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Henri Turned 10 this month and the celebrating has been at a feverish pitch for weeks. It is a big year when your little baby hits double digits and becomes a Tweenager. On his actual birthday we celebrated with our family. He wanted to rent the movie Grease (one of his babysitters was recently in the play at the high school), have sushi and eat chocolate cake! It sounded like a fantastic idea to me. After 20+ years I’d forgotten about some of the racy content in the movie, which they edited out of the high school play, Oooops! Luckily we were watching at home and could fast forward through the more “educational” scenes!
The cake he chose was amazing. I used my Devil’s Food Cake recipe and topped it with Dorie Greenspan’s Chocolate Malted Buttercream. A bunch of chocolate shavings made it look festive, but it was so simple to put together.
Henri’s Chocolate B-day Cake:
1/2 recipe of Devil’s Food Cake (baked in an 8 by 3-Inch cake pan for about 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean)
Chocolate Malt Buttercream by Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From My Home to Yours
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup Malted Milk Powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Prepare and cool the Devil’s Food Cake
To Prepare the Buttercream:
In a double boiler melt the chocolate and 1/2 of the brown sugar.
Stir together the malted milk powder, cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl. Once the chocolate has melted add the malted milk mixture and whisk gently until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and remaining 1/2 of the brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and vanilla. Turn the speed down and add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter. Scrape down the bowl and continue mixing. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and mix until smooth.
Cut the cake into 2 or 3 layers. Fill the layers with the malted buttercream and then cover the outside with more icing.
using a chefs knife you can make the chocolate shavings from a large block of chocolate. The backside of the chocolate is generally smooth and if you just scrape the blade against the chocolate it will curl up into shavings.
Cover the top with the shavings and serve at room temperature.
This cake actually got better after a day, the icing was smoother and the flavors popped out more, just cover and leave it at room temperature.
The next party was a sleepover with Henri’s buddies from school. They came over, we went to see Star Trek and then they came back to the house for cake, ice cream and a mostly sleepless night! Henri designed T-shirts to give to the kids and wanted me to make a cake to match. He and Charlie had so much fun designing the shirts they decided to start a T-shirt business, more to come on that! This cake was a marbled yellow cake inspired by Shirley O. Corriher’s Magnificent moist Golden Cake in BakeWise with his favorite cream cheese icing.
Thanks for stopping by. I'm Zoe Francois, pastry chef and cook book author. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. 
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These cakes look fantastic! YUM! The chocolate shavings are gorgeous, and I love the second cake (cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites!). I recently made a cream cheese frosting and added some bourbon (more adult than kid… Very tasty! Henri is truly lucky! Can’t wait to try out the recipes!
I have that book too, but till now i have not made this cake and now you are tempting me to make them, they look so so delicous, wish i had a huge slice.
Lovely cake! Looks nice and rich! Love the t-shirt too, such a handsome boy!
Your son is so creative – I love his design and putting them on T-shirts is such a perfect idea. And the cakes look yummy too! Juanita
I love the fact your 10 year old wanted sushi! You’re raising him right
Happy Birthday to Henri! These look delicious.
My goodness, what a fabulous birthday. So fun! And Henri, what a charmer.
Just in time! My gf birthday is in about a weeks time. Now I have to gather some cake pans. This looks excellent!
If we keep the whole Devil’s Food recipe will that make two normal cake pans worth? Would we then double the icing recipe?
Hi Matthew,
Yeah, the full recipe will fill two 9×2 cake pans. I’d double the icing, just to make sure you have plenty to fill and decorate the cakes. You may have a bit left over, but just freeze it and you can use it later for cupcakes or just to eat with a spoon!
Thanks, Zoë
This looks just wonderful. I saw it on tastespotting and was intrigued by the butter cream. Your photography is gorgeous. Happy Birthday Henri.
It looks so tall! How’d you do that out of one 8″ round? LOVE malt.
Congrats to Henri! His cake looked yummy
Thanks for the step-by-step, I find those very useful! good job at the chocolate curls, I have yet to master those bad boys!
Wow – Henri’s 10. I remember when he was born. Wish him a Happy Birthday for me. Oh, and the cakes look beautiful.
Henri is so handsome! Cute T-shirts. I would love a piece of that chocolate cake right about now!
wow. that cake looks so decadent and delicious! nice cake stand, too!
Beautiful cake!
This cake is so decadent and beautiful. Gorgeous chocolate shavings on top. Happy b-day to your son! Cheers!
I’ve been wanting to make a chocolate malted cake for a while. This looks great and so soes Henri!
Happy Birthday!
That looks amazing!! Does adding brown sugar maket he frosting grainy?
Oh yum. It’s no wonder Henri is grinning away … I would too. This looks delish and I’m having a choc craving right now.
Hi Steph,
I think I liked the cake better the second day because the consistency of the icing was nicer. The brown sugar melted into the chocolate a bit. it does have a slight grain, but certainly not enough to adversely effect the icing.
You could make the frosting the day before and let it sit, unrefrigerated until you are ready to decorate the cake.
Enjoy, Zoë
That cake is almost as gorgeous as Henri!
mmmmmm to everything
Wow wow wow! Omgoodness I’ve never wanted chocolate cake so badly before!
I hope your son had an amazing birthday! I certainly know he had one amazing cake.
Hi Zoe. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It looks like a wonderful combination and I can’t wait to try it, especially since I recently got some malt powder from King Arthur Flour. I also got a chuckle out of your Grease “review.” We had a similar experience when we went to see it in the theater with friends a few years ago. We were astounded with the “adult” themes/content that we had no recollection of from when we first saw it in high school 30 years ago. Funny how being a parent can change your perspective! Thanks again!
Emilie
What lucky dude!!! Your creation looks so delicious. I’ve making chocolate cupcakes with colorful gummy decoration for my lil’ boy’s birthday for the past two years. I will do it differently next. Thanks!
Lovely cake!! Happy Birthday to your Henri…he has such a charming smile….
That looks delicious!
Cute pic of your son and his cake! looks like it was a hit. That chocolate cake is droolworthy! OMG beautiful:)
Nice cake…love the decoration. And your son is very cute.
The cake looks amazing! And your son is adorable!
What a cute smile!
Ooh… yum! Now I know what kind of cake I’ll be having for my birthday… thanks and happy belated birthday to Henri!
What a celebration! Henri is a charmer, happy birthday to him! I love the Devil’s Food Cake and yours looks so sophisticated (especially the chocolate shavings)! How can I resist that much chocolate?? For great chocolate recipes, also check out Dove Chocolate Discoveries’ website. Yummy!
Henri – you ROCK! Nice cake – and the t-shirts have been washed TWICE from use in our house! When can I get mine?? I am a medium…I’ll pay you in cash, dude!
Looks awesome, as always! xxoo J
Happy Birthday to Henri! Both cakes look absolutely amazing. To think I had boring ‘fruit flan’ when I turned 10!
What a great birthday cake. I just wish that my mother would have utilized me more in the kitchen when I was younger.
At d Bar we are playing with agar agar. I have tried 2 different brands. Do you have a preference? I am struggling with the formed cubes setting.
This post inspired me to write the following:
I’ve got zero cake making experience aside from boxed mixes(thus no pans or stands or covers or ways to transport. What I’m wondering is if you can do a post in the future on easy but impressive cake piping techniques and cake making tips?
Or point to some good sites that are thorough about it.
Hi Matthew,
How exciting that you want to learn more about cake baking. It is a wonderful skill. If you search the categories section of the website under “cake” you will find many helpful hints on all kinds of different cake styles, including decorating and assembling.
Thanks! Zoë
Both cakes look wonderful. It looks like your son inherited your creative genes.
WOW Zoe…indeed plate licking good! FUN FUN FUN!!
Two fabulous cakes! I’m so impressed. I wish I could have a slice of both. Happy bday, Henri! Sorry that I’ve been an absent commenter; I just finished up my law school exams and am finally getting around to my google reader.
That looks really yummy,I will try your reciepe but use our Dove Chocolate Discoveries Chocolate.
I hope he had a very Happy Birthday !!
Join my Team Of Chocolate Lovers,become a Dove Chocolatier.
The smooth sides look so nice with the rough topped chocolate shavings.
So funny that you guys watched Grease
The full recipe for cake calls for three eggs. So the half recipe calls for 1 1/2? Can you round up or down on this?
Hi Laura,
I used 1 egg + 1 egg yolk for the 1/2 recipe.
Enjoy! Zoë
Beautiful! I will try your recipe:) Delicious~
Happy Birthday! Felice Cumplano!
I just finished making the devils food cake and buttercream frosting for my son’s 9th birthday today! It turned out amazing! (If the crumbs and licked frosting beaters are anything like the real one, my kids give it a thumbs up!
Love the fancy cake. So much more than I could ever put together!!
But I love the t-shirt cake even more. What a fun idea to have your son design t-shirts and give them out. Love that!! And a cake to match? Brilliant
I have my son’s bday cake on my blog right now, but it’s not so fancy!!
Mmm I haven’t had a good, full-fledged chocolate cake in so long! This looks perfect!
This is now my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!!!!! I’ve made it twice, first time for my son’s birthday (requested chocolate cake and chocolate frosting….and steak of course!) and then again for the big family b-day party (used it as the 2nd layer of a guitar cake). Both times this recipe turned out GREAT! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! That DOES look divine! Even my husband would eat that. (He doesn’t like cake or frosting–unless its chocolate decadent like this and not too much cake! YUM!
I am in Chocolate Heavan Now! Thanks for sharing that recipe
Hi Honey!
What a beautiful recipe, thank you for sharing!
I love it so much I’ve included it the “Top 21 Chocolate Cake recipe posts on twitter”
Keep up the good work!
Love,
Bridge
Zoe,
I love the cakes stand. Where could I find one that is similar and does it have a top? I am looking for a great chocolate cake for my husband. I have made 4 or 5 home made chocolate cakes in the last 2 years and he still likes a box cake better. Go figure…
hey zoe! i ve made your outrageous mocha buttercream for a friend bday and it totally rocked…now im back to bake another one for valentines day and i thought id give this a shot..sure looks awesome!!! =) though in our neck of the foods its hard to come by malted powder…will horlicks do??