EASTER NEST CAKE

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180ºC fan / 200ºC /400ºF.

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin or two cake tins if making the four-layer cake.

Mix the butter and sugar together by beating in the bowl of a mixer, with a handheld mixer or by hand until light and creamy.

In a small bowl lightly whisk the eggs together with the yoghurt and vanilla extract. Add to the butter and sugar mixture while still beating on a slow speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all is mixed in. The mix may curdle with the addition of the eggs so add a spoonful of the flour to aid the mixing process. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until all combined.

Add the blueberries and fold into the mixture using a large spoon.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin. Place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

If making the larger cake then make the second cake batter and put both cakes into the oven at the same time.

After 30 minutes, check the cake. Use a cake skewer inserted into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean and the cake is golden and springy on the top then the cake is baked. If not, return to the oven and continue baking, checking every 5-10 minutes. If the top is turning brown but the cake is still raw in the middle then add a layer of tin foil over the cake to stop the top from burning.

Preheat oven to 180ºC fan / 200ºC /400ºF.

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin or two cake tins if making the four-layer cake.

Mix the butter and sugar together by beating in the bowl of a mixer, with a handheld mixer or by hand until light and creamy.

In a small bowl lightly whisk the eggs together with the yoghurt and vanilla extract. Add to the butter and sugar mixture while still beating on a slow speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all is mixed in. The mix may curdle with the addition of the eggs so add a spoonful of the flour to aid the mixing process. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until all combined.

When baked, remove from the oven. Leave to stand in the tin for 5 minutes and then carefully tip out onto a cooling rack, removing any greaseproof paper. Leave to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make the nests. Break up the chocolate into smaller pieces. Add to a bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt gently, stirring often until melted. Alternatively, melt in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave. Heat on high first for 20 seconds, remove and stir. Return to the microwave and heat for 10 seconds. Remove and stir the melted pieces again. Return again to heat in the microwave for another 10 seconds, removing and stirring as you go and continue in this way until all the chocolate has melted.

In a large bowl add the broken shredded wheat. Pour over the melted chocolate and combine until the shredded wheat pieces are all coated with the chocolate.

Cut pieces of greaseproof paper into 3 smaller squares approximately 12 x 12 cm. Scrunch up the paper then smooth out and mould into 3 small bowls or teacups.

Take a generous spoonful of chocolate shredded wheat mix and add to each bowl. Roughly spread the mixture out inside the bowl, you may find it easier to use your fingers. Try not to be too neat with this, you’re creating a small nest so the rougher and more jagged it looks at the edges the better. Pay a bit of attention to smoothing out the interior so it is bowl shaped and will be able to hold a few mini eggs inside. When completed add the nests in their bowls to the fridge to chill for a few hours or overnight.

When baked, remove from the oven. Leave to stand in the tin for 5 minutes and then carefully tip out onto a cooling rack, removing any greaseproof paper. Leave to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make the nests. Break up the chocolate into smaller pieces. Add to a bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt gently, stirring often until melted. Alternatively, melt in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave. Heat on high first for 20 seconds, remove and stir. Return to the microwave and heat for 10 seconds. Remove and stir the melted pieces again. Return again to heat in the microwave for another 10 seconds, removing and stirring as you go and continue in this way until all the chocolate has melted.

Make the buttercream. If making the four-layer cake then add the double quantities to the bowl and whisk together. Use a whisk attachment on a food mixer or handheld mixer. Whisk the butter until it is soft and lighter in colour. Gradually add the icing sugar. Whisk on high for 5 to 10 minutes until almost doubled in size and a light cream in colour and with the consistency of whipped cream.

Melt the white chocolate using the same method used to melt the chocolate for the nests. Allow to cool slightly, so that it is still pourable. Whisk into the buttercream until all combined. Roughly divide the buttercream in half and set one half aside to use later with the food colouring.

When the cake has completely cooled, or the following day, take a sharp knife and cut the cake in half to make two layers.

Make the buttercream. If making the four-layer cake then add the double quantities to the bowl and whisk together. Use a whisk attachment on a food mixer or handheld mixer. Whisk the butter until it is soft and lighter in colour. Gradually add the icing sugar. Whisk on high for 5 to 10 minutes until almost doubled in size and a light cream in colour and with the consistency of whipped cream.

Melt the white chocolate using the same method used to melt the chocolate for the nests. Allow to cool slightly, so that it is still pourable. Whisk into the buttercream until all combined. Roughly divide the buttercream in half and set one half aside to use later with the food colouring.

When the cake has completely cooled, or the following day, take a sharp knife and cut the cake in half to make two layers.

TIP: The best way to do this is to place the cake on a flat surface on a table. Bring your eyes down level with the cake to better see. Take the sharp knife and slowly make a cutting indentation all around the centre of the cake slowly turning the cake as you do but don't cut through. Once you are happy that you have created a straight and even indentation, use that as a guide, follow the indentation with the knife and cut through the cake as you go until you have two even layers.

If making a four-layer cake then repeat the process so you now have four cake layers.

Use the layer with a flat top as the top layer of the cake so set aside.

Use a large plate or cake board, add a teaspoon of the white buttercream to the centre of the plate and place the bottom cake layer down (the buttercream ‘glue’ helps it stay in place).

For best results, place the white (uncoloured) half of the buttercream in a piping bag and snip the end or use a plain nozzle. If not using a piping bag, a spoon, palette knife or small butter knife will work.

In a small bowl mix the jam until it becomes a bit runny and easier to spread.

Pipe or spoon a ridge of buttercream around the edge of the base layer of the cake leaving the centre empty. This acts as a barrier and helps prevent the jam from seeping out. In the centre of this add the jam, carefully spreading out with a teaspoon to meet the edge of the buttercream.

Cover the jam layer with more buttercream. Smooth out with a knife and place the next layer of cake on top. If making the large cake then repeat this process with the next two layers.

Once the layers have been assembled use the remaining white buttercream to thinly cover the top and sides of the cake. There should be enough to cover the cake but if not take a little extra, a tablespoon, from the buttercream put aside to colour, making sure to leave enough to cover the cake with the coloured buttercream.

Place the cake in the fridge to ‘set’ at least for one hour.

Now use gel food colouring to colour the remaining buttercream. Practise first with a spoonful of buttercream to create the right colour. Use cocktail sticks to mix small amounts of colour.

Use a large plate or cake board, add a teaspoon of the white buttercream to the centre of the plate and place the bottom cake layer down (the buttercream ‘glue’ helps it stay in place).

For best results, place the white (uncoloured) half of the buttercream in a piping bag and snip the end or use a plain nozzle. If not using a piping bag, a spoon, palette knife or small butter knife will work.

In a small bowl mix the jam until it becomes a bit runny and easier to spread.

Pipe or spoon a ridge of buttercream around the edge of the base layer of the cake leaving the centre empty. This acts as a barrier and helps prevent the jam from seeping out. In the centre of this add the jam, carefully spreading out with a teaspoon to meet the edge of the buttercream.

TIP: Try mixing two colours together to get a more unique shade. I used baby blue and mint green to create a teal/ duck egg blue shade. Start with small amounts of gel colour to make a pastel shade and add more if needed.

TIP: Try mixing two colours together to get a more unique shade. I used baby blue and mint green to create a teal/ duck egg blue shade. Start with small amounts of gel colour to make a pastel shade and add more if needed.

Once the cake has chilled. Take out of the fridge and spread a layer of the coloured buttercream over the cake. Start with the top and smooth over the buttercream. Add more to the sides of the cake, smoothing over with a palette knife or back of a spoon. Try to smooth the buttercream to an even layer using the flat edge of the knife or a dough scraper. Don’t worry too much with perfection, small cracks and lines can help create a more ‘eggshell’ look.

To decorate, take a teaspoon of cocoa and place in a small sieve or ideally a mesh ball tea strainer. Lightly tap a dusting of cocoa in patches over the cake to create a speckled look. Repeat the process with icing sugar.

Once the cake has chilled. Take out of the fridge and spread a layer of the coloured buttercream over the cake. Start with the top and smooth over the buttercream. Add more to the sides of the cake, smoothing over with a palette knife or back of a spoon. Try to smooth the buttercream to an even layer using the flat edge of the knife or a dough scraper. Don’t worry too much with perfection, small cracks and lines can help create a more ‘eggshell’ look.

TIP: For the sides of the cake, use a clean and dry paint brush/pastry brush dipped in the powder and flicked upwards at the sides.

Remove the nests from the fridge which should now be set solid. Place the three nests on top of the cake at slight angles propped up against each other. Add a few mini eggs to the nests and scatter some more around the top. Tie a ribbon around the edge of the cake and decorate with blossom twigs.