There’s still time to enter the East Coast Eco Bakery giveaway! Win some yummy delicious treats for your own celebration… or just because! And no guilt, because they’re made with healthy ingredients.
Thanks to Kristina of Icing and Crumbs, we don’t have to find out. She is the honored guest at my party because she is bringing the cake! Well, at least the recipe. And what a cake! Chocolate Mud Cake. I’m definitely going to have to try this one because chocolate and I are like *this* (imagine my fingers twisted tight).
Friends, ice cream, cake, chocolate. My birthday is complete!
(Note: Before Kristina gets started, let me just say you really need to check out her blog. She starts each post with a quote from a children’s book, story, song or poem. Having been a kindergarten teacher in a past life, and currently mom to little munchkins, I have a soft spot in my heart for children’s books, especially good quality ones that employ beautiful language and ignite the imagination. Kristina’s blog feeds little tummies… and little minds!)
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a freshtry, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewherebehind the morning…”
(Joseph Priestly)
A friend of mine posted some pictures of her birthday recently… a day spent outsidehiking on Black Mountain… the skies clear, the air crisp, surrounded by family andfriends… and a beautiful birthday cake. To me, this looked like the perfect birthday –recognising a special day by connecting with nature and feeling part of it’s freshness– a new start for another year.
It often amazes me how much energy my young daughter puts into planning her nextbirthday… for the last ten months she has been discussing her party – who is coming,what games they’ll play, how many candles she’ll have, and which cake she’d like.We have been playing “birthday parties” and making mud cakes in the yard; we havebeen singing Happy Birthday and creating pretend invitations… For kids, birthdayscreate extra excitement – a special day full of friends and presents… but I think as weget older, we realise that the real present is the gift of a new day – a fresh start… achance to grow from there.
But no matter how old we are, or how we choose to celebrate our birthday, there isalways cake… The recipe below is great to make with kids – they can help measurethe ingredients, sift the flour, and mix everything together… they will also offer to lickthe bowl!
(This recipe has been adapted from one found in a book several years ago.)
Chocolate Mud Cake
You need:
375g (13 1/2 ounces) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups of plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
2/3 cup of cocoa powder, sifted
200g (7 ounces) of dark chocolate, melted
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sour cream
You do:
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees F). Grease and line the baseof a 22cm round springform tin. Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is lightand fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the chocolate. Gently fold in the flour,baking powder and cocoa powder. Stir in the milk and sour cream. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave thecake to cool in the tin.
This cake is lovely on its own, or it can be iced with a dark chocolate ganache, andthen served with cream or ice-cream.
And while the cake is baking, there is time for a story… A Birthday Cake forLittle Bear, by Max Velthuijs, is a humourous tale about a group of friendsworking together (sort of) to make a cake for Little Bear’s birthday… or Moira’sBirthday, by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko, about a young girl whose birthday party plans go a little bit too far…
Kristina blogs about sharing her love of cooking and reading with her children at Icing and Crumbs.
Find more inspiring and informative posts at Make Your Own Monday, Motivational Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, The Bulletin Board, Better Mom Monday, Natural Living Monday, Trivium Tuesday, Titus 2sday, Teach Me Tuesday, Hip Homeschool Hop, Titus 2 Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Open Call Tuesday, Tiny Tip Tuesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Works For Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Encourage One Another, Thought Provoking Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homemaking Link Up, Keep it Real Thursday, Frugal Thursday Rewind, Your Green Resource, Homeschooling on the Cheap, Thrifty Thursday, Fellowship Friday, Fight Back Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Weekend Whatever, Snacktime Saturday
Yummo!!
My sons’ first birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I was tossing up whether to bake or buy.
I’ll just have to try this recipe out…
Thanks!
Romina Garcia recently posted..1000 Homes of Happiness
Stopped in from Kristina’s blog! Great guest post and recipe, sounds yummy!
Your newest follower!~Lisa
I am all a twitter about life
I love making birthday cakes. Well I really love decorating them. Planning to do my sons first birthday cake in September! Hope you have a great weekend. Now following via voiceBoks.
Christin recently posted..Flowers from my garden
Hi, visiting you from icing and crumbs. great guest post. I LOVE any cakes, but birthday cakes are even more special, right?!!! I am going to try it. I’m now a new follower via GFC.