Easter Nest Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 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, squeezing any large lumps of sugar through your fingers, until you have a fine, sandy mix.
• 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. Test the cakes by inserting a skewer into the centre - if there is any wet mixture on the skewer, return the cakes to the oven for 5 mins more, then check again. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 mins, then transfer to wire racks to cool fully.
• Next, make the nest. Clean one tin and line it with some oiled baking parchment. 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.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large metal mixing bowl (about 10 1/2 inches in diameter) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. (The water and oil is less than what the box instructions call for.) Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared bowl and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the bowl, then remove from the bowl and let cool completely on a cooling rack, about 2 hours.
• For the nest: Meanwhile, spray the same bowl you used to bake the cake in with nonstick cooking spray.
• Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over low heat, stirring frequently. Add the white chocolate and cinnamon and stir until fully combined. Add the brown and yellow food coloring and mix until blended. Add the chow mein noodles and mix until all the noodles are coated with the marshmallow mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl and quickly press into the bowl to form a nest shape. If your hands start to stick, spray them with cooking spray (Caution: the mixture is hot, but you have to work quickly or it will harden; you can wear gloves for this step if necessary). Let cool about 2 hours.
• Remove the nest from the bowl and line the bowl with plastic wrap, letting some plastic wrap hang over the edge of the bowl. Place the nest back in the bowl, over the plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• For the eggs: Place the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Do not overheat.) Divide the melted chocolate into 2 bowls. Whisk 6 drops blue food coloring and 5 drops green food coloring into one bowl until a robin's egg blue color is created.
• Gently push the pointed end of a skewer into the bottom of each chocolate egg, slightly off-center (do not hit the seam of the egg, or the egg will split along the seam). Gently dip the egg into the blue chocolate and turn until the egg is evenly coated. Lift the egg out of the blue chocolate and hold above the bowl to allow excess to drip off. Push the flat end of the skewer into a foam block or container of sugar or salt to allow the egg to dry undisturbed. Repeat this process to dip 4 more eggs into the blue chocolate. Dip the remaining 5 eggs in the white chocolate in the same manner. (If at any point the melted chocolate becomes too thick, microwave for 30 seconds more to loosen.) Set the eggs aside to harden for 1 hour.
• Remove the eggs from the skewers and place on a paper towel-lined tray.
• Combine 4 drops green food coloring and 4 drops blue coloring with 1 tablespoon water in a small spray bottle. Lightly spritz the green mixture onto the eggs in a speckled pattern. Allow the eggs to dry again for 1 hour.
• For decorating: Spread 1 can of the cream cheese frosting into the nest, leaving the outer border unfrosted.
• Slice 1 1/2 to 2 inches off of the flat side of the cake so that it will fit well inside the nest. Using a spoon, remove some cake to hollow out a depression in the top (the flat side) of the cake, leaving a 2-inch border intact along the outer edge of the cake.
• Place the cake hollowed-side up into the frosted nest. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large tip with the remaining cream cheese frosting and frost the top of the cake; spread evenly using an offset spatula or a spoon. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the cake, making sure to coat completely. If not using immediately, refrigerate. (Let the refrigerated cake come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.)
• Using the excess plastic wrap, pull the nest cake out of the bowl and place on a cake stand or platter. Arrange the eggs in the nest, then decorate with mint sprigs and edible flowers, and serve.

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans. Mix egg whites, milk, malted milk powder, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk baking powder, salt, and remaining 2 1/4 cups flour in another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat sugar and remaining 3/4 cup butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add milk mixture in 3 additions, alternating with dry ingredients in 2 additions, beginning and ending with milk mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of cakes and invert on a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting, at least 3 hours.
• Make the frosting:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Toss strawberries, salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. water in a small baking dish. Bake until sugar is dissolved and strawberries are bubbling and roasted, 12-15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl (you should have about 1/2 cup). Whisk in malted milk powder and vanilla until smooth.
• Lightly whisk egg whites and remaining 1 cup sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water until hot to the touch or a candy thermometer registers 140°F.
• Pour hot egg white mixture into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until very fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Fit stand mixer with paddle attachment. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and beat, adding butter 1 cube at a time, until mixture is smooth and glossy. Continue to beat until mixture begins to look light and fluffy.
• Add 1/2 cup strawberry purée and food coloring, if using, and stir to combine.
• Assemble the cake:
• Using a sharp knife, cut chocolate into thin shards, then chill until ready to use.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Using an offset spatula, spread 1/2 cup frosting evenly over top. Arrange an even layer of sliced strawberries on top, pressing to adhere. Place remaining cake, domed side down, on top. Spread top and sides with 1 1/2 cups frosting; chill 10 minutes.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, smoothing evenly. Chill at least 15 minutes or up to overnight to let frosting set.
• Arrange white chocolate shards in a round, nest-like shape on top of cake. Place chocolate eggs in center of nest. Slice and serve.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Place angel food cake onto a serving platter and cover hole in the cake with the sugar cookie, pressing the cookie down to create a slight depression for the nest. Frost cake with whipped topping.
• Press coconut all over the cake; decorate top of cake with edible Easter grass. Arrange mini candy eggs in the nest. Store cake in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.
• For the cake: Stir butter into chocolate, reheating mixture to incorporate butter if needed, and let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk 4 egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until whites hold their shape but are not too stiff. Reserve.
• In a large bowl, whisk 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar and vanilla until combined. Stir in chocolate to mix.
• In three additions, fold whites into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake rises, cracks and center is no longer wobbly.
• Cool cake on a wire rack; middle will sink and the sides will crack. Carefully remove cake from pan and place it on serving plate.
• For icing, whip cream with vanilla until it is firm but not stiff. Fold in melted chocolate. Fill top of cake with icing, easing it out gently toward edges. Arrange Easter eggs on top.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Spread into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides and bottom of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack., From a large sheet of waxed paper, cut a 29x5-in. strip. Fold strip lengthwise in half. Place strip on a large sheet of waxed paper on a work surface. Spread melted chocolate evenly along one long edge of waxed paper strip; spread upward, making a wavy line to within 1/2 in. of other long edge. Let stand for 10-30 minutes until chocolate begins to set but is still pliable. , Carefully lift waxed paper strip and wrap chocolate strip around cake with straight edge on the bottom. Do not remove waxed paper. Refrigerate until chilled. Meanwhile, cover three baking sheets with waxed paper. Drizzle remaining melted chocolate from a spatula over waxed paper in both directions. Chill for 10 minutes. Peel off waxed paper; break chocolate into 2- to 3-in. "twigs"; set aside. , For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. , In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 1 minute. Stir into custard until gelatin is dissolved. Add chopped chocolate; stir until smooth. Cover surface with plastic wrap; cool to room temperature., In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. Carefully spoon over top of cake. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set. Remove waxed paper strip from side of cake. Position chocolate "twigs" around top of cake to create a nest. Arrange candy eggs in center.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
• Melt the 8 oz. chocolate with the butter in a double broiler or a microwave and then set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, then gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape and gleaming but not stiff. Set aside.
• In another bowl, add the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Lighten the mixture with 1/3 of the egg whites incorporating into mixture. Add 1/2 of the remaining egg whites, and then the last batch incorporating after each addition.
• Pour into the preapred pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly on the surface. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink when cools and the sides will splinter. You want it to look like a cake with a crater in it.
• To finish the cake, carefully remove the pan and place on a plate or cake stand.
• Melt the chocolate for the topping and leave it to cool a little. Meanwhile, whip the cream until it is firming up and aerated but still soft and then add the vanilla and fold in the chocolate.
• Fill the crater of the cake with the chocolate cream, easing it towards the edges with a spatula. Arrange the robin eggs on top.

Steps:

• Cook and stir marshmallows, peanut butter, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the marshmallows melt completely into the mixture, about 5 minutes.
• Put chow mein noodles into a large bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture over the chow mein noodles; stir to coat.
• Spray hands with cooking spray or coat with butter so the noodles will not stick to your hands. Scoop noodle mixture from bowl with an ice cream scoop and form into balls, hollowing the center out to create the nest. Arrange 4 chocolate eggs into each nest.