The following is a recipe for a traditional Easter chocolate nest cake. This also makes a wonderful birthday cake for a child.

Ingredients:

180g Soft Margarine
180g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs, Beaten
180g Self-Raising Flour
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
60g Plain Chocolate

The Decoration:
120g Slightly Salted Butter
240g Icing sugar, Sifted
120g Plain chocolate
3 tbsp Apricot Jam
4 large Cadbury's Flake Bars
240g Cadbury's Mini-eggs

Method:

Add the margarine, caster sugar, eggs and self-raising flour in a bowl. Combine ingredients, then beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir-in the lemon zest and half of the juice.

Break up the chocolate for the cake. Either place in a bain marie, or on a plate over a pan of simmering water until completely melted. Stir the chocolate through cake mixture so that it forms streaks. Turn the mixture into a greased 22cm ring pan and spread level. Place the cake in in oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake for 30, or until the cake is golden and spongy to touch. Turn onto a wire tray and leave to cool.

Meanwhile beat the remaining butter until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and remaining orange juice. Melt the chocolate for decoration, as before, and beat into the butter cream to make a smooth mixture. Split the cooled cake in half and spread both halves with jam and sandwich back together. Place the cake on a plate and, using a small palette knife, spread the chocolate butter cream over its surface, leaving it rough in appearance.

Using a sharp knife, cut the flake bars into long pieces and arrange over cake to give a nest effect. Fill the centre of this nest with the mini-eggs.

Enjoy!