21st Birthday Cake!

Chocolate and salted caramel.

It's my own personal birthday rule, that the day must begin with chocolate. I welcomed my 21st year on this earth with a huge, decadent slab of chocolate cake for breakfast-and that is exactly how it should be done. It's like getting a kiss at midnight on New Years Eve, only better, because its delicious and won't send you awkward texts for the following week.

The cake turned out huge and glorious. Drippy, golden caramel; a crown of candles to make a wish with; lashings of buttercream and plenty of light chocolate sponge. I love how the sharpness of the salted caramel cuts through the chocolate flavours. This icing tastes almost like a Milky Way.

Recipe:

I used BBC Good Food's: Easy Chocolate Cake

Adaptations:

• I made one cake mixture as the recipe states.

• Then, I made another batch but added 100g milk chocolate chips, 100g toffee pieces and an extra tbsp of cocoa to the mix.

• I made 1.5 times the amount of icing stated.

• When building the cake, I placed a darker sponge down first, then a paler etc. until all 4 layers.

• In between each layer was a generous helping of buttercream and a thin layer of M&S Salted Caramel Sauce (only available in-store, located in the baking section). Microwave the sauce for 15 seconds to make it easier to spread.

• For the decoration on the top of the cake, I created a circle of caramel around the very top edge of the cake and watched it drip down the sides. Then I sprinkled over the entire top, some chocolate shavings (made from 50g of milk chocolate).

• Finally, 21 gold candles!

In my head, I imagine receiving a Paul-Hollywood-handshake and Prue declaring it a 'Showstopper!'.

I wish... I wish... I wish this cake will last forever!

In a rush? Head to ...

Hummingbird Bakery: Mile High Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake

This cake was the inspiration for my own. Six dark chocolate layers, sandwiched with salted caramel and coated in a chocolate ganache. Seriously dense and seriously chocolatey; this is honestly one of the best slices of cake I have ever eaten. Grab a slice to-go in one of their bakeries (across London: Spitalfields, Soho, South Kensington, Notting Hill, Islington) or order online an entire cake for a party.

1 slice: £6.50

1 cake: (from £30.95)

Élan Cafe: Cherry, Chocolate and Rose

This place is like stepping into an instagram-fantasy-land: cascading pink flowers arranged in a heart shape, chic pastel furniture and aesthetic food choices. It's definitely worth a visit. I ordered my cake with a Ruby Latte, which was bright pink and flavoured with beetroot. I'm not sure it beats the classic, caffeine-filled drink I'm used to, but it did look very pretty. Shops in Knightsbridge and Mayfair.

1 slice: £7.50

Check out the rest of their menu here!

Go celebrate! x