Tiny Packages and Big Things: Mini Chocolate Cake with Homemade Chocolate Sugarpaste

“Sometimes, little things make a big difference…” Nino Varsimashvili

Something does not need to be large to be good….size is not everything…It is certainly true about people as well, the physical appearance should really be the last thing defining a person, determining the way others look at them or influencing their friendships. Friendship is the emotions and conduct of people that results in a state of mutual trust and support between each other, regardless of look, origin or age. I have a very special friend, who would certainly not be the obvious choice of company for me: she is nine, and I am…well, a bit older. She spends majority of her time in school, whilst I am working. She is dependent on others, whilst I am independent…Now this is the conventional way of looking at us…however, what I see is very different: we both love playing (only I live from it)…we both love reading and writing…we both love baking…we make each other laugh…we both have a quirky sense of humour…we are both tough…we both are wild free spirits…Baking a cake for a girl so complex (and fussy) is an exciting challenge of the language of baking: expressing my love for her through chocolate…Our relationship of mutual affection is a strong form of interpersonal bond as we have made a similar commitment and share a similar destiny: loving life. The presence of the deepest connection of friendship allows a nine-year-old not to refrain from telling me something I may not want to hear. Being a true friend she will not lack the mercy to correct me when I’m wrong. She listens and loves unconditionally, and loves others just because I love them. She won’t ask me to compromise my principles and her power is a good influence on me, inspiring me you to live up to my best potential. Thank you for being my friend Molmol.

  

Ingredients
The cake
3 eggs
200 g caster sugar
200 g butter
200 g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
100 g chocolate drops
For the filling
300 g soft butter
100 g icing sugar
400 g melted plain chocolate
For the sugarpaste
90 g Marshmallows
2 tsp Cocoa Powder
Dash of water
Powdered Sugar, enough to achieve right consistency
Dark brown colouring (optional)

  

Method
Preheat the oven on to 170 C degrees. Break the eggs into a large bowl. Put the sugar and butter in a bowl, then sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Beat everything together using a wooden spoon or electric beaters, then stir in the chocolate drops. Spoon half of the mixture into suitable tins and smooth the tops. Bake the cakes for 20-25 mins or until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a rack. To make the filling beat the butter and icing sugar, then fold in the chocolate. Spread over the middle, sandwich the cakes together, then dust with icing sugar. To create the chocolate sugarpaste melt the marshmallows first. Once they are soft and gooey, mix in the cocoa powder and add powdered sugar until a smooth consistency is achieved.

“It didn’t seem possible to gain so much happiness from so little.” Peter Lerangis