Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake
- 260g plain flour
- 450g caster sugar
- 75g Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 120ml coconut oil (melted)
- 225ml coconut milk
- 235ml boiling water
- Chocolate Ganache
- 160ml fresh cream 35% fat
- 20g honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
- 360g good quality milk chocolate
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
- 235ml boiling water
- Chocolate Shavings
- 1 block of dark chocolate
- Assembly
- 15 mini Easter eggs
Method
- Chocolate Cake
- Turn oven on at 180 degrees
- Grease two 20cm sponge tins with vegetable oil and line with baking paper.
- Add the caster sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to the KitchenAid food processor with the dough blade.
- Mix on speed 1 to until the ingredients are combined.
- Melt the coconut oil in a microwave until it is liquid but not hot.
- Place the eggs, sea salt, coconut oil, coconut milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine by hand with a whisk.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients in the food processor and start mixing. Once combined, add the boiling water and mix once again until incorporated. Stop the food processor regularly to scrape down the sides.
- Distribute the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake tins.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, swap the position of the cake tins to ensure they bake evenly and continue baking for a further 20 minutes.
- To test when the cakes are ready, touch the surface and it should bounce back. You can also insert a toothpick or cake tester in the centre of the chocolate cake and it should come out clean.
- Cool the cakes for 5 minutes in the tins before removing the tins and cooling on a cake rack. If you have time you can freeze the cakes so they’re easier to assemble, but this is optional.
- Chocolate Ganache
- Don’t start this process until your cakes have cooled down.
- Boil the cream in a saucepan.
- Finely chop the chocolate and place it into a plastic jug. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and add the honey and vanilla.
- Emulsify with a KitchenAid hand blender to create a ganache, starting on speed 1 and gradually increasing the speed.
- Continue mixing until all the chocolate is combined and the ganache is supple and shiny.
- Use the ganache immediately after preparing to ensure it doesn’t become to firm or it will be difficult to spread.
- Chocolate Shavings
- Secure the Fresh Prep Slicer/Shredder Attachment to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer and slide in the Fine Shredding Blade until you hear a click.
- Place a bowl under the attachment to collect the chocolate curls.
- Turn the stand mixer onto speed 1 or 2 and place the chocolate block into the feed tube. Press down on the chocolate lightly to create your curls.
- Assembly
- Place one of the cakes upside down on a serving plate so the flat base is on top.
- Cover the surface of the cake with half of the ganache and spread it out to the edges.
- Place the second cake on top and top with the remaining ganache, smoothing it out to the edges.
- Sprinkle the chocolate curls around the edge of the cake on top of the ganache to create a border. Scatter a few small Easter eggs on the chocolate nest to decorate.