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Easter Egg Nest (Chocolate) Cake

This is the BEST chocolate cake and I've made an Easter egg nest out of it. 
Author: Jamie Lundstrom - So Much Better With Age

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Icing:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups icing (powdered) sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp milk

Nest:

  • 1 225 g box semi-sweet baking squares
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4 cups sweetened coconut
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 400 g bag Cadbury mini eggs

Instructions

Chocolate Cake:

  • Preheat oven at 350 deg F and grease and flour 2 circular cake pans.
  • Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together in a mixer or with a hand mixer.
  • Beat in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until well combined. 
  • Reduce speed and carefully add milk and boiling water until well combined. 
  • Distribute cake batter evenly between two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean in centre of the chocolate cake. 
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in for about 10 minutes then transfer from pans onto cooling racks. 

Chocolate Icing:

  • Put icing (powdered) sugar and cocoa in a bowl and whisk together to remove any lumps.
  • Cream butter in a mixer or with a hand mixer and slowly add half of the sugar and cocoa. 
  • Add the vanilla and some of the milk and mix well. If it gets thick, add a bit more milk. If it gets too runny, add more icing sugar. The ingredient amounts for the icing is approximate so you can add more or else depending on the consistency. You want the icing to be a bit firm but not too runny or too thick. 
  • Ice the cake and put in the fridge while you make the nest. 

Nest:

  • Melt one box of unsweetened chocolate baking squares in a double boiler with the butter. 
  • Once melted, remove from heat add the vanilla. 
  • Add coconut one cup at a time working quickly to work in the coconut to the chocolate before it hardens. You may need to use your hands to incorporate all the coconut into the chocolate. 
  • Using your hands, add clumps of the 'nest' around the edges and top of the cake gently pushing into the cake. 
  • Add a pile of Cadbury mini eggs to the top.