It’s nearly Easter, so let’s get into the mood by baking some fun delicious treats. This is great for Easter baskets and gifts too.
Ingredients:
For the cake-
200ml olive oil
250 g plain flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder
280 g brown sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the nest-
200g marshmallows
100g butter, chopped into chunks
2 tbsp coca powder
75 g pretzels crushed
chocolate eggs to decorate
4 shredded wheat biscuits crushed,
For the icing-
150g butter,
300g icing cugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp milk
Method:
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line two 20cm round cake tins. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and a large pinch of salt to a bowl. Mix with a whisk, until you have a thin, sandy mixture with no lumps.
Whisk the oil with the buttermilk in a jug. Stir in the vanilla and eggs, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until there are no more streaks of flour. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 mins. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 mins, then transfer to wire racks to cool fully.
Next, it is time to make the nest. Grease a tin. Put the marshmallows and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 1 min, stirring halfway through (or heat gently in a pan on the hob). Continue microwaving in 20-second blasts until you get a runny mixture. Stir in the cocoa, pretzels and shredded wheat until well combined. Tip the mixture into your lined tin and use the back of your spoon to create a nest shape. Leave to cool at room temperature for a few hrs, or chill in the fridge if you need it to set faster.
To make the icing, beat the butter, cocoa, icing sugar and milk together until smooth, adding a splash more milk if the mixture is too stiff. Assemble the cake by stacking the sponges with icing in between, topping with more icing and the nest. Fill your nest with as many chocolate eggs as it will hold, then serve. It may be easier to cut the cake if you remove the nest – you can then chop the nest into chunks and serve alongside the cake.