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–+ servings
Chocolate Easter Nest Cake topped with chocolate cream and mini eggs
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Easter Nest Cake

Easter Nest Cake is made with ground almonds instead of flour, so it's gluten-free. It has a cream and chocolate topping and a nest of chocolate flake and mini eggs.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Author: Susie@Everyday Cooks

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 200 g plain chocolate, minimum 50% cocoa solids
  • 100 g butter
  • 5 large eggs
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
  • 125 g ground almonds

For the topping:

  • 125 g plain chocolate minimum 50% cocoa solids
  • 250 ml double cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
  • 2-3 chocolate flakes
  • 1-2 small packets chocolate mini eggs

Equipment

20cm/8-inch deep round cake tin
Baking parchment circle
Small heatproof bowl
Stand mixer and/or
Hand mixer or
Silicone whisk
Palette knife

Instructions

Preparation:

  • Boil the kettle
  • Set the oven to 190°C/ 170°C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375°F
  • Line the base of the tin with a parchment liner

For the cake:

  • Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a small pan of water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water and the water doesn't boil. This takes about 15 minutes
    For detailed instructions see How to Melt Chocolate
  • Separate 4 of the eggs (see Note)
  • Put the 4 yolks plus the whole egg in a large bowl with the caster sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until thick and pale
  • When the chocolate and butter have melted, let them cool slightly and stir into the egg yolk mixture with the ground almonds.
    Always add warm ingredients to cooler ones for a smooth mixture
  • In a separate bowl whisk the 4 egg whites until firm but not dry
  • Carefully fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a large metal spoon (see Note).
    The aim is to keep the air in the mixture, so use the edge of the spoon to cut into the mixture, then lift. What you don't want to do is beat the air out or the cake won't rise
  • Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and cook for 40-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean
  • Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out carefully onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the topping and decoration:

  • Carefully move the cake to a serving plate.
    Don't worry if it has sunk slightly in the middle - that's what you want for a nest
  • Melt the chocolate as above and allow to cool slightly
  • Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it is getting firm, but is still soft
  • Fold the chocolate into the cream - I use a palette knife for this.
    You will see the mixture start to thicken as the chocolate cools
  • Spread the chocolate cream over the top of the cake
  • Cut the flakes into halves and use the point of a knife to separate into thinner flakes
  • Use these flakes to make a nest on the outer 2-3 cm of the cake
  • Arrange the chocolate eggs in the nest.

Video

Notes

Everyday Cooks tips:
  • Always separate each egg individually, putting the white into a cup before putting in the bowl. This way you avoid contaminating all of your whites with egg yolk if you break the yolk. Egg whites won't whip up if there is any speck of egg yolk (or any fat/grease) in with them
  • If you have a stand mixer and a hand mixer, whip the egg whites in the stand mixer - it's much less effort
  • Use the largest metal spoon you have for folding in. I use a large cooking spoon - like a draining spoon without holes