Bring eggcitement to the table

Make this show-stopping chocolate cake the centrepiece of your Easter feast

IT’S almost Easter and you can smell the chocolate and hot cross buns in the air.

If you want to celebrate the season with a spot of baking, this special edition of Taste has got you covered.

From cute baby chicks in nests to tempting chocolate cake pancakes, moreish chocolate melting moments to tasty bacon, egg and feta tarts, and roast lamb with olive sauce and radiccio salad for Sunday lunch, there’s something that’s sure to appeal.

We even have Good Friday covered for the fish eaters with a recipe for grilled fish skewers with Asian quinoa salad.

For those who cannot consume enough chocolate over Easter, this rich cake covered with decadent icing and shards of the good stuff is a must.

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1⁄2 cup cocoa, sifted 125g butter 4 eggs

1 cup almond meal

3 tsp ground cinnamon 100g white cooking chocolate, melted

100g milk cooking chocolate, melted

Mini Easter eggs, to decorate FOR THE ICING:

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

50g butter

Method

Preheat oven to 160C/140C fanforced. Grease and line base and side of a 20cm base measurement round cake pan.

Combine sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.

Add hot melted butter to sugar mixture and stir until well combined.

Stir in eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next.

Stir in almond meal and cinnamon until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and level top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until edges are firm to touch and centre still moist. Cool in pan.

Meanwhile, spread the melted white and melted milk chocolate separately over the base of two upturned baking trays to a thickness of 1cm. Allow chocolate to set firm.

Using a large sharp knife, carefully run the blade at an angle down the length of each set chocolate to form curly shards. Set shards aside.

Make the icing by melting the chocolate and butter together in a small, non-stick saucepan over a low heat.

Cool in pan for five minutes then spread over top of cooled cake. Leave to cool completely.

Once icing is completely cool, carefully pile the chocolate curls at centre of cake to form a “nest” and place mini Easter eggs in nest. Serve.