Barrel cake for a 40th birthday

A post after a long time. Baked many birthday cakes in between for my kids and friends’ kids. But never got a chance to upload any of it in my blog. I know I am not treating this space the way I wanted when I started the blog. Don’t know when I will be able to restart my pace. ☹

So coming to the post details, this birthday was something we friends were waiting for so long. Cake was my responsibility and I decided to go with the Barrel cake. Along with this cake, the table was filled with so many other attractive and delicious things like cupcakes (40 cupcakes-20 vanila and 20 chocolate),  pineapple table decor with Ferrero Rocher

For this barrel cake, I used coffee cake (made 2 9-inch cake) with caramel frosting and for the barrel look, in brown fondant (white fondant + homemade chocolate fondant) with stencil added the wood look. Ordered personalised cake topper from eBay. Forgot about the wordings on top of the cake while ordering the cake topper. So here is the alternative solution for that; considering the size of the cake, make a thick rectangular piece using white fondant and on top of that kept a printout with the desired pattern and wordings. (We took it out during the cake cutting 😊). And added some sugar candy cubes on top of the cake next to the Jack daniels bottle to look like ice cubes  and the bottle. 

Coffee cake:

Strong Coffee- ½ Cup (chilled)

Instant coffee powder (optional but I strongly recommend adding this)- 2 tsp

Brown Sugar – 1 ½ Cup

Butter – ½ Cup (Room Temperature)

Oil – ½ Cup

Vanilla Extract – 2 Tsp

Egg – 6

All-purpose Flour - 3 Cups

Baking Powder- 3 Tsp

Salt- a good pinch

 Method:

Mix softened butter and granulated sugar, make sure they are thoroughly combined.

Add oil to this and mix well

Next add eggs one at a time

Now add Vanilla extract, mix thoroughly.

Sift together flour, baking powder, instant coffee powder and salt.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and ½ of the chilled coffee to the liquid mixture.

Mix well and continue alternating adding in the flour and the coffee until everything is mixed well.

Add the batter to two 9-inch round cake pan.

Place in the oven and bake at 170-180 Degrees C.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick/skewer inserted comes out clean.

 

Caramel Frosting: 

Brown Sugar – 2 Cup

 Butter – 1 Cup, cubed

 Milk – ½ Cup

Icing Sugar – 3 to 3 ½ Cup 

Method:

In heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk.

Cook and stir over a low heat until the brown sugar is dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium. Do not stir.

Cook for 3-6 minutes until either bubbles form in the center of the pan or the mixture turns amber.

Remove from the heat and transfer the caramel mixture to a small bowl.

Cool to room temperature.

Add caramel mixture to a mixer.

Gradually mix in powdered sugar until combined, creamy and the correct consistency. 

Chocolate fondant:

White marshmallow – 200gm

Icing sugar- 320 gm

Cocoa powder – 80 gm

Butter – a little

Water – 15 ml

 

Method:

To melt the marshmallows properly, take a bowl and grease it with a little butter. Add the 15 ml of water and the marshmallows and heat them for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave. Watch them closely to prevent burning!

When the marshmallows are ready, stir it with a spoon or spatula, making sure it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Then, add the cocoa powder and mix it with the marshmallows.

Once you've thoroughly mixed the cocoa powder with the marshmallows, you can gradually add the icing sugar. (You may not need the entire icing sugar)

Now, mix the icing sugar with a spoon or spatula. When the chocolate fondant acquires the proper consistency, remove it from the bowl and begin to knead with your hands.

Don't forget to sprinkle icing sugar on the surface where you knead the dough to prevent it from sticking and put a little on your hands as well.

You'll know the chocolate fondant has acquired the proper texture and consistency when it stops sticking to your hands. Then, make it into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap in the bowl you previously greased with butter, adding a little icing sugar to prevent the fondant from sticking. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, remove the chocolate fondant from the refrigerator and knead it again. If you notice that the dough has hardened too much, don't worry, just put it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.

Add white fondant and chocolate fondant together until you get the desired brown colour for you barrel.

 

Assembling the cake:

cut the cakes horizontally into 2 parts. Sandwich these slices with the prepared caramel frosting. once 4 pieces are stacked together crumb-coat with remaining caramel frosting.  keep the cake in the fridge for 1-2 hours. 

cut a 9-inch round fondant and keep it in the top of the cake.

Measure the height of the cake. with this measurement (may be little more to the actual height) cut a rectangular piece. With the wood stencil print the wooden pattern to the fondant. cut 1.5inch strips and attach it to cake. Complete the cake round like this. 

Once strips are added to the cake, add a small band in top and bottom of the cake to get the barrel look as seen in the picture.