Maltesers Indulgence Easter Cake

This cake is a real celebration of Easter and for me, chocolate is the key to a happy Easter, especially with my two girls, Bridget and Beatrice. This cake is not frugal, nor healthy - it is truly decadent, indulgent and calorific, but it is also absolutely delicious and fun to make with kids or solo. It takes a little more time than an ordinary sandwich cake, but is well worth the effort.

If you do want to shave off a few calories, you could make it without the vanilla sponge layer, but the height does help to make a hidey hole for the Maltesers which pour out as you slice into the cake. 

Malteasers Indulgence Easter Cake

Here's how:

For the chocolate sponge:

• 8 tbsp boiling water
• 50g cocoa (sifted)
• 4 eggs
• 60ml milk (use full fat if possible)
• 180g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 115g butter (room temperature)
• 270g caster sugar

For the vanilla sponge:

• 2 eggs
• 120g butter (room temperature)
• 120g caster sugar
• 120g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

The chocolate buttercream:

• 100g milk chocolate
• 200g butter (room temperature)
• 450g icing sugar
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4-6 tbsp milk

To decorate/adorn:

• x3 large packs of Maltesers or 1 share bag
• x6 Maltesers Bunnies

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line x2 20cm round sandwich tins and set aside.

Make the vanilla sponge first by simply using the all-in-one method, literally put the butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour, baking powder, vanilla essence into a mixing bowl, crack in the two eggs and mix well to form a cake batter. 

Pour into one of the lined cake tins and tilt the tin to ensure the cake batter covers the entire bottom and is well spread out. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown, risen, and you can stick a skewer inside without any wet crumbs coming out. 

Remove from the tin, place onto a wire race or a board to cool. Re-line the cake tin, firstly removing any cakey debris. 

While the vanilla sponge is in the oven, set to work making the chocolate sponge. First place the cocoa into a mixing bowl, and pop the 8 tbsp boiling water into the bowl too, using a wooden spoon to stir and making a bit of a paste. It shouldn't be too dense, and should have some movement, so if you need to add a little more boiling water, do so, 1 tbsp at a time until you're happy with the consistency.

Now add the rest of the cake ingredients; the butter, eggs, milk, sugar, baking powder and self-raising flour and mix well with the wooden spoon until a batter is formed. 

Now pour the batter into the two sandwich tins, as evenly as you can (you can use scales to be precise but I don't bother for an 'at home' cake and gauge it by sight instead.

Again tilt the tins to ensure the batter is all over the tins and spread out well then place into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. 

Again, use a skewer to ensure the cake is cooked through, and if not return to the oven for a further five minutes.

Gently remove from the tins after a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack or a board to cool and leave for 20-30 minutes so they're cooled through.

For the buttercream, first break up the milk chocolate (we used an Easter egg) and melt in a bowl over a pot of boiling water or in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, then set aside.

Now in the final mixing bowl (or the one you've washed up twice) combine the butter, with the icing sugar and cocoa. If you can, sieve the icing sugar and cocoa in, as it will make the buttercream less grainy - but I was lazy yesterday! Add the milk and stir well with a wooden spoon. You want it to be loose and easy to spread with a knife or palette knife, so add more milk a tbsp at a time if it feels a little too thick. Pour in the melted chocolate and give a final stir then set aside.

To assemble the cake, use a cake stand or whatever you want the cake to sit on, and place the bottom layer (whichever one is tattiest) of chocolate sponge on the stand. Use a cookie cutter and cut out a round right in the centre of the cake. Remove the centre sponge piece, (if you have small children I'm sure they will help to get rid of the cake!). 

Now spread the rest of the top of the bottom layer of chocolate sponge with a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream.

Next cut out the centre of the vanilla sponge and place the remaining outer circle on top of the chocolate sponge on the cake stand. Now you should have the two layers, with a big, deep hole. Fill with two thirds of the Maltesers. 

Maltesers Indulgence Easter Cake

Now spread the vanilla sponge on top with the chocolate buttercream and place the final, full chocolate sponge on top. It may dip a little in the centre, but don't worry about that.

Now spread the chocolate buttercream all over the cake, using the back of a knife or if you have one, a palette knife to get it as neat as you can. Any remaining buttercream pop into a small Tupperware dish and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks for any cakes you might want to ice.

Now to tidy the stand, so if you are like me, you may have made a little mess of the stand with the chocolate, use some kitchen roll or tissue to mop up any spillages and make neat and then you can pop on the final decorations.

Add the x6 Malteser Bunnies around the outside, they should stick to the buttercream without anything extra needed.

Bash up the remaining Maltesers with the end of a rolling pin so they're all crushed and then scatter over the top of the cake. Enjoy!

If you love a chocolate bake like us here are a few other recipes you may enjoy:
Mini Egg Brownies
Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Ring
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Rich Mocha Cake
Simple Double Chocolate Traybake
Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Lovely Lemon Cake

This citrus cake is light and delicious with a triple hit of lemon running through it from the sponge cake, the lemon curd and the lemon buttercream. It's perfect for a celebration cake.

It's simple to make too - I've used the all-in-one method for the sponge which works every time.

Lovely Lemon Cake

Add caption

Here's how:

• 250g salted butter
• 250g self-raising flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 drop of Sicilian lemon extract
• 2-3 tsp milk 
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream:

• 180g salted butter
• 500g icing sugar
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 1 drop Sicilian lemon extract
• 3 tbsp lemon curd
• Lemon Jelly Slices (I use Morrison's from the baking department)

First pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins. 

Into a large bowl measure the flour, softened butter and sugar and baking powder and mix well to combine. Add the lemon zest and extract and once well mixed, add a drop of milk at a time until you have a thick and unctuous cake batter at a consistency you're happy with. 

Now carefully divide the cake batter between the two sandwich tins, level out and place both into the hot oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and risen.

Test the cake with a skewer - as long as it comes out dry the cake is good to go.

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 20 minutes, then carefully remove and place onto a board to cool further.

Now begin to prepare the lemon buttercream - ensure the butter is soft, and if not place into the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Add the icing sugar, the lemon juice, zest and extract to the butter and mix well. Once all combined you can begin the assemble the finished cake.

Place one sandwich at the bottom and spoon over a few tablespoons of the lemon buttercream - use a palette knife to spread so it's evenly distributed.

Now spoon over the lemon curd and spread around - it doesn't need to be too neat but try to get an even spread.

Place the second sandwich on top of the first. 

Now spread the buttercream over the top and the sides of the cake all around. Again, use a palette knife to spread and make as neat as possible. 

If using the Lemon Jelly Slices simply place them all around the outside of the cakes' top and you're done. 

The cake will last for up to a week if covered and kept in the fridge but it never lasts more than a day or two around here.

If like me you're partial to a fruity cake here are a few other recipes you might like:

• Lemon & Honey Yoghurt Cake
• Lemon Drizzle Cake
• St Clements Drizzle Cake
• Guilt Free Apple Cake
• Rhubarb and Custard Cake
• Peach Upside Down Cake

Carrot Cake

This is a lovely carrot cake recipe that results in a moist, delicately spiced and delicious cake that is packed with nuts and fruit and is simply perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

We made it for a little treat for my Mum on Sunday morning for Mother’s Day and we all enjoyed a slice after dinner. 

Carrot Cake

Here’s how:

• 240ml vegetable oil
• 2 heaped tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
• 3 large carrots (about 270-300g)
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 265g self-raising flour
• 350g light muscovado (brown) sugar
• 1/2 fresh nutmeg
• 2.5 tsp cinnamon
• 115g dried mixed fruit
• 115g chopped walnuts (plus a handful for decorating)

For the icing:
100g softened salted butter
100g soft cream cheese
300g icing sugar
Drop of vanilla

Firstly preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line two 20cm baking tins.

Peel and grate the carrots and set aside for the moment.

Zest the lemon, roughly chop the walnuts and if there are any large pieces of fruit in your dried fruit mix, halve them.

Now in a small bowl or jug, whisk together the yoghurt, oil, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest until well combined and smooth.

In a large mixing bowl add the self raising flour, the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix together roughly. Try to smooth out any large bits of sugar.

Now add the oil, yoghurt and egg mixture to the flour and sugar with the carrots and mix well until it comes together as a lovely brown batter.

Now add the nuts and fruit and mix in and then divide between the two baking tins.

Place into the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Test with a skewer or cocktail stick when they come out of the oven and if they come out clean, they’e done, if not return for the oven for five more minutes.

Remove from the tin and place on a board or wire rack and allow to cool for at least thirty minutes.

For the icing simply combine all of the ingredients and whisk fairly hard until you have a smooth creamy texture.

Once satisfied with the consistency, add 2 tbsp of the mixture to the top of the bottom layer of the cake and use the back of a spoon or a palette knife to spread as evenly as possible.

Now place the second layer on top, and repeat the process with the remaining icing until the top is covered. Try to smooth it over so it is quite even.

Finally decorate with the remaining walnuts - I like to go around the edges with walnut halves, but any pattern is fine. Enjoy!

Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

We love chocolate brownies in all their various forms in our house, but these boozy chocolate and orange brownies are strictly for grown ups. 

They're rich, decadent and the intensity of the chocolate flavour, if you use a good chocolate is just wonderful. If you follow the below, you end up with a glossy topping that is slightly cracking, but a soft and squidgy, fudgey centre - just wonderful. 

I tend to use Cointreau as it's something I always have in stock, but you could substitute for another orange liqueur such as Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Blue Curacao or Mandarine Napoleon. You could equally switch for a shot of Tia Maria or whisky if you prefer, in terms of taste, but the chocolate and orange works really well together. 

Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

Here's how:

• 185g salted butter
• 200g dark chocolate of at least 85% cocoa solids
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange 
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbsp Cointreau or alternative orange liqueur
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Fill and boil the kettle and then pour into a small saucepan on a low heat. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a baking tin or dish and set aside.

Break up the dark chocolate and place into a bowl with the softened butter and gently melt over the saucepan. 

Once fully melted, remove the dark chocolate and butter from the heat. Grate the orange zest and add to the chocolate alongside the Cointreau, mix to combine and then set aside away from the hot water and allow to fully cool.

Roughly chop the white and milk chocolate into small chunks and set aside. 

Sift the plain flour and cocoa into a small bowl and set aside for a moment. 

Now in a mixing bowl add the sugar and eggs and whisk vigorously - if you have an electric whisk, it will take about five minutes, or by hand a good eight to ten. You want there to be a thick and creamy feel to the texture, as if you was making mousse. 

Now gently pour in the chocolate mixture and combine as carefully as you can, trying not to knock the air out that you have just painstaking whisked in. 

Once combined, sift over the cocoa and flour, now use the figure of eight method of mixing in, again being careful to be as gentle as possible.

Once it has formed a wet batter, add the chocolate chunks and stir through - try not to over-work here as you will knock the air out. 

Now pour into the greased, lined baking tin ad try to even out as best you can.

Place into the oven, on a middle shelf and allow to bake for 28 minutes exactly. 

Remove from the oven and give a good bang, if there is no wobble in the middle, the brownies are done, if there is a wobble return for a few more minutes then check again.

Once out of the oven, keep in the tin and place somewhere cool. Allow the brownies to cool completely before you attempt to remove them.

Cut into your preferred sized portions whilst still in the tin, and before serving dust with a little icing sugar for a final flourish. 

These will keep in an air tight container for up to a week, however I doubt they last that long; they are very moreish. Enjoy!

A few other bakes you might like to try:
Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Cake
Apple Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Coffee & Walnut Traybake with Vanilla Latte Icing
Peach Upside Down Cake
Lemon & Honey Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries
St Clement's Drizzle Cake