Chocolate Easter sheet cake
Ingredients
- The cake
- 300 grams plain flour
- 60 grams cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150 grams icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 160 grams brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200 grams softened butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- The icing
- 175 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 260 grams icing sugar
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
- 150 grams softened butter
- ½ cup double cream
- To decorate
- Coloured mini eggs
- Chocolate eggs; halved
- Chocolate Easter bunnies
Instructions
The cake
PREHEAT the oven to 170°C. Line a 23 x 33 cm baking tin with baking paper.
SIFT the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, icing sugar and cinnamon together into a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and salt and mix everything together. Add the softened butter in pieces and mix in slowly until it resembles breadcrumb consistency..
COMBINE the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla essence together in a bowl. Add it to the flour mixture and mix well to combine. Gradually increase the speed and mix everything into a smooth batter.
POUR the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
The icing
MELT the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water and leave to cool slightly.
SIFT the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the softened butter in pieces and mix everything at low speed using a hand whisk or freestanding mixer. Gradually add the cream and mix well. Stir in the chocolate and mix everything until thick enough to form soft peaks.
PLACE the cake on a serving platter or keep it in the tin you baked it in. Spread the icing over the cake using a spoon.
BEFORE serving, decorate the cake with coloured mini eggs, halved chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and sugar stars, flowers, leaves and sugar pearls as desired
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