Chocolate Birthday Cake

Another birthday, another cake!  This time for my boyfriend Tim.  He specifically requested a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.  So, I got the vanilla frosting from the store as well as sprinkles, but instead of a boxed mix, I decided to try out a chocolate cake recipe from Ina Garten.  I didn't have buttermilk, nor did I have lemon juice to make butter milk, so I used regular milk.  Also, instead of regular coffee, I used a cup of espresso.

The recipe was very easy to follow.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and flou two 8 inch pans.  Mix up milk, eggs, vanilla and oil in a bowl, or in my case a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup and set aside.

Mix dry ingredients, and slowly add wet to dry.

Lastly, add the hot coffee slowly to the mixture.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 min.

Cool for 30 min, and then it's time to think of other options for the cake besides the store bought vanilla icing.  I wanted to make a chocolate mousse to put in-between the layers of cake.  Making a mouse is pretty easy.  I make chocolate ganache by bringing cream to a simmer and pouring it over chocolate allowing it to melt.

Next I whip heavy cream

and fold it into the ganache.

Bam!  Chocolate Mousse!

Now it's time to decorate the cake.  Place one of the cakes mound side down on a plate.  Layer the mousse.

Place the second cake mound side up on top of it.

Ice with vanilla icing, and decorate with sprinkles.

Happy Birthday Timmy!