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Thursday 20 March 2008

Rosie’s Easter Nest Chocolate Cake


Chocolate seems to be on everyone’s mind at Easter time and this recipe I am sharing with you has been one I have been baking for many years now since the age of 11 yrs. I first remember baking this at school and bringing my cake eagerly home to show my mum, gosh I felt so proud of my accomplishment. Like I have said before, food revokes fond memories of places and time.

This cake is basically a chocolate Victoria sponge, sandwiched in the middle with chocolate buttercream with the top of one sponge having a hole cut out to make a nest. The top and sides of the cake are smothered in chocolate buttercream. Cadbury’s flakes are used chopped up to represent twigs in the nest and sugar coated chocolate eggs with little yellow furry chicks are placed sat on the eggs for finishing touches.



Rosie’s Easter Nest Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
200g (7 oz) self-raising flour
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
225g (8 oz) softened butter
225g (8 oz) caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Chocolate Butter Icing
450g (1lb) icing sugar
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder
50g (2 oz) softened butter
90ml (3 fl oz) milk
For Decoration
2 chocolate Cadbury’s flakes- cut into twigs
Sugar coated chocolate eggs, I used Cadbury’s mini eggs
Fluffy yellow chicks
A 23cm (9 in) cake board

You will also need x 2 20cm (8 in) sandwich tins greased lightly with butter and greaseproof paper based lined, you will also need a 10 cm (4 in) round cutter to cut out the centre of the top sponge.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together into a bowl and place aside. In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs together with the milk and vanilla extract in a jug and add a little at a time to the butter mixture, beating until all incorporated. Add the flour mixture and fold through gently with a large metal spoon until fully combined. Divide the mixture equally between the two sandwich tins and smooth the mixture over with a spatula. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until fully baked and feeling firm to a gentle touch in the centre. You can also test by inserting a skewer into the centre of the sponge and it should come out clean. Leave in the tins to cool for at least 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finishing cooling. When completely cold remove the base papers.

Make the chocolate icing by beating all the ingredients together until light and fluffy.

Taking one of the cold sponges cut out a hole in the middle with the round cutter. Place the bottom sponge on a cake board and spread a little of the chocolate buttercream over smoothing it to cover the whole area of the sponge. Place the top sponge on and spread the chocolate buttercream over the top and sides making sure the centre is fully covered in buttercream too. Place the chopped Cadbury’s flakes around the top of the cut out centre to form the nest, then place the sugar coated chocolate eggs in the nest. Finishing off by placing the fluffy yellow chicks sat on the eggs for decoration.

28 comments:

Donna said...

Oh How Beautiful!!! All of these cakes are gorgeous!!! Boy! When you cook...YOU COOK!!LOLOL..Happy Spring Sweetie!!

Rosie said...

Hi Donna, Awe thank you sweetie!! I must admit I've been baking up a storm it must be withdrawal symptoms from last week *giggle*

Happy spring to you too honey :D

Hugshugs Rosie x

Dhivya said...

Wow!fantastic work dear..u hav lot os patience and u r very creative tooo

Abitofafoodie said...

Another gorgeous Easter cake! This looks so delicious, Rosie. Your household is so lucky to have all these lovely goodies to choose from!

Rosie said...

Hi Dhivya, you are so kind and many thanks :)

Hi Antonia, thank you! I am sure the family will be choosing their personnel favourites over the next day or two.

Many thanks for your lovely comments!

Best wishes Rosie x

Peter M said...

The kiddies and adults alike will love this Easter cake.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Finla said...

Wow rosie forsomeone who love chocolate ( me ofcourse)this is indeed beeing in paradise :-)

Seena said...

Rosie, thats really beautiful! :)

Maria♥ said...

Rosie what a lovely Easter cake, and chocolate too!! Yum ;o)

Your family are very lucky to have you!

Maria
x

Unknown said...

rosie, i made the very better than sex chocolate cupcake i have wanted to try from the cupcakes spectacular and that is for easter today. oh my, chocolate all over the place! i miss making the bailey's truffles as they are popular in the family. i should buy more bailey's i suppose. and this chocolate cake... i die in the chocolate factory. that sends me to the heaven made from chocolate hehehe...

cheers,
ab

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Beautiful cake Rosie!
Happy Easter... Margot ;)

Pixie said...

Beautiful cake, can't beleive you've been baking since you were 11! Your talent certainly shows.

Pixie said...

I'm going to have to make hot cross buns at some point during the week- I've only bought store bought ones and I'm certain home made are miles better!

sandhya said...

Beautiful cake... your cakes are fabulous.... love the bun too..

Ruth Strong said...

What a fab cake.... I'm so tempted to just pick off all those mini eggs and flakes then to finish eat that cake!!!!!

You should enter this into

Uma said...

Wonderful! Very good! So creative! Simply Superb! Fantastic! Gorgeous! That's all I can say, Rosie!

Maggie said...

Ah! I used to make Easter Nest Cake when mine were little. How we all loved eating it and getting covered in chocolate. I love Cadbury's mini eggs and can remember us all fighting over them.

dabrah said...

Rosie, that looks absolutely wonderful. And you made that and hot cross buns too! You are amazing.
Have a very happy Easter.

James said...

My goodness - all those eggs from one little chicken, she has been busy.

Gloria Baker said...

ROSIE, this cake is so beautiful and nice, really I would like to make ro next year if God Will!! Happy Easter!! Gloria

giz said...

How cute is that cake - I feel like I want to frame it.

Namratha said...

WOW Rosie, that looks unbelievably good. I love those cute eggs and the nest, very nice!

Rosie said...

Thank you all for your much lovely appreciated comments! :D

Sorry I haven't been around yet to view your wonderful creations on your blogs as I am still suffering ill effects from the flu!

Best wishes Rosie x

The Caked Crusader said...

This is getting spooky! I'm starting to think we're the same person (well, I've never seen us together!). I too went for a chocolate cake with mini egg and chick decoration!
I didn't think of adding the flake though - curses, I have been out-chocolated!

www.thecakedcrusader.blogspot.com

Swati said...

Dear Rosie

The nest and the eggs look incredibly cute!! The chick is adding to the beauty.. what an appropriate cake for the occasion!!

Anitha said...

Such a sweet looking cake :-). Good job Rosie.

Anitha

Rosie said...

Hi Anitha, awe thanks you are so kind coming from such an excellent sugarcrafter as yourself!

Best wishes Rosie x

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home said...

I love this Easter cake. Great idea, very creative!