I love my kids.  I love 'em a lot.  But here's the thing:  I really have trouble with all the stuff that I'm supposed to 'like' doing as a parent.  Take, for example, the whole birthday party thing.  Going to a movie with 15 kids or going to the pool and then doing pizza and cake and all that crap - with 20 kids or booking some big party thing... oh god!  I can't deal with it.  All of a sudden I've got parents to feed and kids to entertain for 2 hours and, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, hot dogs, chips and a pencil and ruler to take home just isn't cutting it with kids anymore...
However, I'm not entirely sure anymore because we've kind of given up on the big party circuit.  We still get invited to them and Kid #1 and #2 do go to them (gladly).  We just don't throw them.  We throw a bbq in the summer for Kid #2 because his birthday is on July 4th.  Perfect outdoor BBQ time of year.  We invite friends and family and make a deal out of the dinner part of it.  Kids can play outside and enjoy themselves.  There is birthday cake but no games or the obligatory stuff.  It's fun because my friends are there and we are enjoying ourselves.


December 31st is birthday time for Kid #2.  Not so BBQ friendly here in Toronto.  So after a couple of large birthday parties in the middle of winter we gave up.  Now all she wants is for a few friends to come over, they eat, they watch a movie, they sleep-over, they don't do much sleeping during the 'sleep-over', they eat again (maybe some homemade pancakes) and toddle off home.  Beautiful.  I can watch my own movie on the computer while they watch theirs.  I can put them to 'sleep' in the basement where they can giggle to their hearts content and I won't hear them.  Most of the partying is happening while I'm sleeping... can't ask for anything better.  If only there were such a perfect solution for taking your kid to the park or playgroup - ugh!


Here is the cake that I made for the 'sleep-over'.
It's from Nigella.  This cake uses custard powder which, before using it in this recipe, I had never seen or used before.  The can of custard powder is kinda cute:


I like this cake because it's cakey.  It's not too dense or wet on the inside.  It's nice, dry and spongy (hence the 'sponge' in the title, right?).
I like this cake because it looks appropriately fancy but not like it came from a bakery.  I like it when something looks homemade... especially when it is.  I like when a cake looks really good but wasn't really hard to make at all.
I also like that stuff drips over the sides because dripping chocolate is awesome.  And I like it when kids around a table look at this cake and get really excited when they see it.  I like baking something that garners a 'I can't wait to eat that' from somebody.  If you like these things too then try making this cake.


Birthday Sponge Cake (adapted from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast')

Cake:
200 g (1 3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbsp Birds Custard Powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking sod
dash of salt
4 eggs
225 g (1 2/3 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
200 g (1 1/4 cup) sugar
2 - 3 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour two smaller sized (20 cm) cake tins and set aside.
Combine the flour, custard powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.  Mix to combine and set aside.
In another bowl beat together the eggs and butter until it's well incorporated.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and eggs and mix well.  Add in the milk 1 tbsp at a time until it forms a pourable consistency.
Divide the batter between the two cake tins and bake for about 22 min. or until a tester comes out clean.
Cool for a few minutes in the tins before removing to a cooling rack.  Cool completely.



Buttercream filling:
125 g icing sugar
4 tsp Birds Custard Powder
75 g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp boiling water

Whisk together the icing sugar and the custard powder.  Add the butter and mix until incorporating.  Add in the hot water just until the consistency is right for spreading over the cake.


Chocolate Icing:
175 g dark chocolate (or a mix of dark and milk - which is what I did)
1/4 cup cream

Over a pot of simmering water melt the chocolate and 1/8th of a cup of the cream together in a heatproof bowl.  The chocolate may seize a little bit once it's melted.  Remove from heat and add in the rest of the cream.  Mix gently until it becomes glossy in consistency.  Cool slightly if needed and pour over cake.