Spring Birthday Cake

ingredients for the cake

• 7 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup instant hot cocoa powder mix
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup nutella
• 1 1/4 baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

ingredients for mousse

• 500gr mascarpone
• 250gr nutella
• 25gr dark chocolate grated

ingredients for covering and decorating

• 300gr whipping cream
• yellow and blue food coloring
• rolled chocolate wafers
• fabric flowers
• white ribbon

instructions

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place a 26cm spring form in a pan.
Line the form with parchment paper and grease it.
In a large mixing bowl beat olive oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Add the rest of the ingredients and 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Continue beating and add remaining buttermilk. Beat for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into spring form and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Insert a knife, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the spring form and then tranfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a bowl beat mascarpone with nutella. Add grated chocolate and mix with a spoon.

Slice cake in half to create two layers.

Place bottom layer on a serving plate.
Spread over the chocolate mousse . Cover with the second layer.

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. While the mixer is running add 5-6 drops of yellow food color and 2-3 drops of blue to create a light green colour.

 Cover the cake with the whipped cream.

Add the rolled chocolate wafers around the cake and tie them with the ribbon.

Decorate the birthday cake with as many flowers as you can.

 I made this cake for my 9 year old goddaughter Corniglia!