Easter Egg Nest Cake

by
  4.2 – 8 reviews  • Dessert
Level: Intermediate
Total: 6 hr 30 min
Active: 1 hr 20 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  1. Nonstick cooking spray, for the bowl
  2. One 15.25-ounce box carrot cake mix
  3. 3 large eggs
  4. 1/3 cup canola oil
  5. Nonstick cooking spray, for the bowl
  6. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  7. One 12-ounce bag marshmallows
  8. 3/4 cup white chocolate chips or melts
  9. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  10. 3 drops brown gel food coloring
  11. 2 drops yellow gel food coloring
  12. 6 cups fried chow mein noodles (about two 6-ounce bags)
  13. One 10-ounce bag white chocolate chips or melts
  14. Blue gel food coloring
  15. Green gel food coloring
  16. 10 filled chocolate eggs with a firm filling, such as peanut butter-filled or chocolate sandwich cookie-filled
  17. Two 16-ounce cans cream cheese frosting
  18. 2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
  19. Fresh mint sprigs
  20. Edible flowers

Instructions

  1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large metal mixing bowl (about 10 1/2 inches in diameter) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. (The water and oil is less than what the box instructions call for.) Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared bowl and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the bowl, then remove from the bowl and let cool completely on a cooling rack, about 2 hours.
  3. For the nest: Meanwhile, spray the same bowl you used to bake the cake in with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over low heat, stirring frequently. Add the white chocolate and cinnamon and stir until fully combined. Add the brown and yellow food coloring and mix until blended. Add the chow mein noodles and mix until all the noodles are coated with the marshmallow mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl and quickly press into the bowl to form a nest shape. If your hands start to stick, spray them with cooking spray (Caution: the mixture is hot, but you have to work quickly or it will harden; you can wear gloves for this step if necessary). Let cool about 2 hours.
  5. Remove the nest from the bowl and line the bowl with plastic wrap, letting some plastic wrap hang over the edge of the bowl. Place the nest back in the bowl, over the plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  6. For the eggs: Place the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Do not overheat.) Divide the melted chocolate into 2 bowls. Whisk 6 drops blue food coloring and 5 drops green food coloring into one bowl until a robin’s egg blue color is created.
  7. Gently push the pointed end of a skewer into the bottom of each chocolate egg, slightly off-center (do not hit the seam of the egg, or the egg will split along the seam). Gently dip the egg into the blue chocolate and turn until the egg is evenly coated. Lift the egg out of the blue chocolate and hold above the bowl to allow excess to drip off. Push the flat end of the skewer into a foam block or container of sugar or salt to allow the egg to dry undisturbed. Repeat this process to dip 4 more eggs into the blue chocolate. Dip the remaining 5 eggs in the white chocolate in the same manner. (If at any point the melted chocolate becomes too thick, microwave for 30 seconds more to loosen.) Set the eggs aside to harden for 1 hour.
  8. Remove the eggs from the skewers and place on a paper towel-lined tray.
  9. Combine 4 drops green food coloring and 4 drops blue coloring with 1 tablespoon water in a small spray bottle. Lightly spritz the green mixture onto the eggs in a speckled pattern. Allow the eggs to dry again for 1 hour.
  10. For decorating: Spread 1 can of the cream cheese frosting into the nest, leaving the outer border unfrosted.
  11. Slice 1 1/2 to 2 inches off of the flat side of the cake so that it will fit well inside the nest. Using a spoon, remove some cake to hollow out a depression in the top (the flat side) of the cake, leaving a 2-inch border intact along the outer edge of the cake.
  12. Place the cake hollowed-side up into the frosted nest. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large tip with the remaining cream cheese frosting and frost the top of the cake; spread evenly using an offset spatula or a spoon. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the cake, making sure to coat completely. If not using immediately, refrigerate. (Let the refrigerated cake come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.)
  13. Using the excess plastic wrap, pull the nest cake out of the bowl and place on a cake stand or platter. Arrange the eggs in the nest, then decorate with mint sprigs and edible flowers, and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 10 servings
Calories 2094
Total Fat 134 g
Saturated Fat 32 g
Carbohydrates 214 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugar 108 g
Protein 14 g
Cholesterol 102 mg
Sodium 693 mg

Reviews

Amber Morris
I made this Easter Egg Nest for Easter and it came out beautiful. What a great idea
Thank you to everyone on the Kitchen. I had fun making this
Amy Zuniga
Made the nest cake didn’t do bad for the first time
Karen Reed DVM
When I tried coating the chocolate eggs, the heat from the white chocolate started melting the eggs.  Maybe insert a skewer then freeze the egg so they won’t melt?  In a pinch for time so I used store-bought eggs.   I’m not a fan of boxed carrot cake (never tasted it before) so I’d use a different flavor next time.   Looks more difficult than it is.  Everyone was impressed by the cake!
Eric Anderson
Delicious!! I made it and so fun…. Thank you, Janet Hutchison
Kathy Rodriguez
This Easter cake is simple to make, pretty to look at and best of all delicious.

 

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