Tracey's cow cake recipe

goodtoknow user Tracey's decorated chocolate cake starred in goodtoknow Recipes magazine's Cake Corner. She says: 'I am just thrilled you like my cake'.

Ingredients

For the

cow cake:

• 230g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate
• 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 350g light soft brown sugar
• 3 large organic eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 370g plain flour, sifted
• 1 1/2tsp of baking powder
• 1 1/2tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• 500ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
• 2tsp vanilla extract

For the

chocolate buttercream frosting:

• 175g good quality 70% cocoa chocolate
• 225g unsalted butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 1tbsp of cream
• 1tsp of vanilla extract

For the decoration:

• 1 x roll of white fondant icing
• 1 x roll of black fondant icing
• 1 x roll of pink fondant icing
• Paint brush and a cup of water, for sticking

You'll also need:

• 1 large oven-proof pudding basin/bowl
• 1 small oven-proof pudding basin/bowl

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5. Grease and line a large and a small oven-proof pudding basins.
2. For the cake: Break the chocolate up into pieces and in a microwave bowl, melt on defrost for 30 secs and shake (this just helps it not to burn), then melt on a medium setting in 30 second bursts, stirring in between each session well until melted.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
4. Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat for a few mins. Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition to combine, then add the melted chocolate and beat well again.
5. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a separate, clean mixing bowl.
6. In a measuring jug, add the vanilla extract to the milk.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the cake mixture and beat well, then pour in 1/3 of the milk and beat well. Repeat until all the flour and milk has gone.
8. Now whisk the egg whites in a clean and dry mixing bowl, until soft peaks start to form and fold this into the cake mixture.
9. Divide the cake mixture into the 2 pudding basins and cook in the preheated oven for about 30 - 35 mins, then check with a long skewer to see if the cakes are done (the skewer should come out clean when the cakes are done), leave to cool for 10 mins on a wire rack before tipping the cakes out of the basins.
10. For the chocolate buttercream frosting: Melt the chocolate in the microwave as in step 2 and leave to cool.
11. In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the butter, vanilla, cream and icing sugar until smooth - this will take several mins, then add the melted chocolate and beat again until tick and creamy.
12. To decorate the cow cake: Use the large cake for the cow's body and the small cake for the head.
13. Take the small cake and slice off one side, then trim down until it fits snuggly on the cake representing the cow's body.
14. Cover the whole cake (head and body) in the chocolate buttercream and leave to set for 30 mins.
15. Smooth the buttercream over with a bit of grease proof paper, roll out the white fondant icing and cover the whole cake.
16. For the legs: roll a sausage shape out of a piece of white fondant icing and flatten each side. Then roll a small ball of black fondant icing for the hoof, then shape and make 2 slices in it. Repeat this 4 times, then use a damp paintbrush to stick the legs to the body and the hooves to the legs.
17. For the patches and eyes: roll out the rest of the black fondant icing until very thin and cut out cloud-like shapes (leaving enough to make 2 circles of black fondant for the eyes and 2 smaller balls for the pupils - you'll also need to keep a little bit of black fondant back for the eyelashes and some hair) then attach the eye circles and patches to the body of the cow, wherever you think looks best, using a damp brush.
18. For the ears: Make 4 petal shapes; 2 white ones and 2 slightly smaller pink ones. Place each pink shape onto the white shape then pinch together at the bottom to shape into ears. Stick the ears on top of the head using a damp brush.
19. For the horns: Make 2 horn shapes out of a little white fondant icing and stick a cocktail stick into each one to hold them in place on top of the cow's head.
20. For the nose: Roll out the pink fondant into a long sausage shape then flatten it out and shape into a crescent. Measure it up to the face and trim to fit using a knife. Stick the crescent in front of the cow's head using a damp brush and draw on the cow's mouth and nostrils using the end of an icing nozzle.
21. Finish off the eyes with smaller white circles over the top of the black eye patches, then stick the tiny black balls on for the pupils.
22. Finally cut thin, black fondant stripes for hair and eyelashes and stick in place with the damp brush.