Let's get cracking: Four delicious chocolate cake recipes to make as an Easter showstopper
Easter showstoppers
Chocolate is the star of the show for the Easter holidays. Nothing really equals its deliciousness, does it?
To get the height in the chocolate madeira cake it is best to use four sandwich tins but if you do not have that many you could bake two 8-inch cakes and divide them once baked. You will also need to organise supports to put into the cake. Caramel sauce can be a little tricky to make as the temperature is important. If you are nervous there are quite a few good brands available to buy, you can add this to the buttercream and drip it over the cake.
The Mocha meringue pie has a hint of coffee in the chocolate filling. The meringue needs to be scorched using a kitchen blow torch. It is important to grease and flour a Bundt tin really well to prevent any last-minute disasters getting the cake out of the tin. Gently use the tip of a knife to ease around the edges before turning it upside down onto a plate. The orange and chocolate truffles are the perfect after-dinner nibble. Leave them in the fridge until about 15 minutes before you serve.
Chocolate madeira cake with whipped caramel buttercream
Caramel sauce can be a little tricky to make as the temperature is important. If you are nervous there are quite a few good brands available to buy, you can add this to the buttercream and drip it over the cake.
Servings
10Preparation Time
15 minsCooking Time
30 minsTotal Time
45 minsCourse
BakingIngredients
450g soft butter
420g golden caster sugar
8 eggs, lightly beaten
440g self-raising flour, sieved
2 tsp baking powder, sieved
100g cocoa powder, sieved
For the caramel:
125g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp water
25g soft butter
120ml cream, at room temperature
2 pinches sea salt
For the buttercream:
100g icing sugar
100g soft butter
1 tbsp caramel sauce
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C and line the base of four 8-inch sandwich tins with parchment and grease and flour the sides. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Alternate adding the eggs and a spoon of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add in the remaining flour, the baking powder and cocoa powder. Use the wooden spoon to make sure everything is well mixed.
Scoop the mixture between your four tins. If they do not fit in your oven, you can bake two batches. Bake for about 30 minutes until they bounce back once you press the centre of the cake. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack and take off the discs of parchment. Allow to cool completely.
To make the caramel sauce heat the sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan. You will need to heat it on a medium heat until the sugar dissolves then turn the heat up high and allow it to bubble until it turns golden. Keep a close eye on it as it can burn quickly. Remove it from the heat and gently stir in the butter and cream until smooth. Stir in the salt and set aside to cool.
When the caramel is cold whisk all of the ingredients for the buttercream until light and fluffy.
Put a thin layer of buttercream onto three of the cakes. Stack these on top of each other with the supports in the centre, placing the top cake upside down to get a smooth surface on top and a sharp edge on the corners. With a pallet knife put the buttercream on the top and sides of your cake. Drip some of the caramel sauce over the top and decorate it as you wish.
Mocha meringue pie
The Mocha meringue pie has a hint of coffee in the chocolate filling. The meringue needs to be scorched using a kitchen blow torch. It has a no-bake base and filling so can be made without the use of an oven.
Servings
10Cooking Time
30 minsTotal Time
30 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
For the base:
400g digestive-style biscuits, crushed
150g melted butter
For the chocolate layer:
240ml cream
30ml very strong espresso
360g dark chocolate chips or a bar broken into small even pieces
80g light muscovado sugar
120ml milk
1 tbsp corn flour, sieved
For the meringue:
4 eggs whites at room temperature
200g caster sugar
2 tsp corn flour, sieved
Method
Line the base of a 7-inch fluted flan dish with parchment and grease and flour the edges.
Mix the completely crushed biscuits with the butter, coating completely. Press this into the dish so it forms a base and sides for the pie. Place into the fridge to firm up.
Put all of the ingredients for the chocolate layer into a heavy-based saucepan and melt together over a low heat. Set aside for about five minutes to cool slightly then pour into your cold base. Place back into the fridge to firm up.
To make the meringue whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Turn your mixer down low and add half of the sugar, a dessert spoon at a time, until it is combined. Add in the cornflour, then the remaining sugar. The mixture should be thick but smooth.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the cold chocolate layer making peaks. Use a blow touch to scorch the meringue and serve straight away.
Chocolate drip bundt cake
It is important to grease and flour a Bundt really well to prevent any last-minute disasters from getting the cake out of the tin. You can very gently use the tip of a knife to ease around the edges of the cake before turning it upside down onto a plate.
Servings
10Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
40 minsTotal Time
50 minsCourse
BakingIngredients
180g soft butter and extra for greasing
150g flour and 1 tbsp for dusting the tin
30g cocoa powder
200g golden caster sugar
75g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder, sieved
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
For the chocolate sauce:
60mls cream
100g chocolate chips
Method
Preheat our oven to 180°C. I use a tin that is about 1.5 litres in volume. You can measure the volume by filling the tin with water and then transferring the water to a measuring jug. Rub butter into your tin, covering each nook and cranny. Add the tablespoon of flour and toss it around inside the tin covering all of the butter. Set aside in a cool place.
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds and the baking powder.
Add the vanilla and milk to the eggs and lightly beat.
Mix a third of the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar then stir in a third of the flour mixture. Repeat until everything is mixed together to form a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
Gently turn your cake on to a plate, nudging it out all around and allow it to cool.
Heat the cream to shivering and stir in the chocolate chips until they have melted. Set aside for about ten minutes then pour the chocolate ganache over the top and allow to drip down the sides.
Orange chocolate truffle eggs
These orange and chocolate truffles are the perfect after-dinner chocolate nibble on Easter day. Leave them in the fridge until about a quarter of an hour before you want to serve them.
Servings
10Cooking Time
20 minsTotal Time
20 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
200mls of cream
50g of soft butter
150g of dark chocolate chips, or a bar broken into small even size pieces
150g of milk chocolate chips, or a bar broken into small even size pieces
the zest of 2 oranges
cocoa powder for dusting
Method
Heat the cream to shivering and stir in the chocolate chips and butter until they have all melted. Stir in the zest and pour into a bowl and allow cool down then place it into the fridge to firm up.
Use a melon baller or two small spoons to make small balls of the truffle mix. Shape them into mini eggs and roll them in the cocoa powder. Place onto a clean plate and store in the fridge until about ten minutes before serving. They are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea after Easter dinner.
