Dinosaur fossil excavation birthday cake
Delicious chocolate sponge cake covered in chocolate spread and biscuit crumb 'dirt' and decorated with white chocolate fossils.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 25 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300 g self-raising flour ((1¾ cups + 2 tbsp))
- 50 g cocoa ((approx. ½ cup))
- 350 g soft butter or margarine ((approx. 1½ cups))
- 350 g caster sugar ((approx. 1¾ cups))
- 6 eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 325 g jar dark chocolate spread ((approx. 11½ oz))
- 7-8 bourbon biscuits (or similar cream-filled chocolate biscuits)
- 200 g white chocolate fossils - see note ((approx. 7 oz))
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 25cm (10 inch) square tin with baking parchment.
- 2
Sift the flour and cocoa together and set aside.
- 3
Cream the butter/margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy. In a jug, beat the eggs together with the vanilla.
- 4
Add the beaten eggs to the butter mixture a little at a time, adding a tbsp of the flour/cocoa mixture with each addition. Beat thoroughly to combine. If the mixture appears to be curdling, add a little more flour.
- 5
Once all the eggs are incorporated, fold in the remaining flour/cocoa and mix well to ensure everything is well combined. The mixture should be a soft, dropping consistency - if necessary, add a little water or milk.
- 6
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap to level. Bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- 7
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before decorating.
- 8
If the surface of your cake is uneven, you may wish to level it using a breadknife or similar. Otherwise, continue with your cake intact.
- 9
Spread the chocolate spread in a generous layer over the top and sides of the cake. (You may not need the entire jar.)
- 10
Place the biscuits into a food processor or mini chopper, and blitz to crumbs. (Alternatively put them in a plastic bag and pulverise them with a rolling pin.) Gently stick some of the crumbs to the sides of the cake.
- 11
Once the sides are crumbed, arrange the white chocolate fossils on the top of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining biscuit crumbs around and over the fossils to cover the rest of the cake. Brush any excess crumbs off the fossils if necessary.
- 12
If you have a toy spade or any other non-edible 'accessories', place on the cake to complete the scene.
- 13
Store in the fridge until it's time to light the candles and serve!