Chocolate Pastel Easter Cake With A Chocolate Vermicelli Nest Food

EASTER EGG NEST 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.

EASTER NEST CAKE

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.

CHOCOLATE PASTEL EASTER CAKE WITH A CHOCOLATE VERMICELLI NEST

Steps:

• Make the nest: Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Line an 8-inch diameter bowl with plastic wrap leaving some overhang. Line another medium bowl with paper towels. Separate the vermicelli bundles lengthwise into 1-inch-wide sections. (It's okay if some noodles break off, you may still use them.) Drop one bunch into the oil; the noodles will immediately puff and the oil will bubble vigorously. Cook for 10 to 15 seconds, until the oil stops bubbling and the vermicelli are crisp. Using a spider or mesh strainer, transfer the noodles to the paper towel-lined bowl and immediately sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. When the temperature returns to 375 drop another bunch in. Repeat the frying process until all of the vermicelli, including any loose or broken pieces are cooked. Set the fried vermicelli aside.
• Heat the chocolate in a small microwavable bowl in the microwave until melted, about 2 minutes, pausing every 30 seconds to stir with a rubber spatula. Remove the paper towels from the bowl of vermicelli and discard. Scrape the melted chocolate into the bowl of vermicelli. Wearing latex gloves, use your hands to toss the vermicelli with the chocolate until the noodles are completely coated and sticky. Gently press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the plastic lined bowl leaving the edges uneven and ragged to resemble a bird's nest. Chill the nest in the bowl until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Make the cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar, beating until the mixture is light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat on medium, 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Combine the milk with 1 1/4 cups water in a small saucepan, bring just to a boil and remove from the heat.
• With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, until it is incorporated. Turn off the mixer, then carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter and combine by hand with a whisk until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Lightly tap each pan on the counter to settle the batter.
• Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the centers spring back when touched lightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife or small spatula around the edges of the pan, turn out the cake layers and place on the rack to cool completely.
• Make the buttercream: Beat the butter, confectioners¿ sugar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until just combined. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high, beating until fluffy and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 2 tablespoons milk and the food coloring, if using, to make a pastel shade. Continue beating until light and spreadable, 2 minutes. If the frosting seems too stiff, add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
• To assemble: Place 1 cake layer right-side up on a cake stand or flat plate and top with 1 cup of frosting. Using a large offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the layer to the edges. Place the other layer, on top. Evenly spread half of the remaining frosting over the top, leaving a small off-center mound to place the nest on. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake in a swirly pattern. Lift the chocolate nest from the bowl by the plastic-wrap overhang. Peel off the plastic and discard. Place the nest on the top of the cake on the mound of frosting and fill with candy coated eggs.