Food with passion: Easter Chocolate Celebration Cake

I could not let Easter go by without including a recipe for a delicious Chocolate Celebration Cake.

This cake looks the part but is simple to make.

A delicious light chocolate sponge adorned with luxurious decadent chocolate icing and decorated with mini eggs and chocolate flakes, yes this is chocolate overindulgence but isn’t that what Easter is all about?

I have called this celebration cake as Easter is a time for celebration and gathering with family and friends and this cake is perfect for such celebrations as it will go a long way.

I would suggest baking the sponge the day before serving leaving just the icing and decoration to do in the morning of your Easter gathering!

Serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream and enjoy – Sheer pleasure and indulgence, how bad can that be?

Ingredients: (Makes one large cake)

Sponge:

• 330g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of bicarb
• 70g decent quality cocoa powder
• 250g castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 370ml milk
• 170g unsalted room temperature butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Chocolate Icing:

• 400g full fat cream cheese
• 400g icing sugar.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100g of cocoa powder
• 150g unsalted butter softened

 

Decoration:

Mini eggs

Chocolate flakes

Method:

 

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan/ gas mark 4. Grease the sides of a 30cm springform tin and line the base with greaseproof baking parchment.

 

2. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixture cream together the butter and sugar and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarb and mix to combine. Finally add the milk, vanilla extract and cocoa powder and mix everything together to form a batter. Pour the cake batter into your prepared tin and pop into the oven to bake for between 40 -50 minutes – all ovens can vary.

 

3. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing and allow to cool completely. You can do this the day ahead but store in an airtight container before you make the icing and decorate the cake.

 

4. To make the icing bung everything into a bowl and using an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients until you have a smooth, rich, luscious icing. This makes plenty of icing!

 

5. Spread the icing on top of the cake sponge and using a spatula, spread evenly across the top of the cake, you can if you want ice the sides of the cake. Keep two tablespoons back to place on top in the centre of the cake and place the mini eggs on this mound to create some height! Scatter crumbled flake bar generously on top, serve with some lightly whipped cream and enjoy!

 

I made this cake for dessert last Sunday and it went down a real treat.

This is a chocoholic’s dream come through!

The sponge is light and fudgy, and the icing is pure decadence.

Perfect for Easter coming up this weekend or for birthday’s, celebrations anytime of year.

This cake will feed a crowd easily, so it is perfect for gatherings.

It will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container!

Happy Easter everyone!