A pink cake for Miss Emily

Thursday was Miss Em's birthday and I believe you can't have a birthday without a cake. As Em and Mr M are new to our little town, like us, they too don't have the usual special people to spend days like birthdays with.  

SO....
I had a plan. A lovely BBQ dinner and a PINK (Em's favourite colour) birthday cake for dessert.

BUT .....
The BBQ was a little delayed to throw a spanner in the works, literally, thanks to the mechanic husband having to work late. Our house also has very poor air conditioning and I'm sure we managed to cook poor Mr M's brains while he had children climbing all over him and trying to entertaining him, as he was a man down; thanks to the stuck-at-work husband. Mr M ended up with a headache and looking rather pale.
In comes said delayed husband to save the BBQ day and Mr M from the crazed children who wanted to play with him like a new Christmas toy!!!

On to the BEST PARTS Miss Em came prepared with Plum pudding made by her super talented Nana. It was amazing! And custard.....
And THEN.....
The pink cake. I had a few helpers with the cake.

It is a Marble cake recipe by Women's Weekly {with a few extra special touches I have added}.

250g Butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar
3 eggs
21/4 cups (335g) self-raising flour
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
pink food colouring
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk, extra

BUTTER FROSTING
90g butter, softened
1 cup (160g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 180oC/160oC fan-assisted. Grease and line deep 22cm-round cake tin.
2. Beat butter, extract and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sifted flour and milk, in two batches.
3. Divide mixture among three bowls; tint one mixture pink. Blend cocoa and extra milk in cup; stir into second mixture.
4. Drop alternate spoonfuls of mixture into tin.

     5. Pull skewer backwards and forwards through cake mixture {I used a toothpick...}

   
     6. Bake the cake about 1 hour. Stand in tine 5 minute; turn top-side up, onto wire rack to cool
     7. Top with frosting once completely cool.
Butter Frosting
Beat butter in small bowl with electric beaters until light and fluffy; beat in sifted icing sugar and milk, in two batches. Tint pink with colouring.

Jess Tips:
1. Omit vanilla extract and add coconut essence to the WHITE bowl and Strawberry essence + pink food colouring to the PINK bowl.
2. When making the icing put all ingredients in bowl together and beat until light and fluffy BUT also add strawberry essence.

NB: Cake can be stored for two days at room temp, in air tight container {if you can resist this long...} or frozen for two months.

Cake was enjoyed by all with two sets of candle lighting so that Jaybug and Squeak could both assist Miss Emily in blowing out the candles. Of which the only candle in the house was a great big number 5. 

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY EM!!!

Thanks for sharing your special day with us Emily xxxx