Rich Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting and Truffle-Egg Nest

Rating: 3.81 stars
42 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 14
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 10
  • 2 star values: 3
  • 1 star values: 2

Tucked inside nests of milk-chocolate shavings are truffle eggs tinted robin's egg blue and dusted with metallic luster. The accompanying marbled eggs are created by dipping more truffles into melted white chocolate swirled with blue food coloring.

Martha Stewart Living, May 2007, Martha Stewart Living, May 2007

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Recipe Summary

Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 3-inch-high, 7-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment paper. Coat parchment with cooking spray, and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.

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  • Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa and espresso powders and water; whisk until dissolved. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; whisk until combined.

  • Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Unmold, and remove parchment; let cool.

  • Trim tops of cake layers level. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with 1/2 cup ganache frosting. Place remaining layer, cut side down, on top. Coat top and sides with remaining cup frosting. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

  • Put semisweet chocolate, cream, and corn syrup into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and stir until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Pour over cake, and then refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

  • Using a chef's knife, scrape milk chocolate bar at a 90-degree angle, forming enough curls and shards to measure 1 1/2 cups. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate until ready to use.

  • Transfer cake to serving dish; form a nest with chocolate shavings on top, and fill with truffle eggs.

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Reviews (13)

42 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 14
  • 4 star values: 13
  • 3 star values: 10
  • 2 star values: 3
  • 1 star values: 2
Anonymous
Rating: 4 stars
04/08/2015
The recipe, despite everyone's comments, was easy to follow. I had a bit of trouble getting the eggs' white chocolate coating to stay neat and tidy, but other than that this was a perfect and scrumptious cake.
Anonymous
Rating: 5 stars
12/13/2013
To clarify - the effort for the cake, frosting, and eggs was worth it, not just the effort for the eggs : ) Extra truffles were the party favors at Easter that year.
Anonymous
Rating: 5 stars
12/13/2013
This was so good! I did make the eggs too, but didn't get around to finding luster dust so I just used food coloring. The effort was totally worth it both because of the stunning presentation and the divine flavor. Oh! My one ingredient sub was instant coffee powder, for some reason instant espresso was hard to find.
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
04/18/2013
This was a great and fun cake to make, in sptie of some of the confusing directions. What a creative idea! The truffles were delcious and so was the cake!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
04/16/2013
I did not understand the directions for the genache frosting. The recipe itself says to melt the semi sweet chocolate and cream. The recipe for the cake has milk chocolate and corn syrup in it and in steps 4 and 5 it says to put the frosting on and then also to pour the chocolate on again. Am I missing something here? What is the corn syrup for and when do I put on the chocolate. I'm confused.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
04/19/2011
Hola Andrew. ppdrias imprimirme esta receta por favor. besos
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
04/05/2010
I made this cake for Easter dinner. I followed the recipe as written, thought I decreased the instant espresso powder to 1 teaspoon as I was serving the cake to a family of coffee haters and I didn't want to risk them tasting a hint of coffee. I also baked it in two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, baking it for ~35 minutes.The cake was delicious and very moist. The chocolate flavor was rich and perfect--I liked that it wasn't too sweet.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
03/29/2009
I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for Tina78... http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/spring-treats?lnc=ad80e3c2fd17f110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
03/28/2009
Can anyone PLEASE tell me where to find the Easter cupcake ideas sent via email earlier this month?? I receved it in daily recipe ideas and have lost it.Help !
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/02/2008
This cake is unbelievably easy to make, and very tasty! I used grated orange zest in place of the espresso powder, and added a scant 1/2 tsp orange extract. I baked the layers in 6" pans instead (38-40 min), and used the extra batter for some mini cupcakes (10 min).
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
02/29/2008
For Easter it might be fun just to use mundane small candy easter eggs. THey could be chocolate and even decorated. Maybe not up to MS standards but for my homespun tastes it would do for the holiday. This reminds me of the meringue bird nests my mother used to make.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
01/24/2008
The recipe for the truffle eggs is included. Just click on the blue highlighted "truffle eggs" at the end of the list of ingredients. I want to make this cake too, but I would dye all the eggs Robin's egg blue, as any children around will also want one of the blue eggs.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
01/24/2008
Is there a recipe on here somewhere for the truffle eggs? And where can i find the metallic luster? I am in Canada..can I buy this at any cake decorating store? Would love to try making this cake sometime.
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