Colin the Caterpillar

 A month ago I baked the Colin the Caterpillar cake with my niece. The family liked it, but I didn't know whether or not it tasted as it should. So I had to make it to my Irish lads, so they could compare with the original. I didn't make feet for this one nor the stripes on top, but the rest was as the one I made with Ida.

This is the recipe I used

Sponge:

3 medium sized eggs - or 4 small

125 g caster sugar

100 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Filling:

100 g unsalted butter

175 g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

50 g melted dark chocolate

Ganache:

200 g milk chocolate

50 g dark chocolate

100 mL cream

Smarties

Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale, thick and increased in size. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold it in without knocking the air out. Pour the sponge into a 23x33 cm and bake for 8 minutes at 180 C fan.

Turn out the sponge on a sheet of baking paper that is dusted with caster sugar. Peel of the baking paper and lay a clean tea towel over the sponge and roll it while it is still hot. Leave until cooled completely.

Make the filling by first melting the chocolate and leave it to cool a bit. Whisk the butter with the icing sugar, milk and vanilla until you have a pale smooth buttercream. Add the chocolate and whisk until combined. 

For the ganache melt the chocolate and mix in the cream until it is completely combined 

Gently unfold the sponge, fill with the filling (if making a roll that looks like Colin, this is where you cut strips of the sponge) and gently roll the sponge to make a swiss roll. Cover the roll with the ganache, when it has a thick consistency and decorate with smarties.

I made a head of white modelling chocolate - NOT the original way that is just white chocolate. That was not a success, but the lads survived my unconventional head.

And the verdict was that even though it didn't taste like the original - it was good.