You can't have your cake...

And eat it too! But seriously, who wants to leave a cake and not eat it? Even when it is deliciously gorgeous I would still rather eat it.

Hamish, our big boy is now 4! This also marks the end of birthday season for our little family, and thank goodness for that. I'm all birthday caked out!

My Women's Weekly cake book served me well for the birthday season. Hamish's cake for preschool was the basic vanilla cake and his cake for home was the chocolate cake.

Rich Chocolate Cake:
1 1/3 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
125gm butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup water.

As with all the recipes I do these days you can substitute, in this case I use Orgran No egg replacer and I used tablelands dairy free margarine instead of butter. I find it make things lighter using the dairy free options anyway.
This recipe you just sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and then add all remaining ingredients and combine. Increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. Spread into prepared pan and bake until cooked.

I added a little something with the buttercream to jazz up an otherwise ordinary cake. This meant putting a layer in the middle of the cake.

A messy shot, I know! BUT it was a quick photo to show the middle. I have to say it was a delicious cake. The butter cream, also a Women's Weekly recipe and again substituted with the dairy free marg and rice milk instead of cows milk.

Butter Cream:
125gm butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter in small bowl with eletric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half of the icing sugar, milk then remaining icing sugar. Flavour and colour as required.

And the result is delicious!!!!!! And here is the birthday boy himself