Sunday, March 25, 2012

Peeps Nest Cake for Easter


A springy welcome to Red Couch Recipes!  Peeps and Easter just go together, don't you think?  I made this cake with my favorite chocolate whole wheat cake, but you could buy a chocolate cake and adorn it with a chocolate nest, Peeps, chocolate shavings, and candy chocolate eggs and in minutes you could have a cute dessert to serve for Easter. 

Here's a top view of the cake.



Recipe for Nedra's Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 -1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
7/8 cup boiling water
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or 2 (8-inch round cake pans). In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Then add 2 eggs and beat well. In a medium, and separate, bowl, add the whole wheat flour and cocoa together. In a small bowl, add the buttermilk and vanilla together. Then add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add to mixture the baking soda. Finally, add the 7/8 cup boiling water all at once and mix thoroughly. Pour immediately into prepared pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes if using a 13 x 9 x 2 pan or 25 to 30 minutes if using the 8-inch round pans. Frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Blend together 3/4 cup room temperature butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3-4 tablespoons water. You may need to add extr
a water, depending on how thick you want it. You may have extra frosting.


For the chocolate nests, just blow up a balloon and melt some chocolate in the microwave and then spread it on the blown up balloon and invert the balloon on something so that it can dry.  Remember when you are melting chocolate in the microwave, be very careful because chocolate can burn quite easily.  Just melt in 10-15 second segments and then stir inbetween.  For the top of the cake, make sure you don't blow up the balloon too large; you just need a small nest. We just used semi-sweet chocolate chips.



To make the chocolate shavings, just use a vegetable peeler.

Hold the peeler in your hand and make the chocolate into curls.  We used a Hershey chocolate bar.  In the little town we live in, we can't find quality dipping chocolate.  The Hershey's bar worked out fine for small curls. 


Thanks for sitting a bit on my Red Couch where you are always welcome!

Posted with the following:  On the Menu Monday

18 comments:

Red Couch Recipes said...

What a cute cake! The cute little blue chicks peeking out bring a nice springy color to this cake. Love the yummy looking chocolate nest, it's a great idea!!!
thanks,

your daughter Talley
P.S since you deleted the ananymous comments, I am forced to comment under your name.

Marigene said...

Cute cake, Joni...love the little nest on top.

Sarah said...

Such a cute idea! Just meet Ruby below. Such a sweet face. Glad you found each other. We have a new family member too. We rescued Sadie, a sweet Lhasa, a few weeks ago.

Lynn said...

Very cute, love the peeps in a nest:@)

Debbie said...

OK, I'm just plain loving this and want to try it, especially the chocolate nest part. That's just too fun.

Anonymous said...

Joni: that is so cute i love peeps!! anne

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

That is just adorable.. what a great easter cake! Do you mind if I repost your post with credit to you and link to your blog?

Creations By Cindy said...

YUMMY! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

What an adorable cake! Love the nest!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

So very cute. I still have your mother's cake bookmarked and hope to try it one day.

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

What a perfectly adorable cake for Spring, Joni!!

Lisa said...

If that isn't the cutest thing!!!
Lisa

Jacqueline said...

I love that Tally commented under your name! She is soooo cute! What a beautiful cake. Those little blue birds almost look real. I love the blue and brown together too. How easy and how fun. we definitely are going to try this! Your favorite sister!!!!!!!!!!!

Julie Harward said...

I love love the little chocolate nest...cute idea! I love Peeps, just ate a whole package of purple ones! ;)

Sue said...

Beautiful cake! The nest is so pretty and the blue peeps look stunning against the chocolate!

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

I don't think I ever had whole wheat flour in chocolate cake! Sounds interesting! And that little nest is just so cute! Linda

Anonymous said...

A great idea,I so enjoy all the chocolate making for Easter. Your blue twitters look so cute, I haven't seen any like that here in Australia yet. Have a great day! Linking from FF.

Beth said...

This is ADORABLE!!! Oh, Joni, I just love it. I may try it for Easter. Hope you have a blessed Easter.
Hugs and blessings, Beth

Engageya