Fiona Poole Happy 40th
1975 babies, Happy 40th!
When I was searching for a theme for a recent 40th I stumbled across a website about ATARI games systems. The first successful in-home gaming console was sold in Sears department stores in 1975. This cake was made for a man who loves his gaming, always has, and most probably always will!
This cake is modelled on the 1975 version of the ATARI Pong. The base was carved from styrofoam and covered in black paper. In hindsight, the base would have looked much more like the plastic original if I had covered it in fondant. Ah well, live and learn.
The black fondant on the Pong was textured slightly to represent the mottled plastic on the original. The brown sections could have been a bit darker, a quick go over with the airbrush would have done it.
The cake itself is a chocolate stout cake with vanilla frosting filling, and has become a firm favourite. The recipe itself is my own and will make one 9 inch round or equivalent.
Chocolate Stout Cake
3/4 cup chocolate stout (my favourite is Shannon’s Chocolate Stout)
160 grams unsalted butter
1/2 cup good quality cocoa
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 175°c (350°F).
Line the cake tin with baking paper (I don’t bother greasing but feel free if you like).
Put the stout and butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat on medium until the butter melts, about 90seconds.
Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Mix the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined and then add the cooled chocolate stout mixture.
Add the dry ingredients until combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and give it another quick blast to make sure it is completely mixed.
Pop in the pan and into the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean (my oven is slow, yours may not take the full 40 minutes).
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, remove from pan and place on cake rack to completely cool.
Fiona Poole 