganache over the cake, covering the top and allowing it to drip down the sides. Finish off by adding your chocolate or sweets to the top and enjoy!
Tip: When stacking the cake, putting the final layer upside down helps to achieve a flat top.
Tip: You can tell the cakes are done when the sponges are light, springy, golden and shrinking away from the edge of the tins a little.
Tip: Instead of using a plate, use a cake board or chopping board with a square of baking paper to sit your cake on while you assemble it. This makes it easy to work on and get in and out of the fridge.
Tip: Depending on what chocolate treat you are using for the topping, you might like to break them up into little pieces to show the colour of the middle. If you are using larger chocolate bars, it’s really effective to cut these into tall shards and use them to create height on the top of your cake for a dramatic effect.
Tip: When you are adding your drips, you can use a spoon to encourage the chocolate to fall further down the side of the cake, and remember it looks great if the drips are random lengths.