My Son's Birthday Cake

May is an important month as it is my elder son's birthday and he a tough client to please. For last couple of years, he has been very specific about his birthday cake from flavours to colours to filling :)

This year demand was for a raspberry filling inside a chocolate sponge with whipped cream frosting. So being the loving mother, it has to be made according to his wish. Its a easy cake with delicious results. Recipe will be in multiple steps for you all to follow. If you have eaten cakes in Pakistan, this is how they taste.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

Eggs                       3
Flour                      1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp

Cocoa Powder       1 tbsp

Sugar                      1/2 cup
Baking powder       1/4 tsp
Pineapple Juice       1/2 cup

Raspberries            400 gms

Method

Preheat the oven at 350 F.

Prepare an eight inch pan by putting a parchment liner at the bottom and then brushing the sides with butter.
Separate egg whites from yolks.

Beat egg whites till stiff and dry. Now add yolks and beat again.

Add sugar slowly in steps while beating continuously.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to aerate it.
Now add flour and baking powder and fold in the egg mix with a wooden spoon. Do not use beater at this stage.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
Put in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes till skewer inserted comes out clean.

Wait for ten minutes before taking out of the pan. Let it cool on a rack till it comes to room temperature.

Whipped Cream Ingredients

Whipping Cream                    3 cups

Icing Sugar                             2/3 - 1 cup

Vanilla Extract                        1/4 tsp

Method

Chill the cream  and whip till soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and keep whipping until you get stiff whipping cream.

Take care not to over whip or you will end up with butter. Keep in the refrigerator.

Assembly

Split the cake through the middle with the help of a serrated knife.

Brush with the syrup on the both sides.

Add a big dollop of whipped cream and spread on the bottom layer.

Add a layer of crushed raspberries.

Put the second layer of the cake on top. Brush with syrup and cover with the whipped cream.

Decorate with the raspberries and serve chilled.