Little Chocolate Cars

I have said it before and I find myself  in a position to say it again. Baking is good for the soul.

Last weekend I was feeling a bit flat and needed a distraction. Normally when this happens I would either go for a walk or bury myself in the kitchen and given it was a cold and rainy day I decided a walk would probably do more damage then good.

So there I am standing in front of the cupboard scouring its contents for inspiration and tapping my foot impatiently when I spot 2 king size Milky Ways peaking out at me from underneath a pile of marshmallows and chocolate melts. You see for my Dad's birthday earlier in the year I originally wanted to make him a race track cake with little cars on it, but then my Mum came up with the idea of making the Iced Vovo Tart and well the rest is history!

These little cars were so much fun to make and bring a big smile to my face every time I see them - they are just so adorable! Mr B has been taking them to work in his lunch box and everyone that's seen them has asked him for one! It's amazing how even grown men can be swayed by tiny little chocolate cars....

I even made one into a little trike.....Mr B and my Dad ended up battling it out in a card game to see who would be declared ultimate champion and get to take that one!

You will need:

2 large Milky Way Bars or Mars Bars sliced into thirds
Tiny Teddies
Smarties
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted

Start by taking your milky way and use the melted chocolate to stick your four smartie 'wheels' on.

Use the melted chocolate to stick on your smartie 'steering wheel' and your tiny teddy 'driver.

Super easy and super cute!! The hardest part is not eating all of your 'car parts' and finding 4 matching coloured 'wheels!'

And here are the cupcakes I whipped up later that same day. I love the look of these and they were also really easy.

Take a basic vanilla cupcake and cut the top off of it using a sharp knife.

Use a small cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the cupcake top. Keep both the piece you cut out and the piece you cut it out of.

Frost your cupcakes with buttercream (I divided mine up into portions and dyed each one a different colour.)

Top your cupcakes with either the cut-out shape or the outline piece.

Enjoy!!

And remember, you're never too old to make, eat or race little chocolate cars!

Mrs B xx

Chocolate Mudcake with Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream

Ohhh yes....it is as amazing and as naughty and as decadent as it sounds :) and the best part is...it's so easy!!!


I have made this recipe twice in a matter of 3 days and it's so simple I've already got it memorised...which I highly recommend because believe me you will have people asking you for it!!

All you need is:

200g butter softened
100g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup self raising flour
250g good quality dark chocolate melted

Pre-heat oven to 180C

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together.

Add your eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.

Then add your flour and melted chocolate, beating until smooth.

Pour into a greased and lined (believe me lining is mega important if you don't want to lose the bottom half of your cake....) square tin and bake for 45-50mins.

Don't be too concerned if your cake sinks in the middle, those gorgeous chewy edges make a great border for your frosting :)

While your cake cools you can make the Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream :)

2.5 cups icing sugar
150g butter
1 shot of bourbon
2 tspns vanilla paste

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. you may want less vanilla or more buorbon depending on your personal tastes.

Once the cake has cooled, frost with buttercream and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

This is such a great recipe. Most mud cake recipes I read are long and involve lots of ingredients, but this recipe is short, simple and it makes a 'real' mud cake that is moist and delicious and devilishly decadent, especially when compared with this frosting!!

The reason I was so excited (and up so damn early) earlier in the week was because a local cafe here asked me to submit a plate of different cakes for them to try and they would consider buying them to sell :)

Here is what I took in....


Chocolate Mud Cake with Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream, a Lemon Yoghurt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, an Apple Spice Cake with Maple Frosting and a Strawberry Yoghurt Cake with Vanilla Yoghurt Buttercream....

At this stage I haven't heard anything but I'm trying not to get disheartened...keep your fingers crossed!!

Em x