Easter Chocolate cake

Dessert for Easter had to feature chocolate, chocolate and yes more chocolate! I decided to make something everyone would enjoy and after my technical challenge of scotch eggs and went into my comfort zone of baking........ I did make a few cake pops at the same time for the girlies..... 

Ingredients for the sponge

175g butter

• 200g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 100g (70%) dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 60ml milk
• 200g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.  Lightly grease 2 cake tins.
2. Mix together the butter and sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg yolks and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the melted chocolate.
4. Mix in flour and baking powder; beat for another minute until mixture is an even colour.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate cake mixture until evenly mixed. Do this with a metal spoon or knife in a chopping and folding motion. Place the mixture in the tins.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked. At a skewer into the centre and if clean then its ready. Leave to cook on a wire rack. 
7. When cooked, fill with chocolate buttercream. Coat with melted chocolate or chocolate buttercream and decorate as you fancy..... for quickness you could use Betty Crockers chocolate buttercream. 
8. To create a nest on top. I melted dark cooking chocolate and added cornflakes. mixed together until evenly coated. I then allowed to cool for a couple of minutes and placed on top of the cake. 

Enjoy.....