Guylian Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Nest

Ingredients

The cake

- 200g caster sugar

- 200g unsalted butter

- 4 medium eggs

- 200g self-raising flour

- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 tablespoons milk

The buttercream

- 100g milk chocolate

- 200g unsalted butter

- 400g icing sugar

- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

- 2 tablespoons milk 

For the nest

- 100g white chocolate

Method

1. Heat your oven to 190 degrees conventional  /170 degrees fan / gas mark 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. In a large bowl, beat together 200g caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 eggs, 200g self-raising flour, the cocoa powder, the baking powder, the vanilla extract, the milk and a pinch of salt until pale. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

1. 2. For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins. Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them. Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth. When you've made sure everything is at room temperature, on a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with your Guylian pieces.

2. 3. To make your chocolate nest, pop some water into a circular cup, about half-way up, and leave a spoon inside. Leave this in your freezer overnight. Once frozen, remove the round ice block with the spoon still inside and place upside down, so the dome is now facing upwards. Melt your white chocolate and pour over the dome. It will set quite quickly. Once set, place upright next to your cake and decorate with chocolate pieces. 

Enjoy! J xx

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