United Cakedom: mousse

Today is the third day of Cadbury Week here on United Cakedom! I thought I would feature my favorite Cadbury bar since arriving on the shores of England. The Star Bar!! It has a peanut butter like middle, which is what immediately drew me in.

The Star Bar has gone by many names! It was popular in the 60's and 70's no surprise why they might have liked a chocolate bar called Star Bar! It was shortly re-named a Nudge before becoming a Peanut Boost in the 80's. It's now back to Star Bar... whatever the name it's still a great chocolate bar!

This cake is made from a box mix. I know shock and horror and condemn me for all time. You don’t have to use a box mix you can use whatever chocolate cake you’d like. I’m just sharing with you how I made it.

I choose to use a box mix for a few reasons. 1. Time. It was easy to just follow the instructions, throw the batter in prepared tins, bake, and done. 2. It’s been hot. So, I didn't want to spend too much time in front of a preheating oven etc… 3. Cake mixes aren't all that bad. The cake since made with oil is always moist and has a great crumb. It’s also a great base when wanting to highlight other flavors. Like the peanut mousse that I use to sandwich between the layers and top with.

It was pretty delicious. I shared it with my mom friends and the rest was taken to my husband’s office. I didn't hear any complaints only the humming noise that comes when people are enjoying a lovely piece of cake.

Star Bar Cake

1 pkg of Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix (or your favorite chocolate cake)

Follow the instructions on the package.

Peanut Mousse

145g cream cheese

1 cup golden icing sugar

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp whole milk

Beat the cream cheese until light and creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix until smooth. Add the peanut butter and the milk and beat until combined. The mixture should be fluffy!

Caramel Sauce

2 tbsp cold water

100g caster sugar

120g double cream

25g unsalted butter

Put the water and caster sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat gently to dissolve, swirling but never stirring the contents. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. Cook until the caramel turns amber, then watch like a hawk until it turns dark, then whisk in the cream. Careful not to splash, add the butter and whisk until smooth. Cool before using.

To finish:

2-3 Star Bars.

Place one layer of the cake on your stand/plate and cover with a little more then half of the peanut mousse. Place top layer on and press down slightly. Cover the top with the rest of the peanut mousse. Chop up the Star Bars and sprinkle over the top. Then drizzle the caramel on top and enjoy!!

notes: Sorry about the jumping from US measurements of cups to UK grams etc... the peanut mousse was adapted from All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray. This caramel sauce always works out for me, it comes from The Whoopie Pie Book by Claire Ptak. I know I already said this but this post is not sponsored by Cadbury, it's all done by me! Oh and in the Republic of Ireland it's known as a Moro Peanut bar and Canada and Germany it's known as a Wunderbar. Cadbury needs to make up it's mind! ;0)

Monday: Picnic - PicnicDoodle Salad
Tuesday: Double Decker - Double Decker Pillow Cookies

In the words of my little one: Best Day Ever!

Before Christmas (last year) I started looking around for a baking class to attend. There are a few here and there around London, a couple outside of London as well, but Eric Lanlard’s at Cake Boy seemed the best by far. Along with the fact that there was one on my birthday it seemed like fate.

The day started with breakfast and a briefing by Eric, before getting on to the baking. The first half we made 3 delicious treats a Yuzu Tart in a Matcha pastry, a Light Fruit Cake, and a Valhrona Chocolate Mousse on a crunchy praline base. We paused in the middle for a delicious lunch before finishing the day with decorating our treats!

(When I got home I set my bag on the counter and the fruit loaf slipped down off the top of the boxes and brought the whole bag to the flour. I was so upset, but thankfully everything was alright. Only a few bumps and bruises, still edible, which is the only important part!)

It was obvious that Eric and staff have done this before it was very well organized and the day ran very smoothly. The best part was that I didn't have to clean up after. Bowls and spatulas would just disappear and come back clean, it was like magic. The other four ladies I was with were very lovely and we all got on very well. In fact everyone was amazing especially Eric, he was patient and gave very clear instructions, everything you'd want in a teacher. The staff working that day were also very friendly and helpful!

We took home all our treats, along with the aprons we wore, and a goody bag full of baking essentials. Let me just say I have tried all of them since I have been home and they are all amazing. My favorite is the Yuzu Tart. The yuzu has such a refreshing yet tart taste it’s delicious. All of the treats we made are more then doable at home, but I don't know that they are the type of things I would bake at home. It's another reason I chose this class. Oh and if you want to try the Yuzu Tart it's in Tart it Up!

It was a great experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you Eric and everyone at Cake Boy for making it a great experience. A bigger thanks to my Mom and Dad for sending me!