It’s somehow the 4th month of 2019 (time is flying by so fast isn’t it?) and April signals longer days, warmer weather (hopefully) and Easter time! Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate seems to be everywhere – along with hot cross buns, little chicks, rabbits and colourful eggs and religious symbols – so from a recipe creator’s point of view, it’s a fun and yummy time.
In collaboration with Delamere Dairy, who I’ve worked with before on a festive and healthy breakfast recipe, this time I’m bringing you a wonderful, rich and indulgent bake in time for this celebration. The chocolate cake uses the spreadable goats butter which makes a really light sponge, while the block butter (once softened) works amazingly for a creamy frosting to sandwich the cake together and smothered across the top – the perfect setting for a decorative Easter touch.
Before I jump into the recipe, I wanted to share some of the benefits of the goats products which you might not know about – before coming across the brand I wasn’t familiar with things like goats yogurt and butter even though I love the cheese!
- Boasts immune-boosting properties like selenium and zinc which are especially helpful at this time of year to fight off colds and boost our immune systems
- Been known to help alleviate symptoms associated with digestive disorders, skin conditions like eczema and respiratory problem
- Contains about 20% less cholesterol than cow’s milk and the cholesterol it does contain is more readily available for absorption by the body
- A delicious and naturally nutritious alternative to cow’s milk
- High in calcium
Easter Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
For the cakes –
- 240g gluten-free flour
- 100g coconut sugar
- 40g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 50g Delamere spreadable butter, melted
- 250ml Delamere goats’ milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing –
- 150g Delamere goats block butter, left out at room temperature 30 minutes beforehand to soften
- 150g icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate balls –
- 100g rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons smooth nut butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Delamere goats’ milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 40g dark chocolate, broken up into pieces
- Cacao nibs
Get making!
- Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line 2 x 20cm cake tins.
- Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla then pour into the bowl and gently mix in to form a batter.
- Divide the batter between the two tins and smooth out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Leave for 20 minutes then pop both onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the chocolate balls by placing the oats, nut butter, maple syrup and milk in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture forms a dough. Roll into different sized small balls. Gently melt the coconut oil and chocolate then dip each ball into the chocolate to coat and place on a greaseproof sheet. Roll a few in the cacao nibs. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the icing by beating the butter for 2 minutes. Warm up the milk then beat in with the icing sugar, cocoa/cacao powder and vanilla until smooth.
- Place one of the cakes on a board or plate and cover the top with some icing. Carefully arrange the other cake on top then cover the top and sides with the icing. Scatter over the balls and some chocolate eggs – then slice and serve!
