I turned 17 on 14March! (anyone reading shares the same birthday as me? :D) I finally understand what my mum means whenever she says "I'm old, will be 50 soon.." when she's only 47 because currently,

I also feel like telling the world, IM OLD! 'LL TURN 20 SOON! :( LOL! Oh well, let's skip the whining about how much I really wish I can stay 16 forever. Youth is priceless!!

So I went out with my former schoolmates and another two birthday girl&boy. Our birthdays fall on the 13th, 14th and 15th! We had dinner, cut the birthday cake, and caught a movie before going home :)

Birthday basketballers! *all of us have SMALL EYES -__-* (My genuine birthday wish is to grow FAT.) You know if you let your birthday wish out, it will not come true, so yup, I hope my birthday wish will NOT come true now that I'm telling the public. LOL!

Anyway this chocolate mousse cake recipe is another recipe that I have bookmarked very long ago! The components are really simple but I kind of cracked my brains just to think of how I can decorate it - which've obviously prove to be a failure.

The chocolate sponge is pretty firm which makes it easy to slice into many layers. It is a little moist but not rich or chocolatey like the usual sour cream chocolate cakes. I think this sponge can be used for lighter cakes :) However, care must be taken that you do not over mix the batter as it will deflate causing the sponge to be denser than you should be..

Wishing all March babies Happy Birthday at the same time!!!

For the Chocolate Cake, from Food and Style
(makes 1 tall 6-inch cake. I have a 6-inch cake ring which I always use because my family prefers to eat a variety of little things, so this cake size is always just right for us ^^)

40g flour
32g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
75g sugar
14g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350degreeF/170degreeC. Sift and whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip the eggs until ribbony and thick. Add in the sugar and continue whipping until soft peaks form, about one more minute. Add half of the dry ingredients into the eggs and fold gently. Then fold in the melted butter, and remaining dry ingredients.

Do not over-mix as it will deflate the batter greatly (which was also the mistake I accidentally made). Pour into cake ring and bake for 20-25minutes. Let cool and slice it into 4 thin layers.

For the Milk Chocolate Mousse, adapted from Food and Style
makes just enough for 3 layers of mousse in my 6-inch cake

3oz milk chocolate, melted
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/2 tsp vanilla

Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream and chill for at least 30minutes before layering them over the chocolate sponge.

For the Caramelized Maple Walnuts

3/4 cup walnuts
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp maple syrup (if you don't have, use 1 tbsp honey)

Toss all the ingredients in a baking dish and bake at 180degreeC for 8minutes. (Do bake them on aluminium or baking parchment otherwise you will really have a hard time washing away the hard sugar!)