The perfect centrepiece for your Easter celebration! A Decadent Layered Chocolate Cake. Created by the talented chocolate and patisserie guru Kirsten Tibballs for Maldon Sea Salt. 



Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 

• 340g buttermilk, room temperature
• 3 (135g) eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste
• 170g coconut oil, melted
• 600g plain flour, sieved
• 600g caster sugar
• 20g bi-carbonate soda, sieved
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder, sieved
• 155g Callebaut Cocoa Powder, sieved
• 1 ½ tsp (10g) Maldon Sea Salt
• 340g hot water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C, fan-forced.
2. Beat the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted coconut oil until completely incorporated.
3. Add the flour, sugar, bi-carbonate soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and Maldon Sea Salt to a large bowl and mix to combine.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture.
5. Add the hot water and whisk to combine.
6. Divide the mixture between two 23cm round baking tins lined with baking paper.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour. The cakes will be ready when a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
8. Once the cakes have been out of the oven for 5 minutes, place them upside-down onto a flat tray and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Bunny Ears

(Template click here)

Ingredients 

• 115g Callebaut Milk Chocolate
• 1 tsp water

Method

1. Place the bunny ears template on a flat baking tray and place a sheet of baking paper over the top.
2. In a microwave-safe plastic bowl, heat the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in-between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
3. Slightly thicken the chocolate by adding the water a few drops at a time, stirring in between each addition with a spatula. Check the chocolate by lifting the spatula and drizzling the chocolate back into the bowl, if the chocolate holds on the surface it is ready to use.
4. Transfer the chocolate into a piping bag. Cut 10mm off the tip and using the bunny ears template as a guide, pipe the chocolate onto the prepared baking paper.
5. Allow to set.

Ganache Filling

Ingredients 

• 1400g Callebaut Milk Chocolate
• 1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 580g fresh cream 35% fat

Method

1. Place the chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Boil the cream.
3. Pour the boiled cream over the chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
4. Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the ganache is smooth and shiny.
5. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the surface and allow to set at room temperature for 4-6 hours.

Assembly

Ingredients 

• ¼ tsp gold metallic or gold lustre dust
• Maldon Sea Salt
• 10 milk chocolate eggs, approximately 44mm in length.

Method

• Using a serrated knife, trim the top off the cakes, rotating the cakes as you cut, so that you end up with a flat, even surface.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally.
• Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate, spread a generous layer of ganache on top and repeat with the remaining layers.
• Pipe the remaining ganache on top of the cake.
• Place the chocolate bunny ears on top of the cake, securing them in between the piped ganache.
• Combine the gold metallic and a generous pinch of Maldon Sea Salt in a small bowl.
• Pre-heat the oven to 50°C
• Place a baking tray in the pre-heated oven for 5-10 minutes
• Use the heated baking tray to melt the tops of 5 chocolate eggs. While the edges are still liquid, dip the melted opening into the gold Maldon Sea Salt.
• Arrange the whole and half chocolate eggs on top of the cake.
• Finish with a sprinkling of the gold Maldon Sea Salt.