We deliver Australia wide
Call 1300 303 307

Alert

The maximum quantity permitted for this item is , if you wish to purchase more please call 1300 303 307
Wine Selectors 50th birthday cake
Food

Wine Selectors 50th Birthday Cake

Preparation time
Cooking time
Serves

What’s a birthday without cake? And not just any cake — this one is truly special! Our 50th Birthday cake was custom-made by the incredible Aussie author and pastry chef Emelia Jackson.

This irresistible masterpiece features a rich chocolate fudge cake layered with luscious plum and blackberry compote and topped with a velvety Shiraz chocolate ganache. Ready to bake it yourself? Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

For Chocolate fudge cake:

570g brown sugar

375g plain flour

150g cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp fine salt

150ml neutral oil, like avocado or rice bran

300g sour cream

6 eggs

3 tsp instant coffee mixed into 375ml boiling water

For Shiraz Dark Chocolate Ganache:

500ml Mount Pleasant High Paddock Shiraz (or any other Shiraz from the 50-year Celebration Collection)

1kg good quality dark chocolate - 54%

For Plum and Blackberry Compote:

2 blood plums, diced

1 punned blackberries, sliced or halved

50g caster sugar

50g brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

To make the Chocolate fudge cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 140C fan forced and line an 8-inch/20-cm round cake tin with baking paper.

2. Whisk together the caster sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, ensuring there are no lumps.

3. Combine the oil, sour cream, and eggs in a jug and whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre of your dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.

4. Fold the two together until just combined—this will be thick as we haven't added the coffee yet. Finally, add the hot coffee and mix until smooth —

5. Be careful not to overmix (never overmix) to ensure you end up with a perfectly tender cake.

6. Pour the batter into your pre-prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

7. Once cooled, cut the cake into three even layers.

To make the Shiraz Dark Chocolate Ganache:

1. Heat the shiraz over medium heat until simmering — this will reduce some of the alcohol content but also melt the chocolate (be cautious; the wine can flame if the alcohol catches). Once simmering, pour over the chocolate and allow it to melt for 1-2 minutes before whisking into a smooth ganache.

2. Allow the ganache to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until the cake cools completely, to thicken enough to ice it. The ganache should be thick and luscious.

To make the Plum and Blackberry Compote:

1. Combine all of the ingredients (mentioned under Plum and Blackberry Compote) together into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the fruit collapses and the juices reduce to a jam-like consistency (around 3-4 minutes). Allow to cool completely - this can also be done a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the cake:

1. Place the first layer of chocolate cake onto your serving platter and spread over a couple of tablespoons of the ganache to completely cover the cake. Fill a piping bag with the ganache and pipe a ring around the cake's circumference - this will act as a dam to contain the jammy, fruity filling.

2. Fill this cake layer with a couple of tablespoons of the compote before topping it with another layer of cake. Repeat this process until all of the layers have been filled.

3. Use the remaining ganache to completely cover the tops and sides of the cake before decorating it with different types of piping tips.

Emelia’s decorating note: I’ve given this cake a golden touch by spraying it with edible gold spray (you can also use lustre dust) and topping it with fresh blackberries.

Food
Chef
Emelia Jackson