Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

Transformers Birthday Cake & Giveaway

Published on March 10, 2014 • Last updated October 14, 2014 by

Well the wee man is another year older. Five years old means “big boy” and much closer to the wise old age of his big sister than the age of four was. She is seven and is held in great esteem with regards to her vast knowledge of the world. She can whistle! Fortunately this year our youngest did not request a cake as grand as last year’s three tier Angry Birds birthday cake, but rather, since he was getting a Bumblebee Transformer for a gift he wanted a cake to match.

Mind, this request was made the day before his birthday party so some serious replanning had to occur. Fortunately, the fine folk over at Lékué had sent me a fantastic goody box of their products to play with including one of their silicone number cake moulds, so that was a good starting point. Lékué have kindly offered one of my readers a silicone number mould of their choice in a Giveaway, so scroll down to the bottom to enter via Rafflecopter for your chance to win one of these fab cake moulds of your very own!

Starting with my trusty wicked chocolate cake recipe (slightly adapted from a recipe found in the Reader’s Digest The Cook’s Scrapbook – 1995), the cake recipe now used for all birthday cakes in this household, I set to work. I always make this same cake recipe because a) it’s delicious and inexpensive, b) it keeps well (the flavour seems to improve with age) and c) it can withstand the weight of a lot of icing! The batter quantity also fits perfectly into this Lékué number five cake mould (capacity 1700 ml). I baked the cake the day before and left it overnight in the silicone mould to cool. It turned out well but a little bit of cake did stick in the inner corner of the top of the five. It wasn’t noticeable in the final product.

Also in the box of goodies was this chocolate lollipop silicone mould which was an absolute dawdle to use. You boil a kettle, pour the boiling water into a small saucepan, plonk a heatproof bowl over the top with 90 grams of broken chocolate pieces in it. Come back and stir every now and again until it’s melted and smooth and fill the moulds with the chocolate. I stuck some raisins on the back of the melted chocolate, but other dried fruit and nuts could be used too. Insert the lollipop sticks in the handy little spaces, bung in the fridge for 20 minutes until it solidifies and away you go! Easy peasy! The kids loved these, but displaying them was a little challenge. I used an inverted clay colander over a little bowl filled with clay baking beads, but a piece of foam in a bowl or cup would work well too.

So, back to the cake. The birthday boy was getting a bumblebee transformer (my personal favourite transformer) and so of course the cake had to be yellow, black and grey (yay for Renshaw ready to roll icing!). I opted for a more simple option by covering the cake entirely in white ready to roll icing, as a smooth base, before repeating with yellow. The top was made by tracing around the base of the cake mould into paper, cutting it out and using it as a template for the icing which was rolled out onto some greaseproof baking paper. The large number five was then carefully transferred onto the top of the cake using the baking paper to help. The sides of the cake were covered  in strips of ready to roll icing the height of the cake and I made black stripes to hide the join where the top and sides meet (and because Bumblebee has two black stripes!).

To make the Transformers decoration on the top of the cake I printed off a colouring picture I found on the internet, scaled down to fit the space I had available (a Google images search comes up with all sorts of free designs). This was used as a template for the grey ready to roll icing set on a black base. Simple, yet effective, I think.

Alas, there was no black writing icing to be found in any of the shops I went to, so I used some black ready to roll icing to cut out Happy Birthday letters in the Transformers font and stuck them to the cardboard cake base (which was also covered in white icing since it was originally silver and didn’t look very nice). Again, I thought this was quite effective. Topped with five silver candles the birthday boy and his friends were most impressed!

If you would like to win your own numbered cake mould to try this yourself, scroll down and enter via the Rafflecopter entry form! Good luck! 🙂

Transformers Birthday Cake
A delicious chocolate cake covered in plenty of ready to roll icing in a Transformers theme!
Ingredients
For the cake
    • 275 grams plain flour
    • 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 175 grams caster sugar
    • 150 grams dark muscovado sugar
    • 225 ml water
    • 60 grams Fairtrade cocoa powder
    • 115 grams unsalted butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp distilled malt vinegar
    • 150 ml single cream
    • 2 eggs, beaten
To decorate
  • 1.25 kg white ready to roll icing
  • 750 grams yellow ready to roll icing
  • 250 grams black ready to roll icing
  • 100 grams grey ready to roll icing
  • large round cake board
  • 125 grams chocolate frosting
  • black edible ink pen
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Lightly grease your number silicone cake pan.
2. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugars.
3. Heat water, cocoa powder and butter in a small saucepan until the butter has melted. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Stir vinegar into the single cream.
5. Add cocoa mixture, cream and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients, whisking well.
6. Spoon into the prepared mould, placed on a baking tray for stability. Tap the baking tray to release any bubbles which may have occurred.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. When cool cover in cling film and leave overnight in the mould.
8. The next day, while the cake is still in the mould, use a bread knife and carefully slice off the top part of the cake so it is level.
9. Cover your cake board in white ready to roll icing and turn the chocolate cake out on top of this, carefully brushing any crumbs off the icing with a soft brush.
10. Carefully spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting all over the cake, taking care not to get any on the white base.
11. Cut lengths of white ready to roll icing 1 3/4 inch wide and carefully press along the sides of the cake. The chocolate frosting will keep it in place.
12. Lightly dust a piece of greaseproof baking paper larger than the size of the cake mould. Roll out your white ready to roll icing to 1/4 inch thickness.
13. Using a large piece of paper, cut out a template of your number. Draw around this (facing the correct way!) on your white icing and remove the excess.
14. Using the greaseproof paper carefully transfer to the top of the cake, pressing the icing lightly down onto the chocolate frosting.
15. Repeat with the yellow ready to roll icing, using a little dab of cold water run along the edges of the white icing layer to stick the two layers together.
16. Cut long 2 cm width lengths of black ready to roll icing and stick along the join with a bit of cold water. Place the second black stripe along the bottom edge of the cake.
17. Roll the remaining black icing out and use your Transformers template as a guide to cut out a black background slightly larger than the template. Stick to the top of the cake with a little bit of cold water.
18. Roll out the grey ready to roll icing. Cut out the components of your Transformers face and stick them in the correct location on the black background. Leave to dry for a bit and use a black edible ink pen to draw the lines in on the cheeks (it’s easier than trying to cut them out!)
19. Cut out 2 cm tall Happy Birthday letters with the remaining black ready to roll icing and stick them to the white base with a little water.
20. Personalise with the birthday boy/girl name, if desired, using some black writing icing.
Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 1 birthday cake

Lékué Silicone Cake Mould Giveaway

How to Enter

For your chance to win a single Lékué numbered silicone cake mould of your choice enter using the Rafflecopter below. Come back and tweet about the Giveaway every day for more chances to win!

Terms & Conditions

This giveaway is open to UK entries only. Entrants must be age 18 or over. Winners will need to respond with their choice of prize within 48 hours of being contacted. Failure to do this may result in another winner being selected.

The prize is offered and provided by Lékué but it will be posted out by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary. The prize is a single Lékué numbered silicone cake mould. There is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable. Please allow at least one month from the end of the competition for delivery.

If you need some help using Rafflecopter, here’s a quick clip to show you how. Rafflecopter will pick the winner at random from the entries received. I will be verifying entries and any automated entries will be disqualified.

Closing date is midnight on Sunday 13 April 2014 and the winner will be announced that day.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am linking this post up with a few blogging challenges this month.

Tea Time Treats is all about decorative cakes this month. This challenge by Karen over at Lavender and Lovage is hosted this month by The Hedgecombers.

 

Calendar Cakes by Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes is all about “energise” this month. Well, after eating all this icing the children were most certainly energised!

CelebrationCakesAndBakes

Celebration Cakes and Bakes over at Mummy Makes Cakes.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary was sent a complimentary box of silicone bakeware by Lékué for review. This is not a paid post and I was not required to write a positive review.

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About Elizabeth

Solivagant. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Maura

    No, no special occasion just the fact, I have never made a chocolate cake in my life! (sad but true.. Eaten a few mind) so when I saw your recipe I thought must give that a try and glad I did.
    Next is going to be your Pavlova as owing to the fact (A) it looks delicious, (B)since I last commented yesterday, I have fallen flat on my face (so embracing) and now have a left knee the size of an Ostrich egg, so I’m feeling extremely sorry for myself and need something sugary, chocolatly and sweet to cheer myself up .. only problem being I’ll have to wait until I can up stand up for a bit longer!!
    Have fun in London.
    Maura x

    Reply

  4. Maura

    Hi Elizabeth,

    Made the above cake a couple of weeks ago and “Wicked” is the right word…I was apprehensive about the vinegar but needn’t have been……………… just need an excuse to make another cake now!
    Not being a blogger or a twitter(er) is there such a word? I also thought this would be the best way to say” Have a lovely and safe trip to London and back”, enjoy yourself, and look forward to reading about your adventurers on your return .
    Maura x

    Reply

    • Elizabeth

      Fantastic Maureen, that’s made my day! So delighted you enjoyed the cake. What was the special occasion? Many thanks for your best wishes – I will definitely be writing all about my adventures when I get home!

      Reply

  9. jodie harvey

    would love a number 9 please for my eldest son (get to use it another 4 times after for my other children then) 🙂

    Reply

  23. Sam Birkinshaw

    I’d like number 5 as that’s my niece’s next birthday and it’d be great for significant birthdays like 25, 50 etc for my friends and family

    Reply

  43. faye huntington

    No.1 so that every time someone does well i can present them with a no.1 (THE BEST) cake!! 🙂 faye xx

    Reply

  45. Helen Grayson

    6 – it’s my mum’s 60th this year and I can make a regular circle cake for it. She’d love it! 🙂 x

    Reply

  87. mummymakescakes

    Thanks for linking to #CelebrationCakesAndBakes, I love the colours and it looks beautifully finished. I think making it with a day’s notice is even more impressive 🙂
    (For rafflecopter) My daughter’s birthday is coming up but that’s already decided as a Frozen cake, (She’s very excited) so it would have to be a 5 for my son’s birthday later in the year.

    Reply

  93. belleau kitchen

    I really do love a numbered cake but it’s the black sponge that I think is the most intriguing… lovely cake,well done… i’d go for 21, my age…. ahem…

    Reply

    • Elizabeth S

      It’s a lovely rich dark chocolate cake, but the darkness in the photo is due to sunlight streaming in the window (a nice change after this long dark window!). 21 you say, surely you’re not a day older than 19! 😉

      Reply

  98. Johanna GGG

    what a stunning cake – especially given the short notice – I have just had a 5 year old birthday too and need quite a bit of time to plan a cake – I also love the sound of your cake – am always after good chocolate cakes

    Reply

    • Elizabeth S

      Your own chocolate cake recipe you made recently sounds lovely too! Nothing beats an awesome chocolate cake 🙂

      Reply

    • Elizabeth S

      At least this time is was an easy theme! Flat stuff is easier to work with than those 3D shapes my children keep requesting! 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comment xx

      Reply

  108. HelenA71

    If I should be lucky enough to win I’d like number 9 for my daughter as she’ll be 9 in July and is wanting a birthday party this year. Eeek – Where does the time go?

    Reply

  109. Tracy K Nixon

    I love your cake! Well done! I would choose 11 (or a 1 so I could make my own 11??) as my eldest son has just turned 10 so it would do for him next year and for my other three when they turn 11 too!

    Reply

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