Birthday is the day of balloons, confetti, and of course, a centerpiece of a cake! This homemade rendition of the yummy classic chocolate birthday cake is any kid’s dream!
Ingredients:
Cake
● All-purpose flour, 2 cups or 240g
● Large eggs at room temperature, 4
● Whole milk, 1 cup or 227g
● Butter, 4 tablespoons or 57g
● Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
● Salt, 1¼ teaspoons
● Granulated sugar, 2 cups or 397g
● Pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon or 14g
● Almond extract, 1/8 teaspoon (Optional)
● Vegetable oil, 1/3 cup or 67g
Frosting
● Natural cocoa powder, 1¼ cups or 106g
● Confectioners’ sugar, 4 cups or 454g (Divided)
● Softened butter, 20 tablespoons or 284g
● Hot water, 1/3 cup or 74g
● Pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon or 14g
● Salt, ¼ teaspoon
Instructions:
The Cake
● Preheat oven to 325o F. Take two round cake pans, lightly grease them, and line them with parchment paper.
● Beat eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until the mixture is thickened and lightly golden.
● Now add the dry ingredients to the beaten mixture and mix.
● Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the oil and butter. Stir well.
● Add it to the batter and stir in a mixer until everything is fully incorporated.
● Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
● Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes. Then, transfer them to racks to allow them to cool at room temperature.
The Frosting
● Stir cocoa powder, 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, and salt with water and vanilla essence. Add the remaining sugar and the butter while stirring.
● Beat the frosting using a mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add water if necessary.
Assembling
● Place one cake and spread 1 cup of frosting over it in a thick layer. Then carefully place the second cake over it, bottom side up, to have a flat top.
● Keep the cake uncovered in the refrigerator for up to two hours to firm it up.
● Then take the cake out and crumb-coat it by spreading a very thin layer of frosting across the top and around the sides. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
● Coat the remaining frosting thoroughly and finish with a touch of rainbow sprinkles.
Prince George Attended Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Concert
Prince George was attending the Platinum Party that was part of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, and he sang along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” which was performed by Rod Stewart. Prince George excitedly joined in during the song and sang along during the added portion of the tune.
Prince George Seemed to Have Fun During the Platinum Jubilee Concert
During the star-filled event at the Palace, the young royal wore a suit and tie for the concert special and sat next to his father, Prince William. Close by were his mom, Kate Middleton, and his sister, Princess Charlotte. All four swayed back and forth to the iconic song. 22,000 guests had also gathered outside of Buckingham Palace for the event to celebrate the contributions to fashion, sports, the environment, and music of the Commonwealth and the U.K. during the queen’s record-breaking 70-year reign.
The Queen Did Not Attend the Jubilee Concert but Watched it On TV
Queen Elizabeth II, who is currently 96, didn’t personally attend the concert because of her ongoing mobility issues. However, it was confirmed that she watched the festivities on TV in Windsor Castle. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also did not attend the Jubilee concert but spent the day privately, celebrating the first birthday of their daughter Lilibet Diana. Other royals were also at the Jubilee concert, including Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The event started with a humorous sketch that depicted Paddington Bear having tea with the Queen. In it, Paddington said he always carried a marmalade sandwich and the Queen quipped that she also had that habit, as she pulled one out of her handbag. The show was curated by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and in addition to Rod Stewart, it featured Queen and Adam Lambert who performed a rendition of “We Are the Champions.”
Rod Stewart Shared the Stage With Many Other Celebrities
The party also featured performances from Hans Zimmer, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, Diana Ross, and Andrea Bocelli. Lloyd Webber and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared in a special performance featuring guests from The Phantom of The Opera, Six, The Lion King, Hamilton, and more. The celebrity hosts who appeared via video or on stage included Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Dame Julie Andrews, and U.S. Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu.
The Jubilee concert stage was made of three other stages that were linked by walkways to create a 360-degree experience next to the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace. Alongside the stage, there was a set of 70 columns of light that were meant to represent each year of Queen Elizabeth II’s seven-decade reign.