With Easter coming up I feel the need for a seriously cracking chocolate centre piece cake enough to feed a small army. Now, please don't take the title of this cake literally - this really is an any occasion cake, in face Charlie has requested this very cake (albeit with dinosaurs on top!) for his birthday on Monday!
Now, roll up, roll up, the star of this little show - let me introduce you to Waitrose Essential Chocolate Sponge Mix at a cheap as chips 95p per bag! Having tried a number of ready mixes, packet mixes, cheat mixes whatever you want to call them and this is by far one of the best for making tiered cakes.
Now, yes it is a cheat to make a cake this way, and yes it probably is cheaper to make one from scratch but having a packet of this in the cupboard and being able to quickly knock up a cake with minimal washing up and mess is always going to be a winner in my eyes.
For me a cake is made with love and thought and that goes whether you've weighed out the flour and eggs or simply thrown a packet mix in a bowl and made it that way.
So, let's get this chocolatey show on the road.
You will need....
2 x Waitrose Essential Chocolate Sponge Mix
4 x Eggs
300ml Semi Skimmed Milk
100ml Vegetable Oil
300g Soft butter (room temperature)
150g Milk Chocolate
30g Cocoa
550g Icing Sugar
How to make it....
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. Start by making up two of the packet mixes as directed on the back.
3. Line and grease three sandwich tins.
4. Pour the mixture evenly into the three cake tins.
5. Pop into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes - don't open the door but keep an eye!
6. Once the cakes are done take them out and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Now onto the icing sugar. Beat the butter until it is pale and fluffy. I normally just whack the butter in the freestanding mixer on a low/medium speed and leave it whilst I melt the chocolate.
8. Break up the chocolate and melt on a low simmering heat over a pan of boiling water.
9. Once the chocolate has melted pop aside to cool.
10. Now prepared to get covered in icing sugar! Slowly add the icing sugar to your pale and fluffy butter and beat until it's all incorporated. Your surfaces will also be covered with a fine later of icing sugar just to warn you!
11. Once the chocolate has cooled but is still melted pour into the buttercream and sift your cocoa in and give another jolly good mix.
12. Now it's time to layer!
13. Take a good lump of butter cream and sandwich two of the layers together and repeat with the remaining third top layer. Then take your icing and smooth it all around the side. I have a turntable and an icing scraper which makes it look super smooth, although, I have been known in the past to use a ruler!!
14. Once the cake is iced and smooth, plop any remaining icing in the middle and decorate with chocolate Easter goodies of your choice. I opted for a naked Lindt bunny and the classic mini eggs.
15. Serve over Easter as your chocolate centrepiece cake!
Would love to see your Easter cake creations so be sure to tag me on Instagram using my tag @thissurreymummy !
Nathalie x
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