Giant Chocolate Cupcake {Breast Cancer Awareness Month}

The word is getting around that I bake and I’m not to bad at it! A friend of a friend was looking for a giant cupcake to give as a get well present for a friend. The only information I was given was it had to be a chocolate cake with pink frosting in the shape of a giant cupcake. I was like yeah I can do that!

I used a silicone mold  if I do it again I think I will invest in a proper metal mold  as the cake didn't come out as easy as I would have liked. Even after greasing the sides and sprinkling flour in the inside. As you can see after a little reconstruction and buttercream it turned out all right! I also think, delicious as this cake recipe was, I would experiment with another recipe, as I can’t blame the silicone mold for all my troubles! ;0)

It wasn't until afterwards I found out the giant cupcake was for a woman who loves cupcakes and who recently had a mastectomy. Here are some breast cancer stats for the UK:

·        nearly 50,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. That’s one person every 10 minutes

·        just over 12,000 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year

·        breast cancer is the second biggest cause of death from cancer for women in the UK, after lung cancer

·        there are an estimated 550,000 people living in the UK today who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer

·        in women under the age of 35, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer.

Those stats there are enough for me to want to make sure I am checking myself on a regular basis. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, make yourself aware!

Chocolate Pound Cake (American recipe will need measuring cups!)

Taken from All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray

3 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour)

3 cups of sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 stick (1/2 cup or 120g) unsalted butter, at room temp.

1 cup shortening (Trex)

1 ¼ cups milk

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 large eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F/160C/gas 3; make sure the tin/pan you are using (especially if using a mould) is properly greased, floured, and lined.
2. In a bowl of an electric mixer (if you don’t have one should be okay to use a hand mixer) dry whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa.
3. Gradually add the butter, shortening, and milk and beat on medium until smooth.
4. Add baking powder and salt then beat until incorporated. Still on a medium speed, add the vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 1 ½ hours. Depending on your pan/tin you might want to check it at different times to ensure it’s properly done. Use the toothpick/skewer test when it comes out clean it means the cake is done!
6. Cool the cake in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Remove the cake onto a plate to cool completely!!

Pink Vanilla Buttercream (British measurements!)

Taken from Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth

100g unsalted butter (just shy of a stick of butter)

300g icing sugar, sifted (no idea how many cups this would be sorry!)

1 tsp vanilla extract

75ml double cream (heavy cream) or substitute whole milk add slowly as you may not need all of it.

1. Beat the butter alone for 4-5 minutes on high speed.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla, and cream; beat on a low speed to bring it together. Speed it up to high and beat for another 2-3 minutes.

to Finish:

I suppose it depends on if it’s for a special occasion or not? Just decorate according to your needs! I used a star shaped nozzle and piped flower like dots all over the top and covered in sprinkles! There are so many other ways you could do this though! It’s up to you!

All the information I’ve given comes from this website: http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/

Also if you’d like to know more or give to the cause please follow go here! http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/fundraising-events