Chocolate and hazelnut cake

This is a lovely moist, rich cake.

SERVES 16 PREP 40min COOK 45min

• 250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened

• 225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar

• 200g (7oz) golden caster sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 4 medium eggs

• 300g (11oz) plain flour

• 75g (3oz) cocoa powder

• 2½tsp baking powder

• 300ml (½ pint) buttermilk

FOR THE ICING AND FILLING

• 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened

• 550g (1¼lb) icing sugar

• 2tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread

• 6tbsp chocolate hazelnut liqueur, optional

• A little green food colouring

• Sugar-coated chocolate eggs

YOU WILL NEED

Two 18cm (7in) round, deep or springform cake tins, greased, and bases lined with baking parchment

1 Preheat to oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla together until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding 1tbsp flour, if the mixture begins to split.

2 Sieve in the remaining flour, cocoa and baking powder, then stir the buttermilk into the creamed mixture.

3 Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 40-45min, until a skewer comes out cleanly. Leave cakes to cool in the tins for 10min, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

4 To make the icing, beat the butter, icing sugar and 1tbsp boiling water until creamy. Remove 200g (7oz) of the icing and place in another bowl. Into this, beat in 2tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread and 1tsp liqueur, if using. Set both bowls of icing aside.

5 Carefully split each cake into two, so you have four layers. Drizzle over remaining liqueur, if using. Sandwich layers together with chocolate icing, and place on a cake board or plate.

6 Colour the remaining icing a pale green colour and spread over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a palette knife. Decorate with sugar eggs like we have (right), or use chocolate eggs in your own design.