Birthday Cake!

Somehow, between my second week of classes, tutoring, reading 5+ fifty page articles, and working 40 hours, I let Roald Dahl's birthday pass me by!

I had to make it up to him somehow, and what better way than with a scrum-diddly-umptious cake?!

One cake that I've always wanted to try is from Matilda...

Principal Trunchbull calls the entire school to an assembly where she accuses Bruce Bogtrotter of eating her chocolate cake.

"It's hard for me to remember a specific cake..." Bruce says.

"This one was mine... and it was the most scrumptious cake in the entire world!"

She then forces him to eat the whole thing, which is about the size of a car tire. With encouragement from his classmates, Bruce is able to "consume the entire confection!"

In celebration of Roald Dahl's birthday (and maybe mine, which is just around the corner...), I decided to have a go at Bruce Bogtrotter's Cake, which can be found in Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes. It's an adorable cookbook that I highly recommend, especially if you have little people helping you in the kitchen.

Bruce Bogtrotter's Cake
from Matilda
serves 1 to 8

for the cake:
8oz good-quality semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1c plus 2T sugar
1/4c all-purpose flour
6 eggs separated, yolks slightly beaten

for the icing:
8oz good-quality semi-sweet chocolate
8oz heavy cream

Start by melting the chocolate in a double broiler, or in a metal bowl over simmering water. Mix in butter.

liquid gold

Pour into a mixing bowl and mix in flour, sugar and egg yolks. Then you'll need to whisk egg whites until stiff. Fold in egg whites, one half at a time.

Pour into cake pan, lined with buttered wax paper. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Roald Dahl says that it will appear to be undercooked in the middle, but not to worry because it will set as it cools. I left it in a little longer just to be safe, and it was perfect. I did have a little extra, so I made a cute little mini cake too.

While your cake(s) cools, make the icing. Heat the rest of the chocolate on the stove in a double broiler and mix in heavy cream.

Carefully transfer cake onto a plate and spread icing with a spatula.

baby cake 

I mean no disrespect Mr. Dahl. Your cake is scrumptious, but to quote Bruce, "my mom's is better." If you had a piece of my mom's chocolate cake, you would understand.

There are tons of fun recipes in this book, and in his other book, More Revolting Recipes. I'd like to try Lickable Wallpaper, Nishnobblers, and Tummyticklers with my little cousins. Also, Mr. Twit's Beard Food makes me laugh a lot.

Happy Birthday Roald Dahl!
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