Easter Desserts

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (plus a little extra for dusting)
  
• 1 cup of butter
  
• 1 Tbsp. of instant espresso powder
  
• 3/4 cup water
  
• 2 cups of sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1/2 cup of low fat buttermilk
  
• 2 Tbsp. of pure vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  
• Ganache whipped frosting (recipe below)
  
• 8 ounces of finely chopped semisweet chocolate
  
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
  
• 2 Tbsp. of corn syrup
  
• 1 lb. bar of milk chocolate
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 7 inch round cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray and lining them with parchment paper also coated with cooking spray and then sprinkled with cocoa powder on top. Tap out any excess coca powder. Set aside pans.
   
   
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa, espresso, and water until dissolved. Then add the sugar and continue whisking until smooth. Remove from heat.
   
   
3. Stir in the remaining cake ingredients - eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk until well combined.
   
   
4. Pour the cake batter into the two prepared pans and bake for about 45 minutes or until the skewer (cake tester) comes out clean.
   
   
5. Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pans. Remove from pans and peel off the parchment paper then allow to completely cool.
   
   
6. Trim the tops of the cakes so that they are level for stacking. Place the first layer (cut side up) and frost with 1/2 cup Ganache.
   
   Ganache Recipe
   
   To make the Ganache frosting, place 8 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1/2 cup of heavy cream into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double boiler). Stir together until smooth and then refrigerate it. Stir occasionally over the next 10-15 minutes until it stiffens up a bit (like cream cheese) and then whisk it until it's nice and fluffy and smooth.
   
   
   Then place the other layer on top (cut side down), and finish frosting it with the remaining Ganache. Refrigerate about 15 minutes until firm.
   
   
7. Melt semisweet chocolate over a double boiler along with the cream and corn syrup and stir until smooth. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then pour it over the cake and refrigerate about 15 minutes until nice and firm.
   
   
8. Make the "nest" by scraping the milk chocolate bar with a sharp knife at a 90° angle to form a nice pile of curls and shards (about 1 1/2 cups). Refrigerate to keep firm until ready to serve.
   
   
9. Place cake on a nice cake plate and use the chocolate shavings to form the nest. Then fill the nest with chocolate eggs. You can make your own or used store-bought eggs.
   
   

I know it sounds a bit "involved" but it's really not that hard if you take it step by step. I hope you'll enjoy it. If you want to make your own chocolate truffle eggs like in the photo, you'll find the recipe at Martha Stewart's website.


Happy Easter!

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