Dark chocolate cake with whipped cream

Another occasion - another cake for me to bake and decorate !! I'M LOVING IT !!

Today, we celebrated my parents 45th wedding anniversary and to celebrate their long beautiful journey together I made this dark chocolate cake decorated with whipped cream.

 Earlier, due to my job, I just never had the time or the energy to indulge myself in  the things that I really wanted to do, but now, I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. Also, there is something about turning 40, that makes you re-evaluate your life and makes you wonder, "Hey, why is there ever no time for myself ? Why haven't I ever got around to do the things that I had planned. Seriously, life is too short and too beautiful to let it waste away. Time to throw caution to the winds, strip away your security blanket, take some time out from the mechanical humdrum of life and just follow your heart, do things that you have always wanted to do in life, things that make you happy inside.I am so glad that I am finally able to do it. 

So, celebrate the sweetness of life with this lovely decadent chocolate cake.

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa                                                      

11/2 tsp baking powder

11/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil                                              

2 tsp vaniila essence

1/4 cup boiling water

1 tsp caramelized sugar syrup

For the whipped cream

11/2 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Add eggs, milk, oil,  vanilla essence and caramel syrup and beat well with a hand mixer for 5 minutes till well mixed.

Stir in the boiling water and mix again.

Pour the batter into a microwavable dish and microwave on high for about 8 minutes or till the cake starts leaving the sides of the dish.

Leave to cool  completely inside the microwave.

To make the whipped cream, combine the cream, sugar and the vanilla essence and whip till soft to almost stiff peaks are formed. Refrigerate till needed.

Once the cake is cooled completely, take it out of the dish.

Slice the cake horizontally into two equal parts.

If needed level the top layer and place the bottom layer on a serving platter.

Cover the bottom layer with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Place the second layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream.

Decorate with whipped cream swirls and chocolate shavings.