This may be the Easter Egg Nest Chocolate Cake from Nigella’s Feast but aside from the addition of some mini eggs, there’s no reason you couldn’t try it all year round.
It’s indulgent, I admit, comprising 6 eggs, 375g chocolate and lashings of butter and cream to boot. Sadly the Easter Egg Nest Nigella Chocolate Cake recipe has been removed from Nigella.com.
It’s a flourless cake and my version varied slightly in structure to Nigella’s original. Although Nigella’s instructions say this is a stress-free cake to make, I’d say anything that requires egg separation and meringue whipping has its hairy moments for the less confident baker. The batter whipped up a dream, foamy, surprisingly pale considering the amount of chocolate but this led me to my quandary?
Dare I fill a single cake tin with this batter? Yes it’s due to sink back but surely it would rise first and I feared I’d have cake explosions inside my oven.
Chickening out, I divided the batter between two 9 inch/23cm loose base tins. Indeed the batter rose in the oven but I wasn’t expecting it to sink back as much as it did.
As you can see above I ended up with two truffley layers each around an inch thick. I was astonished a cake batter so airy and plentiful (and costing so much in ingredients) could sink back to something so flimsy?
I decided to sandwich these with some milk chocolate ganache (my other variation was to use milk chocolate instead of dark as it’s my favourite) which worked a treat although admittedly added to the calorific burden of the whole thing which was already topped with a layer of chocolate and whipped cream.
The result, with layers of ganache and whipped chocolate cream included, is a truly indulgent chocolate cake. Your pockets and scales alike will thank you for keeping this as a definite treat rather than a regular event. But every now and again, this cake looks pretty and will delight all who try it.
Today’s post is my entry to Forever Nigella which is being hosted by Lucy at Vanilla Frost Cakes – you can find out how to submit your entry (by 28th April) at her passionfruit curd post here. One week left for all your favourite spring themed Nigella recipes, not just Easter.
Now that chocolate cake looks divine. After my cake disaster (top fell apart) when trying to slice my first chocolate cake for Vanessa’s supermarket cake off, I think I would always opt for two tins now as well. Got my entry planned. Will be posting next week. X
I think if I’d had a deep tin I’d have been ok but it was sandwich tins and the batter came all the way to the top. I think I’d definitely have had a mess to clean up in the oven had I not divided it.
I often think that this looks too rich when I look at the recipe. Doesn’t stop it looking yummy though!
The trick is to not eat too big a slice 🙂
Mmmmhhh, I’d love a slice of it right now to accompany my tea…. This cake looks delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
It looks delish Sarah. Love the mini eggs on the Emma Bridgewater spots.
My mother bought mini eggs for her Easter cake and the tiny box of 12 had 8 that were purple. Very disappointing.
Gosh this cake looks scrumptious, and I like the idea of two layers, it makes the cake look lighter (even if it does have a few more calories!)
I like your thinking! More calories but shussh, it’s lighter really!
Now this is my kind of cake! Love the way you have presented it and the little mini eggs looks so pretty as well as that indulgent chocolate ganache……chocolate heaven 🙂
Yep, milk chocolate ganache is my chocolate heaven! 🙂
I toyed with making the Easter Nest Cake – if my memory serves me, it is her chocolate cloud cake, adapted? If so, I remember it being deliciously rich and very yummy. The most indulgent chocolate cake I ever made with Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake. It is also laced with espresso, which seems to make it even richer in taste. I do love any Nigella recipe, too though. Lovely spotty plates!
Gosh yes it is – I hadn’t looked in Nigella Bites for ages nor made that before. In fact in the Cloud Cake recipe she gives Easter Egg Nest variation at end. The whipped cream topping *could* be cloud like but the base was more brownie like IMO.
OMG!!!! Absolutely wonderful! I wnat that right NOW!!! Thanks for sharing such a mouthwatering cake:-)
Thanks! Glad you like it!
Your cake looks absolutely gorgeous. Having made this many years ago I recommend only making it for a large crowd. As I remember it is extraordinarily rich and even my chocolate addict younger daughter couldn’t manage more than one slice. It’s a party stopper though. Hopping over to Vanilla Frost cakes now.
Yep, we lingered over it for a few days then took last third of it to a friend’s house to let them finish it!
Love the photogrpahs – very enticing! Chocolate overload but in a very good way.
what a lovely cake. love chocolate truffle cakes. great photos too the site is looking amazing! have made my entry, need to post it x
Mmm, perfect for those afternoon cravings for sweet! I would love to have a piece of this along with my cup of tea!
I find a lot of Nigella’s recipes are very decadent – even the savoury recipes often involve tipping in a whole bottle of wine or a tub of cream. Always delicious though!
This cake looks fantastic! I want it, please.
What a fabulous cake Sarah! I surely would love to join in for next month 🙂
Please do – Nelly at Nelly’s Cupcakes is hosting with a Diamond Jubilee celebration Nigella style!