Kikilicious Chocolate Cake

This is the birthday cake I cooked for one of my dearest friend Rea. I wanted to make something special for the 17th birthday, but didn't know what. I had seen a lot of fun 2-3 layer cakes, but they seemed rather too difficult to do or too difficult for me to find some specific ingredients. So I got inspired by those "can't do" cakes and let my creativity work instead...and to be honest I was surprised by the final product (look+taste). So my advice from me to you is to not try to copy what you see, but to let your imagination and creativity work for you. I present to you my recipes, my versions on how I cook something but this doesn't mean you can't change optional ingredients (since of course you can't change the basic ones) and just have fun while cooking. In the end it's all about having a good time :) 

This is just a version of a simple 2-layer chocolate cake and I know that It looks super hard to reach, but after reading this article you'll notice I was right. So there are some things I need to explain to you before going on : 

1) 2 layers chocolate cake - i just prepared the recipe I already have on my blog : simple cacao cake, I used only 3 eggs since I did a small birthday cake (divide each ingredient in 5 and multiply 3) Then I divided the batter in half and baked this batter in 2 equal cake tins. Make sure to put baking paper (or cooking spray) at the bottom of cake tins to make sure that batter wont stick at the cake tins. Let the layers chill in room temperature for 5 mins in the cake tins and then remove layers from tins, remove the baking paper and let them cool completely. If your layers overflow (it's normal for cakes since we're using baking powder) cut with a knife the inflated part of the cake to make it flat. It's weird but my layers didn't overflow even though I used baking powder. You can also bake these layers one day before preparing the cake as I did, put them in the fridge and take them out when preparing the cake. But if you're baking and preparing the cake same day make sure for the layers to be completely cooled, otherwise you'll have problems with frosting and you won't have the best final product. 

2) chocolate frosting - I just posted the recipe of it few days ago so just follow my steps and you'll have a great frosting 

3) chocolate wafer sticks - I'm using these sticks, you can use whatever you like, different wafer sticks (it depends on what combination of flavors you do), you can also use different chocolates like Kit-Kat etc (that will make the cake heavier, but hey it's a birthday cake).... just be creative and let you're stomach and heart decide for you :)

You also need a cute stripe for the cake and the orange liqueur (you can use other flavor liqueurs, but make sure to combine well with chocolate flavor)...  + Just follow my easy steps and you'll end up with this great 2 layer cake that everybody will want a piece of ♥ 
...And of course you're asking yourselves why this name ?! I don't have many recipes of mine in this blog, but this recipe is MINE so I wanted to create a unique name for my "baby" and of course put a bit of me there..so you'll bring me to mind every time you cook it ^_^ 

Kjo eshte torta e ditelindjes qe une gatova per nje nga mikeshat e mia me te mira Rea-n.  Doja te beja dicka te vecante per 17 vjetorin e saj, por nuk dija cfare. Kisha pare shume torta te bukura 2-3 kate, por ato ose ishin shume te veshtira per tu pergatitur ose shume te veshtira per te gjetur disa perberes specifik. Keshtu qe u frymezova nga keto tortat "s'mund ti bej" dhe lash kreativitetin te me punonte ne vend te...dhe te jem e sinqerte u habita nga produkti final (si ne pamje ashtu dhe ne shije). Pra keshilla ime per ju eshte te mos perpiqeni te kopjoni ate qe shikoni, por te lini imagjinaten dhe kreativitetin tuaj te punoje per ju. Une ju paraqes receta te miat, versione te miat se si une mund ta gatuaj dicka por kjo s'do te thote qe ju s'mund te nderroni perberesit opsional (paso sigurisht bazes nuk mund ta ndryshoni) dhe thjesht te beni qejf gjate gatimit. Ne fund te fundit e rendesishmja eshte te kalosh mire :) 

Ky eshte thjesht nje version i thjeshte i nje torte 2-kateshe dhe e di qe duket shume e veshtire per tu arrire, por pasi te lexoni kete artikull do te bindeni qe kisha te drejte. Ja ku jane disa gjera qe duhet t'ju shpjegoj para se te vazhdoni : 

1) kek cokollate me 2 shtresa - une thjeshte pergatita receten qe tashme ndodhet ne blogun tim : kek i thjesht kakaoje, perdora vetem 3 veze perderisa bera nje torte ditelindjeje te vogel (pjesetoni cdo perberes me 5 dhe shumzojeni me 3) Me pas e ndava brumin ne gjysme dhe e poqa ne 2 tepsia te njejta. Sigurohuni qe te vendosni leter furre (ose spray gatimi) ne fund te tepsise ne menyre qe brumi te mos ngjise ne tepsi. Lerini shtresat te ftohen ne temperature dhome per 5 minuta ne tepsiat dhe me pas levizini keto shtresa nga tepsiat, hiqini letrat e furres dhe lerini te ftohen plotesisht. Nese shtresat fryhen (eshte normale pasi po perdorim fryres embelsirash) prini me nje thike pjesen e fryre te kekut duke e bere te sheshte. Eshte e cuditshme por shtresat e mia nuk u fryne dhe pse une perdora fryres embelsirash. Gjithashtu mund ti piqni keto shtresa dhe nje dite perpara se te pergatisni torten ashtu sic bera une, lerini ne frigorifer dhe nxirrini ne momentin qe do pergatitni torten. Por nese do ti piqni dhe pergatisni torten ne te njejten dite atehere sigurohuni qe keto shtresa te jene totalisht te ftohta(ne temperature dhome), perndryshe do te keni probleme me kremin zbukurues dhe nuk do keni produktin final me te mire te mundshem. 

2) kremi zbukurues cokollate - une postova receten vetem disa dite perpara keshtu qe vetem ndiqni hapat dhe do te keni nje krem fantastik 

3) shkopinj vafer cokollate - un po perdor keto shkopinj, ju mund te perdorni cfare te deshironi, shkopinj vafer te ndryshem (varet nga kombinimi i shijeve qe ju beni), mund te perdorni dhe cokollata te ndryshme si Kit-Kat etj (kjo do ta beje torten me te rende, por eshte nje torte ditelindjeje fundja)...vetem jini kreativ dhe lini stomakun dhe zemren te vendose per ju :) 

Gjithashtu ju duhet nje shirit i lezetshem per torten dhe liker portokalli (mund te perdorni dhe shije te tjera likeri, por sigurohuni qe te kombinoje mire me shijen e cokollates)... + Ndiqni hapat e thjeshte dhe do te perfundoni me nje torte fantastike 2-kateshe te cilen cdokush do te kerkoje nje cope ♥
...Dhe sigurisht ju po vrisni mendjen pse kete emer ?! Une nuk kam shume receta te miat ne kete blog, por kjo recete eshte e IMJA keshtu qe doja te krijoja nje emer te vecante per "vogelushen" time dhe sigurisht te vendosja pak nga vetja ime ne te....prandaj sa here qe ta gatuani do te me sillni ne mendje ^_^ 

Ingredients for the Kikilicious Chocolate Cake  :

• 2 layers of chocolate cake 
• chocolate frosting 
• chocolate wafer sticks 
• orange liqueur 

Perberesit per torten me cokollate Kikilicious  : 

• 2 shtresa kek cokollate 
• krem zbukurimi cokollate 
• shkopinj vafer cokollate 
• liker portokalli 

Turn upside down the layers and coat with a cooking brush each of them with orange liqueur.   Set aside for 5 minutes (so the liqueur can penetrate into cake) Do not over-coat, just a gentle touch 
Kthe permbys shtesat dhe lyeji me nje furce gatimi me likerin e portokallit. Leri menjane per 5 minuta (ne menyre qe likeri te depertoje ne shtresat) Mos e lyeni me shume se c'duhet, vetem nje prekje e lehte

Put the first layer on the working/serving plate with 'face' and do same (coat with a cooking brush with orange liqueur) Do same with the other layer. Set aside for abother 5 minutes (so the liqueur can penetrate into cake again) Do not over-coat, just a gentle touch 
Vendos shtresen e pare ne pjaten e punes/servirjes me 'fytyre' dhe bej te njejten gje ( lyeje me furcen e gatimit me likerin) Bej te njejetne gje dhe me shtresen tjeter. Leri menjane per 5 minuta te tjera (ne menyre qe likeri te depertoje serish ne shtresat) Mos e lyeni me shume se c'duhet, vetem nje prekje e lehte

 Put some chocolate frosting in a confectionery bag with big round tip. Start filling the first layer in circle-shape starting 1.5 cm within the countour of the layer 
Vendos nje pjese te kremit cokollate ne nje qese pasticerie me koken e madhe te rrumbullaket. Fillo mbushjen e shtreres se pare ne forme rrethi duke nisur 1.5 cm brenda konturit te shtreses

 Put the second layer and gently push in order to spread evenly the cream 
Vendos shtresen e dyte dhe me kujdes shtype ate ne menyre qe kremi te perhapet ne menyre te barabarte 

With a spatula/knife or whatever you have on hand (i'm using a cake spatula cuz I couldn't find the frosting one ups :P) frost the edges of the cake. No need for perfection ;)
Me nje spatul/thike ose cfaredo qe te keni ne duar (une po perdor nje spatul embelsirash pasi nuk po gjeja spatulen e kremit ups :P) mbulo anet e kekut. S'eshte nevoja te beni perfekt ;) 

 Now you need to work with those chocolate wafer sticks. It depends on how you decorate the cake on top, but usually these sticks are way taller than needed, so crack them up making sure to have a normal length above cake layer (in order to make the frosting) No need to be exact at the cracking part, the imperfection will make this cake look awesome
Tani duhet te punoni me shkopinjte vafer me cokollate. Varet se si do ta dekoroni torten siper, por pergjithesisht keto shkopinj jane me te gjate se cduhet, keshtu qe thyeji duke u siguruar qe te kene nje gjatesi normale siper shtreses se kekut (ne menyre qe te bejme dekorin siper) S'eshte nevoja te jeni te perpikte ne thyerjen e shkopinjve, imperfeksioni do ta beje kete torte te duket e mrekullueshme

 Take the cute stripe and make a bow round chocolate wafer sticks 
Merrni shiritin e lezetshem dhe formoni nje fjongo rreth shkopinjve vafer cokollate 

 Fill again the confectionery bag with frosting start filling the second layer in circle-shape until finished 
Mbush serish qesen e pasticerise me krem dhe fillo mbushjen e shtreses se dyte ne forme rrethore derisa te mbaroje 

 Crumb the left overs (from chocolate sticks) and distribute them on top of cake 
Therrmo pjeset e mbetura (nga shkopinjte me cokollate) dhe shperndaji ne pjesen e siperme te tortes  

 

 

  Put it in fridge to chill for about 30 minutes 

Vendose ne frigorifer te ftohet per rreth 30 minuta 

 Bon Appetit

♥ Kiki ♥