happy campers chocolate birthday cake

It's a fact: happy camping makes you hungry ... when you're hungry, you want chocolate cake. If it happens to be your birthday, and you are camping, then you must get some 'happy campers chocolate birthday cake', quickly! Now say that when you've had one baileys too many ...
Bake your cake in advance and store in an airtight container. It will keep for days (given a chance)!







Cake
150 gr unsalted butter, softened
150 gr icing sugar
4 medium eggs, separated
150 gr plain chocolate
150 gr self-raising flour, sieved

Filling
200 ml double cream
150 gr white chocolate

Icing
150 gr plain chocolate
75 gr unsalted butter, cubed
75 ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 150C - Grease a non-stick 20 cm round cake tin.
2. For the cake: cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl. Gradually beat in the egg yolks.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly, then beat into the creamed mixture. Gradually stir in the flour.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Beat 2 tbsp of egg white into the cake mixture, then fold in the remainder.
5. Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until firm to the touch. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.
6. To make the filling: whip the cream until thick. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly, then fold into the cream.
7. Slice a thick layer off the top of the cake and spread the filling generously on both layers.
8. For the icing: melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir in butter and cream. Chill icing until just firm.
9. Spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the cake, if you wish, with chocolate curls, smarties, cocoa, birthday candles if the occasion requires!

Finger licking good (... and bowls and spoons too)!