White chocolate birthday cake recipe

This white chocolate birthday cake is a real show-stopper. The sponge itself is flavoured with white chocolate so that you get a delicious hit of it in every mouthful. We've also added a ganache icing, just in case it wasn't indulgent enough, and topped everything off with a good helping of truffles. In the centre is the truffle filling as well as some strawberry jam to compliment the white chocolate flavours so you get a few flavours coming through. This white chocolate birthday cake is perfect for a big celebration as it serves 12 and looks gorgeous as a table centrepiece, too.

Ingredients

• 200g butter, at room temperature
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 1tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 200ml milk
• 100g white chocolate, melted
• 4tbsp strawberry jam
• 150ml double cream, whipped

For the ganache:

• 300ml double cream
• 300g Belgian white chocolate

To decorate:

• Strawberries and cream truffles (we used Lindor)
• 75g white chocolate, coarsely grated

You will need:

• 2 x 18cm (7in) round cake tins, greased and lined

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer, until thick and pale.
2. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in a third of the flour and then half the milk. Repeat, then beat in the remaining flour.
3. Gently beat in the melted chocolate, until combined.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Bake for 35 mins or until firm to touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then transfer to wire racks. Remove the baking parchment and cool completely.
6. For the ganache, warm the cream until steaming. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot cream, stirring until smooth. Chill until firm.
7. Put 1 cake onto a stand and spread over the jam. Spoon over the whipped cream and sandwich the cakes together.
8. Use a palette knife to spread the ganache around the sides and over the top of the cake. Decorate with truffles and white chocolate shavings.