Sucre-Haven: Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake

So it's my brother-in-law's birthday and what better excuse to bake a birthday cake with a wow factor. Recipe taken from thepinkwhisk, here's my version of the cake.

Makes two layered 8 inches cake

For the cake

375g self raising flour

375g caster sugar

375g unsalted butter (room temperature)

6 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp strawberry jam

For the buttercream

200g butter (room temperature)

400g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp hot water

For chocolate ganache

100ml - 150ml double cream

125g dark chocolate

To make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line the bottom of two 8 inches round cake tins.

2. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure the eggs are fully incorporated before adding another egg.

3. Add the vanilla extract and then sift the flour into the mixture.

4. Fold the flour into the butter mix till fully incorporated.

5. Pour the cake mix into the 2 prepared tins equally.

6. Bake at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes, checking whether the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake. The cake is cooked if the skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool the cakes completely before assembling.

To make the buttercream

8. Cream butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until combined.

9. Add a tablespoon of hot water to make it spreadable. Set aside till needed.

To assemble

10. Once the cakes are cooled, level the cakes by cutting the top of the cakes so they sit nicely on each other.

11. Spread strawberry jam on top of the bottom layer and place the second layer on top.

12. Wrap them in a cling wrap and fridge for about an hour.

13. Cover the cake with a first layer of buttercream. At this point, just roughly cover and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes. The second layer will go on easier once the first layer is set.

14. Cover the cake all over with a second layer of buttercream. Dip your palette knife in hot water, dry it with kitchen paper and run the palatte knife along the side to neaten the buttercream. Keep dipping, drying and smoothening. The sides will become soon in no time.

15. The top need not be too neat because a layer of ganache will cover any imperfections.

To make the ganache

16. Heat the double cream till it is just about to boil, pour into the chocolate, allow to sit a minute and stir to melt the chocolate into the double cream.

(Mine was too watery (200ml cream) so reduce the cream to 100 or 150ml)