Easter Weekend is just around the corner but this year chances are it’s going to be very different to the norm. The long awaited bank holiday at home with the family won’t feel so long awaited week 3 into lockdown, and aside from the daily walk, outdoor activities are somewhat limited.
It’s okay to feel unsettled, this is an unprecedented moment in time, but what is important is that we all find activities that ease our stress and tension.
Baking is an incredible stress reliever and the 4 day Easter weekend is the perfect opportunity to get the family together to whip up a special treat. This Banoffee Easter nest showstopper is such a fun bake and with its many components there’s enough to keep you all occupied for a couple of hours.
“I am so impressed with the flavour intensity”
The secret ingredient in this cake is the delicious Limited Edition Whittard Banoffee Pie Hot Chocolate. Their cocoa creatives dreamt up this heavenly combination of creamy banana, molten toffee and white chocolate and the result is incredible.
As a hot drink alone this delicious new flavour is worth the hype, but naturally I put it to the test in the kitchen using it as the flavour base for the cake sponge. One thing I have to say is that I am genuinely so impressed with the flavour intensity. It packs so much banana punch, but also provides the caramel and white chocolate notes that make this sponge so special. I’m so pleased I’ve already decided which hot chocolate to use for my next bake, I think they’re going to become my new secret weapon.
But first this Banoffee dream boat. If you can spare 3 eggs go for it, I promise you won’t regret it.
Buy your tub online at Whittard.co.uk while stocks last HERE
Jump to Recipe
Banoffee Easter Nest Cake with Whittard Banoffe Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250 g butter softened
- 250 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 50 g Whittard Banoffee Hot Chocolate Powder
- 100 g white chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp milk
For your chocolate nest
- 225 g dry vermicelli noodles
- 150 g milk chocolate
- Handful chocolate eggs to decorate
For the caramel sauce
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 30 g butter cubed
- 60 ml double cream
For the white chocolate ganache filling
- 150 g white chocolate
- 50 ml double cream
For the caramel buttercream
- 250 g butter softened
- 500 g icing sugar
- 4 tbsp caramel sauce
To decorate
- Chocolate eggs
- 2 bananas sliced
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 4 and prepare two 15cm x 7cm deep cake tins with baking paper.
- Add the butter and sugar into a bowl or standing mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes until it’s light and smooth.
- One by one add the eggs with a tbsp of the flour in between each addition to avoid the mixture curdling. Add the vanilla then the remaining flour and Whittard Banoffee hot chocolate powder and mix together until well combined.
- Add the white chocolate chips and stir them through to combine, then add 2 tbsp milk to loosen the mixture a little.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until golden and springy to touch.
- Once cooked, carefully remove from the oven and leave to cool a little in the tins for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For your chocolate nest;
- Begin by breaking up the dried vermicelli noodles into small pieces in a bowl then prepare a breakfast cereal bowl by lining it with cling film for your nest mould.
- Next break up the milk chocolate into a large bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Keep on the heat until the chocolate has melted completely then remove it and pour in the broken vermicelli noodles.
- Mix the two together until the noodles are completely coated in chocolate then tip the mixture into your lined bowl and spread it out in the bowl evenly. Be as precise or messy as you like, it just depends how tidy you want your nest to look.
- Put bowl in the fridge and leave it to set for 1 hour.
For the caramel:
- Whilst your cakes are baking, and your nest is setting, you can make your caramel for the buttercream filling.
- Pour the sugar into a medium sized pan and heat on a medium heat until it begins to melt.
- When you notice it melted begin mixing the sugar around the pan constantly until it has all melted and turned an amber colour.
- Once it’s all melted and amber, add the cubed butter and whisk the mixture together quickly until it’s all combined and there are no pieces of butter showing.
- Finally, carefully pour in the cream, mixing constantly, then allow the mixture to boil rapidly for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, and leave it to one side to cool completely before adding to your buttercream
For the White Chocolate ganache:
- Now your caramel is made and cooling you can create your white chocolate ganache.
- Finely chop your white chocolate into small pieces and leave in a bowl to one side whilst you heat your cream.
- In a small pan pour in your cream and heat slowly for a few minutes until it begins to boil. Alternatively, you could heat the cream in a microwave for 30 seconds, checking every 10 seconds until it begins to boil.
- Pour the cream over the chopped white chocolate and leave it alone for 5 seconds so the white chocolate begins to melt then stir it around until the chocolate is completely melted. Leave to one side to cool.
For the Caramel Buttercream:
- When the caramel sauce is cool enough to dip a finger in without burning you can begin the buttercream.
- Start by combining the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl and whisk for 4 minutes until smooth, pale and fluffy.
- Add 2 tbsp milk to loosen the mixture a little, then add 4 tbsp of your cooled caramel sauce and mix it through.
To assemble the cake
- To assemble, cut both your cooled sponge cakes in half horizontally so you have four layers in total.
- Fit a piping bag with an open star nozzle and fill the bag with your caramel buttercream.
- Pipe a small blob onto a cake board and position your first layer onto the board to secure it in place.
- Pipe blobs of buttercream around the edge of the sponge layer, then add a tbsp of white chocolate ganache in the centre. Pipe more blobs of buttercream on top so it’s completely covered then finish with pieces of sliced banana.
- Repeat this step with each layer until all layers have been stacked, then pipe a final round of buttercream across the top of the cake and crown it with your set chocolate nest.
- Fill the nest with chocolate eggs and serve.
