We have been kept very occupied with our house move, but Easter won’t go by unnoticed in this house. In Denmark, where I grew up, Easter is a big deal, rivalling Christmas, with as many traditions and edible goodies. I think many European countries are the same, however the most you can expect from a British Easter is a chocolate egg…

Never the less, I am in ‘ the Easter mood’ and have decorated eggs, gathered spring branches and made Easter dishes, like my Champagne Truffle Easter Cake. Its a simple sponge recipe that I have adapted to be a little more special with the addition of chocolate truffles with champagne. The cake is frosted with a delicious brown sugar butter cream, that tastes of caramel and decorated with ‘hand blown’ dyed eggs.

To make the egg decorations, first scold the required amount of eggs under boiling water to clean them, then carefully prick a hole in either end of the egg using a large needle. Then blow as hard as you can on one end, forcing the egg yolk and white out of the other small hole. Then either hand paint your eggs, or dip them in food die, and leave to dry. I dripped candle wax on to the eggs first, then dyed them, and scraped the wax of after the egg had dried, that way creating random patterns. The contents of the tree eggs was used in the cake, so no wastage occurred.

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Batter

200g butter, softened

200g caster sugar

3 large free range eggs

200g organic self raising flour

40g organic cocoa powder

60g dark chocolate, grated

50g champagne chocolate truffles

2 tbsp organic milk

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Frosting

200g butter, softened

100g icing sugar

200g soft brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

plus 3 blown eggs for decoration

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Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease 2 x 18cm round cake tins.

In a large mixing bowl, or food processor, beat together the butter and sugar, until light and creamy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then add the milk and beat until smooth. Roughly chop the champagne truffles and grate the dark chocolate and add to the mixture.

Divide the batter between the 2 tins and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until well risen. Insert a wooden skewer into the middle of the cake to ensure it is baked through. If the skewer comes out clean it is ready. If not, bake for a further few min, and repeat.

Remove from the oven, and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the icing sugar and soft brown sugar and continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla.

Sandwich the 2 cakes together with half the icing. Spread the remaining icing on top of the cake and create peaks, using a pallet knife, as this will help prevent the decorations from rolling off!