Up to my elbows in chocolate

I ended up really enjoying preparing Jbird's birthday cake.  I used the recipe I said I would for the cake, filling it with chocolate mousse, and covering it in a dark chocolate ganache, with white chocolate ganache streaks for effect.  I loved the way it looked when I was finished, as though it could sit in a shop window drawing customers into a chocolatier/bakery.  

Assembly was very messy.  The cake had sunk a little bit in the middle when it was baking.  This could possibly have been because I opened the oven a few times after discovering a drip through the spring form sides of the cake tin which I need to put a tray under.  The reaction of the hot/cold air in the early stages of baking left the middle section of the top of the cake with brain type bumps in it.  So I sliced the top of the cake off to flatten it.  There were chocolate cake crumbs everywhere.  Of course, I had to try a few.  I managed to make the mousse thick enough that the heavy top layer didn't squish it all out, but there was mousse everywhere.  I have a weakness for chocolate mousse so I tried 'some' of that too.  I was also happy with my ganache consistency.  Although it didn't have the extremely smooth quality I was going for, it didn't drip and pool either, but sat comfortably as I spread it over the cake.  Afterwards, there was dark chocolate ganache everywhere.  Including in my tummy.  The white chocolate was runny enough that it made very dramatic streaks across the top.  I added some diagonal stripes too.  Only one bit of white chocolate ganache dripped over the side of my icing bag onto the top of the cake which cleaned up pretty nicely.  Still.  There was white chocolate ganache everywhere.  And yes, I tried some of that too.  I tasted so much during the afternoon that almost didn't think I would be able to stomach a piece when we cut it it later that night.  Almost.

Soph brought berries which were a lovely decoration and added something special to the flavour of the chocolate.  We served it with yoghurt on the side*.  

*I think having yoghurt with cake is part of the New Zealand cafe culture because my American friends have made other suggestions when I mentioned having yoghurt with cake.  Like cream cheese.  When I first had yoghurt I thought it was too tart. Now I think it tastes perfect as it tones down the richness of cake.