There can never be too much chocolate at Easter and this recipe certainly takes the cake. Layers of chocolate ganache sandwiched between decadent chocolate sponge and topped off with adorable milk chocolate bunny ears as a garnish.

Serves: 15-18

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

340g       buttermilk, room temperature

3 (135g) eggs, room temperature

1 tsp      vanilla bean paste

170g       coconut oil, melted

600g       plain flour, sieved

600g       caster sugar

20g         bi-carbonate soda, sieved

1 ½ tsp  baking powder, sieved

155g       Dutch cocoa powder, sieved

1 ½ tsp (10g) Maldon Sea Salt

340g       hot water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C, fan-forced.
2. Beat the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted coconut oil until completely incorporated.
3. Add the flour, sugar, bi-carbonate soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and Maldon Sea Salt to a large bowl and mix to combine.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture.
5. Add the hot water and whisk to combine.
6. Divide the mixture between two 23cm round baking tins lined with baking paper.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour. The cakes will be ready when a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
8. Once the cakes have been out of the oven for 5 minutes, place them upside-down onto a flat tray and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Bunny Ears

(Click here to download bunny ears template)

Ingredients

115g       good-quality milk chocolate

1 tsp      water

Method

1. Place the bunny ears template on a flat baking tray and place a sheet of baking paper over the top.
2. In a microwave-safe plastic bowl, heat the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in-between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
3. Slightly thicken the chocolate by adding the water a few drops at a time, stirring in between each addition with a spatula. Check the chocolate by lifting the spatula and drizzling the chocolate back into the bowl, if the chocolate holds on the surface it is ready to use.
4. Transfer the chocolate into a piping bag. Cut 10mm off the tip and using the bunny ears template as a guide, pipe the chocolate onto the prepared baking paper.
5. Allow to set.

Ganache Filling

Ingredients

1400g    good-quality milk chocolate

1 tsp      vanilla bean paste

1 tsp      ground cinnamon

580g       fresh cream 35% fat

Method

1. Place the chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Boil the cream.
3. Pour the boiled cream over the chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
4. Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the ganache is smooth and shiny.
5. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the surface and allow to set at room temperature for 4-6 hours.

Assembly

Ingredients

¼ tsp     gold metallic or gold lustre dust

Maldon Sea Salt

10           milk chocolate eggs, approximately 44mm in length.

Method

1. Using a serrated knife, trim the top off the cakes, rotating the cakes as you cut, so that you end up with a flat, even surface.
2. Cut each cake in half horizontally.
3. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate, spread a generous layer of ganache on top and repeat with the remaining layers.
4. Pipe the remaining ganache on top of the cake.
5. Place the chocolate bunny ears on top of the cake, securing them in between the piped ganache.
6. Combine the gold metallic and a generous pinch of Maldon Sea Salt in a small bowl.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 50°C
8. Place a baking tray in the pre-heated oven for 5-10 minutes
9. Use the heated baking tray to melt the tops of 5 chocolate eggs. While the edges are still liquid, dip the melted opening into the gold Maldon Sea Salt.
10. Arrange the whole and half chocolate eggs on top of the cake.
11. Finish with a sprinkling of the gold Maldon Sea Salt.