♥ Irish Car Bomb Birthday Cake

Fudgey boozey goodness.

The baby J.

My two favorite Irish boys share a birthday today. It may be just another birthday for J, but our boy, ‘S’, is celebrating a milestone today: he’s turning 21. Twenty one. Holy cow! I am waaaay too young to have a child that old. Even so, there is a 21 year-old man out there that calls me “mom”. Oy.

The baby S.

Actually, I was quite young when I had him; young and stupid. I didn’t have a clue about being pregnant or taking care of a baby, for that matter. But I read everything that I could on the subject.

S at 3 days.

This was back in the day before Google. I actually had to go to the library (uphill in the snow both ways, of course) and check out books to read on the subject. There was no such thing as downloading to my Kindle, either.

I probably did everything wrong, according to the “experts”. I didn’t eat meat. I didn’t drink milk. I didn’t care how much weight I gained (and I gained a lot). I held him every time he fussed, while the MIL clucked in disapproval. I kept him in my bed at night because I was exhausted and because he wouldn’t have it any other way. I nursed him until he was two and I made his baby food myself. Baby food from real food, not from jars.

I hope that makes up for everything else that I put him through. Like being totally clueless. And the low paying job with the long hours while I worked my way through college. And the years following while I worked my way up the professional ladder. Sure, the pay was better  . . . but the hours were just as long. And he spent too much time in daycare, as far as I was concerned.

He often cringes when he sees these old pictures. Some of the outfits make him question just what I was thinking (or what I was on). The bow tie and suspender shorts? I’m sorry, S; I really don’t know what I was thinking. But, over time, the clothing situation in the portraits did improve.

Then again, maybe that is all a matter of perspective.

Regardless, there is really no valid excuse for letting him wear the mullet.

I’m sorry for that. Okay, not really.

Despite all that, he grew up to be a fine young man.

He has brains and an extraordinary sense of compassion (he’s a vegan by choice). He has a wicked sense of humor, too.

I still marvel at the miracle of it all. I must have done something right.

♥     ♥     ♥

A special birthday calls for a special birthday cake, for both of my boys.

Gone are the days when S had his very own birthday cake to demolish, some of which actually wound up in his mouth. While we snapped a million photos.

Now that he’s all grown up–and he’s heard my lecture on drinking responsibly and enjoying alcohol in moderation a million times already (blah, blah, blah)–it’s time to make an adult kind (the best kind) of cake.

I’ve always wanted to try an Irish car bomb cake. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I modified our favorite chocolate cake recipe, using Creamy Baileys in place of the non-dairy milk, chocolate stout in place of the coffee and Irish whiskey in place of the vanilla extract.

This cake is definitely not for the kids. Or the teetotalers. The alcohol will bake out of the cake, but the ganache and the frosting aren’t baked and they will be full strength.

Sorry, S, you don’t get your own cake this time. And you can’t eat this one with your hands.

♥     ♥     ♥

Irish Car Bomb Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Ener-G egg replacer to equal 2 eggs

1 cup Creamy Baileys

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or Irish whiskey)

1 cup of hot chocolate stout (I warmed it in a saucepan)

Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces

2/3 cup Creamy Baileys

2 Tablespoons non-dairy butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (we like Jameson)

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) non-dairy butter, melted

2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa

1 teaspoon Irish whiskey

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/3 cup Creamy Baileys

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour 2 baking pans; set aside.

Cake: whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the egg replacer, Creamy Baileys, oil and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add the liquid, except the stout, to the dry and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the chocolate stout and continue to beat just to combine (the batter will be thin). Pour the batter immediately into the prepared pans. Tap the pans on the counter to release the air bubbles and place the pans on the middle rack in the pre-heated oven.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before removing from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Ganache: Heat the Creamy Baileys until it’s simmering. Place the chocolate pieces in a heat safe bowl and pour the heated Baileys over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute and then stir it until it’s smooth. If it isn’t completely smooth, heat it for about 20 seconds in the microwave and stir well. Add the non-dairy butter and the Irish whiskey and stir until combined and smooth. Let the ganache cool until it’s thick, stirring occasionally, but still soft enough to spread.

Place one of the cooled cake layers on the serving plate and pour the ganache over the top, spreading it so that it covers the top evenly (I hollowed out the center of the cake slightly for the ganache).  Be careful not to let it pour down the sides of the cake. Place the second layer of the cake on top of the ganache.

Frosting: melt the non-dairy butter and beat in the cocoa and the Irish whiskey. Alternately add the powdered sugar and the Creamy Baileys, beating on medium speed, to a spreadable consistency. Add more Baileys if necessary. Frost the cake as desired.

If you want, drizzle the remaining ganache over the top of the frosted cake.

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Happy birthday, baby S! I've always loved you.

♥

♥ (It’s Not My) Birthday Cake

Well, I managed to stretch out being “Queen For A Damn Day” for several days. The entire week, in fact. J worked late most nights this week; apparently he is supposed to attend some mandatory training before climbing into the cockpit of a new multimillion dollar jet. Regardless of the fact that his wife has been (self) ordained Queen For A Damn Day Week. Regardless of the fact that he is supposed to bake a birthday cake for the Queen. But, I did receive a nice consolation prize in his absence:

I ♥ Susan Nichole (100% recyclable & vegan) handbags!

So, naturally, I took his absence as license to be completely lazy (hey, it’s good to be the Queen!). I spent most of the week in sweat pants (when I told J that I was wearing Victoria’s Secret, this was so not what he had in mind) and I watched the entire Arrested Development series on DVD while eating “noochy” popcorn for dinner. And I felt obligated to help dispose of the leftovers, too:  chocolate fudge and Irish cream cheesecake. But, all good things must come to an end: a deep, dark and rich chocolate-covered end.

Originally, J was going to make my birthday cake, but when faced with the choice of making the cake or doing the dishes that had piled up while I was playing Queen, I chose making the cake. It is only a *small* exaggeration to say that seagulls were hovering over the sink.

Tomorrow, I will be in my sweats again . . . but instead of basking on the couch I will be on the treadmill. Somehow, my brief reign as Queen has caused my jeans to shrink up a bit in the waistband. Hmmm.

Keep a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk close by when enjoying this cake; you will need it!

♥     ♥     ♥

Perfect Chocolate Cake

(Makes 1 9-inch cake or 34 cupcakes)

Adapted from "Hershey's 1934 Cookbook"

Ingredients:

Perfect Chocolate Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa (the recipe calls for Hershey’s cocoa, go figure)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Ener-G egg replacer to equal 2 eggs

1 cup non-dairy milk (I use plain soy or plain coconut milk)

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup of hot, strong coffee

Perfect Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) non-dairy butter

2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I use plain soy or plain coconut milk)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 2 9-inch round (or heart shape) baking pans (or prepare the cupcake papers in the baking tins).

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together the egg replacer, non-dairy milk, oil and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add the liquid to the dry and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (this is important, see the note below).

Add the hot coffee and continue to beat just to combine (the batter will be thin.)  Pour the batter immediately into the prepared pans or the cupcake papers (fill the cupcake papers half full). Tap the pans or the tins on the counter to release the air bubbles and place the pans/tins on the middle rack in the pre-heated oven.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  For cupcakes, reduce the cooking time by 1/3 to 1/2 but be sure to check the cupcakes after 25 minutes.  Remove the pans or tins from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before removing from the pans/tins to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, melt the non-dairy butter and beat in the cocoa and the vanilla extract.  Alternately add the powdered sugar and the non-dairy milk, beating on medium speed, to a spreadable consistency.  Add more milk if necessary.

Note: the thinner batter of this cake tends to create a fudgey bottom in each layer of the cake. Mixing the batter for the full two minutes and placing in the oven without delay is important for a consistent cake texture, but I didn’t do that this time due to “doggus interruptus” while making the cake. J says that he likes it better this way. Oh, well: to each their own, eh?

But I am serious about keeping that glass of non-dairy milk handy, because this cake is rich and sweet.

♥