This cake - simple and homespun, and not above using Bird's Custard Powder for its buttercream filling - has been an essential part of birthday celebrations in my house since my children were little.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This cake - simple and homespun, and not above using Bird's Custard Powder for its buttercream filling - has been an essential part of birthday celebrations in my house since my children were little.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
1½ teaspoons boiling water (from recently boiled kettle)
For the Chocolate Icing
60 millilitres water
2 tablespoons golden syrup
125 grams caster sugar (or use 50g if using milk chocolate)
175 grams dark chocolate
1 packet hundreds and thousands
For the Sponge
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons custard powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
2 sticks soft butter
1 cup superfine sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons milk
For the Buttercream Filling
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons custard powder
¾ stick soft unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons boiling water (from recently boiled kettle)
For the Chocolate Icing
¼ cup water
¼ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
⅔ cup superfine sugar (or use 50g if using milk chocolate)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 packet hundreds and thousands
Method
For the cake
Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF, and butter and line two 20cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.
Put all of the above ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. Process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder.
Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the rack, peeling away the paper.
For the buttercream icing
Process the icing sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together.
Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread.
Then sandwich the cooled sponges together with the custardy buttercream.
For the chocolate icing
Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat.
Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons (as I do for cooking, but good quality not confectionary standard), and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pour over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.
Prong with candles, light them and sing.
For the cake
Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF, and butter and line two 20cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.
Put all of the above ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. Process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder.
Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the rack, peeling away the paper.
For the buttercream icing
Process the confectioners' sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together.
Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread.
Then sandwich the cooled sponges together with the custardy buttercream.
For the chocolate icing
Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat.
Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons (as I do for cooking, but good quality not confectionary standard), and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pour over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.
This was tasty and an easy cake to make (albeit one with a few steps). I made the sponge in advance and froze it, made the buttercream the night before and the icing on the day, to make the last minute stuff easier. I used milk chocolate and it was a trifle sweet for my husband (but not for me or my daughter). Looked great and tasted okay the next day too, although by Day 3 the tiny sliver remaining was starting to stale.
Posted by kemery82 on 29th October 2019
Really easy and delicious recipe! Sponge stayed moist and the buttercream filling worked really well. My only tip would be make half of the chocolate icing as you only need half to cover the cake...we threw the rest away.
Posted by Seema_rushton on 13th January 2019
With chopped peanuts this is heaven!
Posted by DANINGO on 15th December 2018
A wonderful birthday cake!
Posted by RobyH on 15th December 2017
This is my partners favourite birthday cake and I have to make it ever year!
He has been lucky and it's been done as a treat other times too.
The custard flavour is so subtle.
Posted by countrygirly on 12th September 2017
My children surprised me with this a couple of years ago. It was fabulous! This weekend I am going to make it for a very dear friend. Wish me luck!
Posted by BKG01 on 30th May 2017
Oh Wow what a beautifully light and fluffy cake with a gentle taste of custard. This cake is so easy to make - I love that it is almost all done in the food processor (minimum washing up), super quick to bake, cool and easy to make the heavenly icing. This has become my new go-to birthday cake. Thanks Nigella
Posted by suemfrench on 24th May 2017
I've always been intimidated by recipes that have metric measurements, silly me. I now have a vintage-looking kitchen scale and am amped to try something British. Your cake is the first thing I'm going to bake. So excited!
Posted by cocointhekitchen on 15th December 2016
Our 10 year old has just made this for her father's birthday. All I can say is - superb! - he will be delighted, he is a total choc, custard and sugar freak - like the kids! Thanks Nigella, you're a genius, we love you!
Posted by SOPHIA CLEVERLY on 12th November 2015
Hi Nigella. I'm from Brazil and I follow your wonderful receipes. But I can't find some ingredients in here such as Bird's custard powder. I also have no idea of what is "1 pot hundreds and thousands". Do you know if there is anything I can use to replace those itens and make this birthday cake for my son's birthday? Thanks!
Posted by Camila Miori on 15th December 2011
Hi Nigella. Baked the cake and it's delicious! Thanks. Is there anything that I can add on to the icing as the icing seems to melt non-stop until I can see the surface of the cake.I made the cake and had it outdoor. The weather here is humid and hot. Like to make it again for my son's birthday this 22 June. Thanks
Posted by kelatae on 14th June 2011
I've not made this for a while, but everyone loves it when I do. I am about to try using the recipe to make cupcakes for a school fundraiser with the buttercream as icing along with chocolate sprinkles. Hope they turn out as good as I imagine they will!!
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What 19 Others have said
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Posted by kemery82 on 29th October 2019
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Posted by Seema_rushton on 13th January 2019
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Posted by DANINGO on 15th December 2018
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Posted by RobyH on 15th December 2017
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Posted by countrygirly on 12th September 2017
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Posted by BKG01 on 30th May 2017
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Posted by suemfrench on 24th May 2017
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Posted by cocointhekitchen on 15th December 2016
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Posted by SOPHIA CLEVERLY on 12th November 2015
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Posted by Camila Miori on 15th December 2011
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Posted by kelatae on 14th June 2011
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Posted by izcullen on 4th March 2015
Show more commentsThis was tasty and an easy cake to make (albeit one with a few steps). I made the sponge in advance and froze it, made the buttercream the night before and the icing on the day, to make the last minute stuff easier. I used milk chocolate and it was a trifle sweet for my husband (but not for me or my daughter). Looked great and tasted okay the next day too, although by Day 3 the tiny sliver remaining was starting to stale.
Really easy and delicious recipe! Sponge stayed moist and the buttercream filling worked really well. My only tip would be make half of the chocolate icing as you only need half to cover the cake...we threw the rest away.
With chopped peanuts this is heaven!
A wonderful birthday cake!
This is my partners favourite birthday cake and I have to make it ever year! He has been lucky and it's been done as a treat other times too. The custard flavour is so subtle.
My children surprised me with this a couple of years ago. It was fabulous! This weekend I am going to make it for a very dear friend. Wish me luck!
Oh Wow what a beautifully light and fluffy cake with a gentle taste of custard. This cake is so easy to make - I love that it is almost all done in the food processor (minimum washing up), super quick to bake, cool and easy to make the heavenly icing. This has become my new go-to birthday cake. Thanks Nigella
I've always been intimidated by recipes that have metric measurements, silly me. I now have a vintage-looking kitchen scale and am amped to try something British. Your cake is the first thing I'm going to bake. So excited!
Our 10 year old has just made this for her father's birthday. All I can say is - superb! - he will be delighted, he is a total choc, custard and sugar freak - like the kids! Thanks Nigella, you're a genius, we love you!
Hi Nigella. I'm from Brazil and I follow your wonderful receipes. But I can't find some ingredients in here such as Bird's custard powder. I also have no idea of what is "1 pot hundreds and thousands". Do you know if there is anything I can use to replace those itens and make this birthday cake for my son's birthday? Thanks!
Hi Nigella. Baked the cake and it's delicious! Thanks. Is there anything that I can add on to the icing as the icing seems to melt non-stop until I can see the surface of the cake.I made the cake and had it outdoor. The weather here is humid and hot. Like to make it again for my son's birthday this 22 June. Thanks
I've not made this for a while, but everyone loves it when I do. I am about to try using the recipe to make cupcakes for a school fundraiser with the buttercream as icing along with chocolate sprinkles. Hope they turn out as good as I imagine they will!!