Chocolate cake: Yummy and pleasing to the eyes

Aina Odukogbe Gentry, the owner of Aina Gentry Cake and Pastry, speaks to TOLUWALASE ODETUNDE on the trends in the catering world and why chocolate cake is king.

For how long have you been into catering?

I’ve been into catering since I was a student; that’s more than seven years now. I decided to specialise in cake making and pastries because going into full catering is more expensive and quite stressful.

What’s the trend in the pastries world?

Presently, fruit cakes are trending in weddings. Then marble cakes (the combination of butter sponge and chocolate), butter sponge cakes, chocolate cakes are also in. For pastries, cookies, Scotch egg, meat pie, sausage roll, fish pie, chicken pie and small chops are the in-thing at occasions.

Can you recall your most memorable catering experience?

That was when a client wanted me to make a character cake for her baby shower. I was to bake and design a cake of a pregnant woman in a maternity gown; I had not done that before. But I did it anyway and she really appreciated it.

What is it about cake making that most people don’t know?

It is very stressful and tiring. Thus, it requires hard work, a lot of practice and confidence.

Any advice for prospective caterers?

You can’t just call yourself a caterer overnight. You need to be determined, make researches and learn from others.

What type of snacks do you prepare when you want to give yourself a treat?

Chocolate cake. It is yummy and pleasing to the eyes. So, I prepare it whenever I want to give myself a treat. I also eat it together with friends and mostly when I don’t have appetite to eat cooked food.

Share the recipe for chocolate cakes?

The ingredients needed are all-purpose flour, baking powder, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, eggs, vegetable or canola oil, chocolate bar, browning, milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt (optional) and boiling water.

First, pre heat oven. Grease and flour pan with butter and flour. In a large bowl or mixer, stir sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk through to combine or, stir through flour mixture until well combined. Carefully add boiling water to the cake butter. Bake for between 30 and 35 minutes in the pre-heated oven until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and remove.