Easter Nest Cake

Easter Nest Cake

Easter Nest Cake

Bake a cake for Easter. This one is very easy and children can decorate it by filling the pretzel nest with their favorite chocolate eggs.

Prep: 45 Mins

Cook: 30 Mins

Ingredient

For Chocolate Sponges

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 200ml vegetable oil, plus extra for cans
• 250g ordinary flour
• 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 280g of soft pink sugar
• 250ml buttermilk

For the Nest

• 4 grated wheat crackers, crushed
• Chocolate eggs, to decorate
• 200g Marshmallow
• 100g of butter, cut pieces
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 75g salted pretzels, crushed

For Icing

• 150g butter slightly salted, softened
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 300g of icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to the 180C / 160C fan 4. Oil and straighten two cans of 20cm round cake. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and a little salt to the bowl. Mix with a whisk, squeeze a large lump of sugar through your fingers, until you have a fine mixture of sand.
2. Shake the oil with buttermilk in a jug. Stir in the vanilla and eggs, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until there is no more layer of flour. Divide the mixture between cans and bake for 25 minutes. Test the cake by putting the skewer in the middle - if there is a wet mixture in the skewer, return the cake to the oven for 5 more minutes, then check again. Let the cake cool in a tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until it has cooled completely.
3. Next, make the nest. Clean one can and flatten with oiled parchment. Place the marshmallow and butter in a heat-resistant bowl and microwave at high temperature for 1 minute, stirring half way (or gently heat it in a pan on the stove). Continue microwaving in a blast of 20 seconds until you get a runny mixture. Stir in chocolate, pretzels, and grated wheat until well blended. Place the mixture in a lined can and use the back of a spoon to make a nest shape. Allow to cool at room temperature for a few hours, or chill in the refrigerator if you need to set it faster.
4. To make icing, shake butter, chocolate, icing sugar and milk until smooth, add a little splash of milk if the mixture is too stiff. Place the cake by stacking a sponge with a icing in between, adding more icing and the nest. Fill your nest with as many chocolate eggs as possible, then serve. It might be easier to cut the cake if you remove the nest - you can then cut it into pieces and serve it next to the cake.