Easter Chocolate and Orange Bundt Nest Cake

Easter Chocolate and Orange Bundt Cake

Can you have too much Easter baking which involves chocolate? Not at all! When I go to Clandestine Cake Club meetings my daughter often comes with me so this means two cakes need baking. She claimed the Easter Chocolate Bunny Cake so I had to come up with something else based on the chocolate and Easter theme. So from bunnies where does one go next but eggs in their nests.

This isn't a complicated Bundt recipe but it still delivers on flavour. I used my Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt Pan as I thought the criss-cross pattern resembled the twigs in a nest. As I wanted the cake to be a similar size to an actual nest I only half filled the Bundt tin. A piping of buttercream for some more 'twig' effect and the chocolate eggs then sit nicely round it.

The theme for my 'Love Cake' challenge this month is Springing into Easter.

Also going with the Easter theme is Nayna at simply.food and her Let's cook sweet treats for Easter event.

Alice Megan has gone Easter mad on her blog this month with her Easter 2014 Round up.

Equipment: Ten cup Bundt tin, electric beaters/whisk, piping bag with small star nozzle.

Ingredients

Butter or cake release for greasing

6oz (170g) Plain flour

1tbsp (15ml) Baking powder

6oz (170g) Unsalted butter, soften or baking spread

6oz (170g) Caster sugar

3 Large eggs

1tsp (5ml) Orange extract

2tbsp (30ml) Cocoa powder

2tbsp (30ml) Milk

Buttercream

2oz (55g) Unsalted butter, softened

3oz (85g) Icing sugar

1tbsp (15ml) Cocoa powder

1tbsp (15ml) Boiling water

Bag of chocolate eggs

Method

1. Grease the Bundt tin and then line with flour. Tap out the excess.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/Gas mark 3.

3. In a large bowl shift together the flour and baking powder.

4. Add the butter, sugar and eggs and beat together until well combined.

5. Put half of the mixture into a separate bowl and stir in the orange extract.

6. Mix together the cocoa powder and milk and add to the remaining mixture.

7. Put a spoonful of each mixture into the tin until it has all been used.

8. Bake for 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

10. When the cake has cooled make the buttercream.

11. Beat together the butter and icing sugar until it goes fluffy.

12. Mix the cocoa with the hot water and add to the butter and icing sugar.

13. Beat again until it is all thoroughly combined.

14. Spoon into the piping bag and then go round the outside of the cake.

15. Place the chocolate eggs around the cake so they are nested into the buttercream.