A Perfect Pantry

INGREDIENTS

• 310g unsalted butter, cubed
• 440g white chocolate, chopped
• 250g brown sugar
• 60g caster sugar
• 1 ¼ cup water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla paste
• 1 ¼ cup cake flour
• 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ self-raising flour

Caramel icing – crumb layer (1st layer)

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup cream
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted

Bird’s nest

• 25g vermicelli noodles
• 80g dark cooking chocolate

Vanilla buttercream icing

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp. fresh cream or milk
• 1 – 2 drops pink food colouring
• 200g Chocolate eggs to fill the basket

DIRECTIONS

Caramel mud cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 165°C fan forced. Grease and line 3 x 18cm round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Place the butter, white chocolate, brown sugar, caster sugar and water into a medium saucepan. Warm on a low heat until the butter and white chocolate have melted and the mixture is smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve before letting cool.
3. Beat the eggs and vanilla together and add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir until combined.
4. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and self-raising flour. Stir into the cake mixture.
5. Divide equally between the lined cake tins (2 cups of cake batter per cake tin).
6. Cook in the oven for 22-25 minutes or until a skewer that has been inserted into the centre, comes out clean.
7. Let cool completely in the cake tin.
8. Remove carefully.

Caramel icing

9. Place the brown sugar, caster sugar, butter and cream into a small saucepan, heat until all ingredients are melted and combined. Let cool slightly. Place into the bowl of a bench mixer with the beater attachment in place.
10. Add the sifted icing sugar, 1 cup at a time and beat on a medium speed until completely combined.

To assemble

11. Place one cake on the cake plate and top with 1/3 of a cup of caramel icing, spread it out and place another cake on top and top with another 1/3 cup icing, spread it out and then place the third cake on the top and using the remainder of the icing, cover the cake in the caramel icing. Use a hot palette knife to smooth the icing at completion. Chill to set the icing. This is the crumb layer.

Chocolate nest

12. Prepare the basket mould by lining a medium bowl with cling film and lightly spraying with baking spray.
13. Break the noodles into smaller lengths and put into a large bowl, pour the melted chocolate over the noodles. Wear disposable gloves and agitate until the noodles are completely coated. Put the chocolate coated noodles into the plastic lined bowl. Gently push the noodles into the base and up the sides of the bowl to resemble a bird’s nest. Chill to harden.

Vanilla buttercream

14. Place the butter and vanilla into the bowl of a bench mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Whisk for 3-5 minutes. Add the icing sugar slowly, one spoonful at a time. Remove 1 cup of the icing and add a tiny drop to the larger portion of icing and stir through to reach a light pink colour. Add a tiny drop to the smaller portion of icing and stir through to reach a slightly darker pink colour.
15. Ice the cake with the light pink icing. Spread the darker icing around the bottom and a little up the sides of the cake. Smooth the icing out with a hot palette knife.
16. Rest the nest on the top of the cake and fill the nest with the chocolate eggs.
17. Serve.

This recipe was developed using a Kambrook Appliance.

APPLIANCES

• PowerMix Planetary Bench Mixer