Easter Chocolate Nest Cakes
Every Easter since I was a kid my mum has baked these cakes so its only seems right that I bake them now as well. Whether you're looking for a quick simple recipe to do with your children over the Easter holidays or you need something for friends and family to tuck in to, these are always a good shout and look the part. You can never have too much chocolate at Easter right?!?
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
For the cakes
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g castor sugar
- 4 x eggs
- 175 g self raising flour
- 25 g cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 400 g icing sugar
- 6-8 tsp cocoa
- 1-2 tsp vanilla essence
- Chocolate mini eggs to finish
For the cakes
Place 24 muffin cases in 2 x 12 cup muffin trays and heat an oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan)
Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until it becomes much paler and lighter in consistency, usually around 2 minutes with an electric whisk.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well
Using a sieve add the flour, baking powder and cocoa to the mix and fold in.
Spoon the mixture in to the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 mins, until a skewer inserted in to the cakes comes out clean.
For the buttercream
I find its best to make this in two batches, so using half of the ingredients add the butter, cocoa and vanilla essence to a bowl. Adding the icing sugar a bit at a time and beating together.
Once you are happy with the taste and consistency take a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle and add the buttercream.
Pipe in to a circular nest shape on each of the cakes.
Once you've decorated the first 12 cakes, repeat the steps above.
To finish take some chocolate mini eggs and place two in each nest.