Easter Chocolate Nest Cake

For all the Chocolate Cake and Mini Egg Lovers out there! this is the only recipe you'll ever need. It's quick, easy and perfect for all your Easter parties and get-togethers.

Easter Chocolate Nest Cake

For all the Chocolate Cake and Mini Egg Lovers out there! this is the only recipe you'll ever need. It's quick, easy and perfect for all your Easter parties and get-togethers.

Easter Chocolate Nest Cake Ingredients - Option 1 - Makes 2 Medium Nests and 2 Mini Nests.

Cake Ingredients

• 175g Self Raising Flour
• 175g Golden Caster Sugar
• 175g Butter 
• 3 Eggs
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 tbsp Chocolate Extract

Topping & Decorating Ingredients

• 300ml Double Cream 
• 200g Dark Chocolate 
• 2tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
• Cadbury Flake & Mini Eggs for decoration (the more the merrier!)

Utensils

• 2 x 8" (20cm) Round Silicone Cake Moulds
• 1 x 9cm (3.5") Round Metal Baking Ring
• Kitchen Mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid, but you could also use a hand whisk)
• Spatula 
• Palette Knife
• Wooden Spoon and/or balloon whisk
• Small/medium saucepan

 

Easter Chocolate Nest Cake Ingredients - Option 2 - Makes 3 Nests (1 large, 2 medium) and 3 Mini Nests

Cake Ingredients

• 350g Self Raising Flour
• 350g Golden Caster Sugar
• 350g Butter 
• 6 Eggs
• 4 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 2 tbsp Chocolate Extract

Topping & Decorating Ingredients

• 600ml Double Cream 
• 400g Dark Chocolate 
• 4tbsp Golden Caster Sugar (you can also just use 2tbsp sugar here if you wish)
• Cadbury Flake & Mini Eggs for decoration (the more the merrier!)

 Utensils

• 1 x 8" (20cm) Round Silicone Cake Moulds
• 2 x 6" (15cm) Round Loose Bottom Cake Tins
• 1 x 9cm (3.5") Round Metal Baking Ring
• Kitchen Mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid, but you could also use a hand whisk)
• Spatula 
• Palette Knife
• Wooden Spoon and/or balloon whisk
• Medium saucepan

 

Sponge Cake Method:

• Preheat oven to 160°
• Add the butter and sugar to your mixer and cream together until pale in colour, light and fluffy.
• Next add your eggs, one at a time until combined
• Then add your Cocoa Powder and Chocolate Extract and combine
• Finally add your sifted self-raising flour and beat until mixed in well. You may need to use your spatula to scrape down the mixture from the sides of your bowl and just mix a little more so that all the cake mixture is included and combined.
• Now it’s time to divide your cake mix equally between your cake moulds and tins. If you are following option 1 you will split, your mixture in half and divide equally between two cake tins or moulds and if you are following option 2 you will divide the mixture 3 ways between three cake tins or moulds.
• Once the cake mix is divided level out the mixture in each baking tin/mould and place in your preheated oven and bake for approximately 45mins. If you test the cakes with a skewer after 45 mins and it’s still a little underdone or the skewer is not 100% clean, then leave for a further 5minutes just to be sure.
• Once the sponges are baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool fully before removing from you cake tins/moulds.
• Once the sponges are fully cooled take a large sharp knife and slice each one down the middle, so each sponge now has a base and a top. Taking the top of each cake one at a time, using the metal baking ring, place on the top of the sponge and use it as a cutter to cut out a round in the centre of the sponge. This will leave a hole in the top side of each of the cakes ready to form the nest. Depending on which quantity option you followed you will now have 2 or 3 cakes with a hole in the centre of the top layer and 2 or 3 individual mini cakes like those pictured above.
• Set aside, until you have made your Chocolate Ganache and you’re ready to decorate.

 

Cake Topping Method:

• To make your gorgeous chocolate ganache you will need to add your double cream, chocolate and sugar to your saucepan.
• Place the ingredients over a medium heat and stir constantly until melted, glossy & thickened.
• Allow to cool before using.
• Once cooled add a layer to the base of each cake to act as a ganache filling and then add your cake tops with the holes in the centre. Then carefully spoon over more chocolate ganache and cover the top layer of the cake and spread around the sides of the cake. You can also pop a little more in the centre hole if you wish.
• Next you are going to break your Cadbury Flakes into smaller pieces and shavings and cover the surface of your cake, adding a little into the centre hole.
• Finally, you are going to fill the hole in the centre of the cake with Cadbury Mini Eggs and then continue pilling them on a little more to create the perfect nest.
• With the mini pieces of cake, you have left over that you have cut out of the cake tops, simply apply the same decorating principal. I simply cut a little round of cake out of the top with a small cookie or pastry cutter, smother the mini cake in ganache and cover in chocolate flake and mini eggs as with the main cakes.

 

NB - You can also bake your sponges in large rectangular baking trays and once cool use you round metal baking ring or a pastry cutter to cut out lots of individual small cakes to decorate and gift as Easter presents. You will have some wasted sponge if you do it this way, but if you are clever with the size of cutter you use and how you position it on the sponge, you can try and minimise this waste. If you have a family, you can keep the excess bits if sponge in an airtight box as Children and husbands will graze on them for sure!