Christmas Pudding Cake

 

 

I recently saw some cute hemisphere-shaped cake tins in Lakeland and was ordering some other things so couldn't resist buying one. I immediately had two ideas for things to bake with it, one of which was a Christmas pudding cake - that is, a cake decorated to look like a Christmas pudding!

I wanted to make a chocolate cake, as I don't really like Christmas cake or Christmas pudding, and as there is a blogging challenge featuring the recipes of Nigella Lawson - and it's been a while since I've done anything of Nigella's - I thought I would see if I could find a chocolate cake recipe of hers. Which obviously wasn't that hard! I decided to use this recipe for her 'old fashioned chocolate cake'.

You need:
200g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarb of soda
40g cocoa powder
175g butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
150ml sour cream

I don't seem to be very good at making sure I have the right ingredients lately.. I realised as I started to bake that I had forgotten to buy any sour cream. Maybe I should have named this blog the Forgetful Baker.... I substituted Greek yogurt, which also means this recipe is lower in fat, and it seemed to work fine!

 

I creamed the butter and the sugar then added the eggs

 

 

 

Then I added the flour and bicarb of soda

 

 

Next I added the cocoa powder and vanilla

 

 

 

And finally the Greek yogurt.

 

 

I was surprised the cake tin actually stayed upright...

 

 

I sprayed the tin with plenty of Cake Release and it came out as a perfect hemisphere:

 

 

As I wasn't going to frost the outside of the cake I wanted to put something inside. I've got a cupcake plunger that is designed to remove the core of a cupcake to allow you to fill it, but it's actually quite big and a little too big for some cupcakes - but I thought it would work perfectly for this.

 

 

I used it to remove a core from the middle of the cake...

 

 

 

.... which I then filled with Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Frosting. I'd been baking for hours and didn't have the energy to whip up something else!

 

 

Then I replaced the section of cake I had taken out, so the filling will be a surprise when we cut into the cake!

 

 

It was quite easy to make it look like a Christmas pudding. I rolled out some white fondant and cut a wavy line around the edge, then placed it over the top of the cake.

 

 

I then cut out some pieces of green fondant using a holly leaf cookie cutter I bought at Cake International in November- I knew it would come in handy!

 

 

 

 

Finally I just rolled some little balls out of red fondant and placed them on the top.

 

 

Simple but effective! I'm taking this to my parents' house when my boyfriend and I visit them this weekend (as I am spending Christmas with his family for the first time!) and I can't wait until my mum cuts into it and the chocolate fudge filling oozes out!

 

 

I am sending this to Calendar Cakes, hosted by Rachel of Dolly Bakes and Laura of Laura Loves Cakes, as their theme this month is Christmas.

 

I am also sending this to Forever Nigella, also hosted by Laura of Laura Loves Cakes, as the theme is any Nigella Christmas recipe. This chocolate cake of hers isn't specifically a Christmas recipe but I hope Laura will decide it counts as I've put a very festive spin on it! This particular challenge was created by Maison Cupcake and I think this is the first time I have entered!

 

 

 

I am also sending this to Tea Time Treats, hosted by Karen of Lavender and Lovage and Kate of What Kate Baked, as their theme this month is chocolate.