Recycling easter eggs



Turn this....



...into this!!!
























As the title of this blog would suggest, I love cake. I especially like chocolate cake, coated in chocolate. Having said that, I don't often make chocolate cake coated in chocolate and seized on the opportunity provided by Easter overflow. I was also inspired by my Oma's cake.

Oma's cakes

This recipe is lifted straight from the Taste website. To get my pretty square shape, I baked the cake in a bread tin and sliced the cake in half. I added giant marshmallows for special effect!

Ingredients

For the cake:

200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
200g butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk

For the icing:

200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream

For the filling (optional):
 
Jam of your choice (strawberry or cherry is a winner)
1/2 thickened cream, whipped
 
Make it!
 
Preheat oven to 170°C/340 Farenheit. Grease and line base of what ever pan you like depending on the shape you are after.
 
Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Stand over a pot of boiling water, stirring continuously with a metal spoon, until melted. Be careful not to splash water into your chocolate as it will be ruined! Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. If you are lazy like me, you can melt the butter completely and then mix with a wooden spoon.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add melted chocolate. Beat until well combined. Sift flour and cocoa together. Fold half the flour mixture into butter mixture. Add half the milk. Stir gently to combine. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Yeah!

Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the chocolate icing, Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl. Once again, stand over a pot of boiling water, stirring continuously with a metal spoon, until melted. Let it cool and thicken slightly before icing.

If you decide to use a filling, Slice your cake in half (diagonally or horizontally, depending on the tin you have used). Smear the top of one layer with jam and then smooth over your whipped cream. Place your second layer on top, then spread icing over top and side. Add decorative touches (like my marshmallows) and EAT!!!