You know those amazing cakes you see on Pinterest, yeah, this isn’t one of those. I am not a baker. I love cooking, I am good at making food that tastes nice and I love eating, but I am not a baker. If you’re the same as me then you can probably make this recipe and feel half way pleased with yourself! Ok, so it isn’t Pin worthy but it’s alright. I’m not good at decorating cakes so I think simple is best. I’ve tried being fancy before but it just doesn’t work.
This recipe has evolved from a different one that a friend passed to me a few years ago. If ever I want chocolate cake this is the recipe I go to. Over the years I’ve made tweaks and changes, so much so that I now think I’m allowed to call it an original!
It’s dead easy to do as it’s an all in one method for the cake and you can cheat even further by using self raising flour instead of farting about with baking powder and bicarb!
Easy Chocolate Mine Craft Cake:
275 grams plain flour.
1.5 tsp baking powder.
1.5 tsp bicarb
3 tbsp cocoa powder
210 grams caster sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
210 ml sunflower oil
210 ml milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract.
Half tsp salt.
Sift all the dry ingredients into a big bowl, then add the wet ingredients. Whazz together with an electric whisk and divide into two 7″ square tins (lined with greaseproof paper). Put them in the oven Gas Mark 4/160c, for 35-40 minutes. I don’t have a fan oven so I swap the tins over after 25 minutes). Sticking a skewer into the middle will tell you if it’s done. If it’s clean it’s done, if it’s not then it needs a few extra minutes. Take out the oven and leave to cool.
The cakes won’t be 100% flat and you want them to be as flat as possible. That means slicing a bit of cake off the top of each. These can be taste tests bits, you need to taste plenty of it to make sure it’s ok.
Butter Cream Icing:
500 grams of softened salted butter (I microwave cubes of cold butter in a bowl to soften it in 4-5 second blasts, mixing around after each blast. Works for me).
500 grams icing sugar, sifted. (I like my icing buttery so this is how much I use. Most people add up to twice this amount for real butter icing. You can freeze leftovers!)
1 tsp Vanilla extract.
Mix the above ingredients thoroughly together in a big bowl. Take a generous quarter of the mix and put into another bowl. Sift and mix 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the big bowl. Squirt two tubes of green food colouring into the small bowl of icing and mix (Aldi do a good version of the Dr Oetker gel colouring but I couldn’t be bothered to drive just to get some).
Smoosh on the chocolate butter cream to the bottom square and then sandwich on the top one, which I place upside down to give you a square top. Before I start doingΒ this I tuck bits of greaseproof paper under the cake to stop the board getting messy. (Next time I want to see if decorating somewhere else, then transferring it will work better because I ended up tearing half the icing off the bottom when I removed the paper…ho hum).
Once sandwiched together, put more of the chocolate buttercream around it, filling in gaps. A knife in some hot water will neaten up corners and make it more cubey.
The green icing is spread on the very top. Use the flat of a knife to pat over the top to create grass. I add chocolate sprinkles to the sides for dirt. I empty it into my hand and then gently throw/spread it on. Then you eat it!
Looks amazing! π
Thanks! It tasted good!
I did pin you π I want to make that for my little cousin’s birthday in July, she loves minecraft ^^ thanks for sharing π
Thank you! I pinned it myself too, in the hope that someone, somewhere would think it worthy!! π
Looks delish! Your first line about not being a Pinterest cake made me chuckle! π
Thanks! You should see those Pinterest cakes! Some of them are just not possible!!
Oh I have! I did a Minecraft party last year. I was horrified at the skill needed!! Sadly the birthday boy had seen them too so the bar was high!!! https://postcardfromgibraltar.com/tag/minecraft/
You did the squares! I chickened out of doing the squares. I was tempted but knew I’d probs mess it up. Last year my Minecraft cake was four layers too and it was MASSIVE! Two layers only this year, I think it was acceptable…
I did – they were hard! And four layers meant the top but slid off!! I think your way is far preferable if I’m required to do it again next time! π
I attempted a minecraft cake back when Teenage Son was of that age and craze. Yours is much better than mine!
Thank you. I’m glad someone likes it! I know that if I’d tried being more adventurous, it probably would have looked like a dog’s dinner!
Yup, I think that was my mistake! I ended up with something like Maccu Picchu after a landslide.
Great cake ! I need another cake recipe for next week another birthday
Well, if you try this recipe make sure you let me know! It’s dead easy and really yummy too.
Will do !