Ultimate Easter Egg Cake

I posted a picture of my masterpiece on Monday but with last minute work and holiday prep I've not managed to get it together to actually blog until now.. nothing like last minute, huh? Hopefully those of you inclined may still have time to give this a go this weekend because it was legit the best cake I have ever made.I tend to use the same recipe for everything with tiny adjustments and those little changes this time made for a mix I just had to share. Put it this way, I've never had such positive feedback from my family after ANYTHING I've created, discounting the human/fur babies. The WOW factor is of course the mini egg decor but honestly? I didn't eat them.. it's not an original idea but a very effective and not too taxing one that I promise ANYONE could adopt.. the special bit is INSIDE!

• 8oz Butter
• 80z Caster Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 7oz S.R Flour
• 2oz Cocoa
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Shots Coffee
• 2 Family Size Bags of Mini Eggs
• 3oz Butter (for icing)
• 6oz Icing Sugar (for icing)
• 1tbsp Milk (for icing)
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract (for icing)

Cream together the butter and sugar, beat in your eggs and then fold in your flour.. all pretty standard so far. Add the cocoa and baking powder before adding the vanilla extract and just before putting in the oven.. the coffee. I say just before because I used hot coffee - because I couldn't be bothered for it to cool but I'm convinced this had an impact on how dense and moist the cake was - and split the mix between two greased tins at 160 for around 25mins. The timings and heat are so specific to your own oven it's ridiculous, something that frustrated me for years. I was convinced I was just a terrible baker until I discovered the optimum timings.. of course I have to rediscover them with each new oven but hey, practice makes perfect and the less than perfect usually taste pretty good even if they look a bit charred.This is my masterpiece because the cakes slid perfectly out of the tins and were the most delicious I've ever made.. even if I do say so myself! I used regular butter cream (twice as much icing sugar as butter with a drop of vanilla extract..  and milk if you feel like it, whipped with an electric whisk preferably) to ice and then of course.. the mini eggs. I'm going to have a go at a proper Devils Food cake next because I feel like I have the chocolate cake DOWN and that was one of my absolute favourites growing up but if you have any favourite recipes to share please do, I'm on a baking streak at the moment!

I hope you're all looking forward to a break this weekend and lots of chocolate.. Oh and if you're looking for something fun to do with the kids ahead of Sunday you may be interested in these DIY baskets I made with Milo.. ;)