How to Make a Spring Inspired Easter Nest Cake

When I asked my friend Miriam to make an Easter inspired cake I knew it would be fabulous. Her cakes always impress! You are going to love making this cake for Easter or, really, how about all Spring long?! I can see this cake at your Holiday Easter gathering, a wedding or a birthday party. There’s something about baking with someone that I love. Being in the kitchen, catching up on life and always laughter. It brings me back to my childhood days of baking with my mom and there’s something so sweet in those memories.

How to Make a Spring Inspired Easter Nest Cake

I have to give all the credit to Miriam for this cake. She did all the work. I watched, took photos and relaxed into an easy conversation as she made frosting, layered and frosted the cake and laughed along at the disaster of a mess making the nest was. Miriam uses her family’s delicious carrot recipe and I can attest it’s the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. Carrot cake isn’t my favorite, but I kept stealing bites of the leftover pieces from the cakes she’d leveled off.

Spring Inspired Easter Nest Cake

Spring Inspired Easter Nest Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients Needed:

• 5 cups grated carrots
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2-1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 6 eggs
• Optional: 1-1/2 Cup of chopped nuts

Frosting ingredients needed

• 16 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 8 cups powdered sugar

Bird’s Nest Ingredients Needed

• 20 grams (.75 ounces) Vermicilli noodles (thin rice noodles)
• 2 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 bag of chocolate candy eggs

Instructions

How to make the cake

1. Prepare 3 round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line cake pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour with baking soda, and set aside
3. In a stand mixer, combine 2-3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix on low for 1 minute.
4. Add in vanilla extract and oil, mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add in 1 egg at a time, adding each egg after the previous egg is fully incorporated. Mix an additional minute.
5. Add flour-soda mixture. Add carrots, and nuts if using. Mix an additional minute so all ingredients are fully incorporated.
6. Distribute cake batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until browned around the edges and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Begin checking cakes at 30 minutes.
7. Cool cakes in the pan 10 minutes, and then use a paring knife to cut around the edges of the cakes to release them from the cake pans. Turn the cakes out to cool completely on wire racks.

How to make the frosting

1. Using a stand mixer, Combine cream cheese and butter on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the salt, vanilla extract, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix on medium-low for 1 minute. Continue to add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on low between additions. After all powdered sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and continue to mix for 3 minutes.

How to make the bird’s nest

1. Prepare a small bowl, that will act as your nest mold, by lining it with cling-wrap. Have a smaller bowl close by to help form your nest.
2. Break Vermicilli noodles into small pieces and place into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, heating 15 seconds at a time and stirring in between. Stir in coconut oil after heating 30 seconds to help create a smooth and glossy appearance.
4. Pour chocolate over noodles and stir to coat noodles completely. Press the chocolate coated noodles into the lined bowl. Place the smaller bowl on top of the nest to help it keep its shape and place in the fridge to harden.

Assembly

1. Prepare the cakes by leveling the tops so they are smooth and even. I recommend using a cake leveler to help you easily achieve this, but you can also use a long serrated knife.
2. Place one cake onto a cake plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over the entire top of the cake, right up to the edges!
3. Continue stacking layers of cake and frosting, with a generous layer of frosting on the top layer. Smooth the top of the cake with an offset spatula. Use a kitchen scraper to smooth the sides of the cake, allowing for the frosting to variate between thick and thin across the layers. Add a little more frosting in areas as needed.
4. Set the hardened nest on the top of the cake, using a little frosting underneath to help stabilize the nest, if necessary. Fill the basket with Egg candies. Refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to serve!

By Miriam Schultz

Adapted from her family recipe

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We agreed we wanted to go for the naked look and it was definitely the right choice. I like the slightly unfinished look for a nature inspired cake. This cake is a fabulous dessert for any occasion. Make it for your Easter celebration or bring it to an event. Wherever you take it you won’t be bringing any of it home with you.

Tell me, what’s your favorite Easter treat to bake up or serve?

xoxo Naomi

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