Easter Chocolate  Nests

Ingredients: 

• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 eggs
• 150ml/5fl oz milk
• 150ml/5fl oz sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp apricot jam

For the chocolate butter icing:

• 25g/1oz cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 175g/6oz butter or soft margarine
• 300g/10oz icing sugar, sifted

For the decoration:

• 5 chocolate flake bars
• 5-10 sugar-coated mini chocolate Easter eggs
   

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Beat in the remaining cake ingredients.
Divide the mixture between two 20cm/8in round sandwich cake tins.
Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
To make the chocolate butter icing, dissolve the cocoa powder in the boiling water to make a paste.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter to soften it and then gradually add the icing sugar and beat well until it becomes pale in colour and light in texture.
Stir in the cooled cocoa.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins, then turn out on to a cooling rack.
When cool, sandwich together with some apricot jam and a little of the chocolate icing.
Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake and decorate with chocolate flakes and mini Easter eggs to make a nest.
 

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