Birthday

When it comes to birthdays and Christmas, I am probably the biggest kid around. We went to the Red Lobster for supper on Tuesdayand had an excellent meal. We split Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms between us, then had a Caesar Salad each (no croutons for me) Matt ordered grilled tilapia and I had  Blackened Arctic Char topped with shrimp tossed in a Cajun butter sauce and pico de gallo. They were offering broccoli and rice, I said no thanks to the broccoli so the waitress said I could upgrade to asparagus or brussels sprouts. Needless to say I chose asparagus. Who on earth wants brussels sprouts with fish? I drank a glass of wine with my meal. I then ordered a slice of Chocolate Wave Cake to go. Can't find a picture of the fish we ate, but it was delicious. I haven't had Arctic Char in a long time and I had forgotten how good it was. I was offered the ice cream, to go with the cake, which I didn't want. I think it would have been liquid by the time we got home.

Today we are going to the Mandarin for my free birthday lunch (could have been dinner if I had chosen) have to take 3 friends with us. Before supper tonight I will be having some bubbly to drink. Can't let the day go by without some champagne.

My Chocolate Wave serving is my birthday cake today. There are three lots of candies mentioned in the cake below, none of which I have ever seen in North America, but they could be subbed with candies available here.

Bruce Bogtrotter cake

270 g butter, softened
270 g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
100 g each milk and dark chocolate, melted
270 g self-raising flour
30 g cocoa
For the Filling
150 g butter, softened
300 g icing sugar, sieved
45 g cocoa sieved
2 Tbs milk
200 ml chocolate sauce
3 Tbs popping candy
37 g bag Maltesers, lightly crushed
2 large Crunchies

1. Heat oven to 160C fan, gas 4. Grease and line 3x18cm round cake tins. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour if it starts to split. Next, pour in the melted chocolate and stir well.

2. Fold through the flour, cocoa and ½tsp salt, then beat for a further 2 mins. Divide between the 3 prepared cake tins and bake for 25-30 mins, until light and springy. Cool on wire racks.

3. To make the frosting, whisk the butter to soften, then beat in the icing sugar. Whisk the cocoa and milk together,then pour into the icing mix with the chocolate sauce and beat until smooth.

4. Once the cake has cooled, set one sponge on a cake stand, smooth over a third of the frosting and sprinkle with 1tbsp popping candy. Repeat with the second cake, then top with the third. Add the remaining icing and sprinkle over the Maltesers, Crunchie and remaining popping candy.

Have a great day