Robin's Nest Cake: An Easter dessert idea ... and a reason to (finally) use my Bundt® cake pan.
Rewind eight or so years to when my husband, Rick, and I were selecting items for our wedding registry. I insisted on adding a Bundt cake pan to the registry, much to Rick's objection. I believe my words were something to the effect of, "For sure we need it; I'll use it all the time." So "all the time" may have been a bit of an overstatement, since so far I think I've used it once. But I found a recipe to help me use it all the time from now on - well, at least every spring. The Robin's Nest Cake is decadent, delicious and hard-to-believe-it's-homemade. It is a fun Easter dessert that is sure to generate some smiles at your celebration.
At first glance, this Easter treat looks like it might be a little complicated to pull off. Trust me, you can do it. I am not a cake decorator by any means and I was excited with how it turned out!
The recipe provides easy-to-follow instructions. Start by mixing up the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix according to package directions. Place half of the cake batter in your greased Bundt pan. On top, dollop a mixture of ½ cup Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread and 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened) like this:
Pour the remaining batter over the mixture and bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool as directed. Now comes the fun part - the decorating!
Start by frosting the cake with a thin layer of chocolate frosting. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth; actually, the more textured the better to help you achieve the next effect. Unless you're a frosting fanatic, I recommend a thin layer to start with as you'll be adding more frosting when creating the next effect on your cake.
To create the look of twigs on your cake, pipe 2- or 3-inch lines of chocolate frosting onto the cake. I was a little nervous about getting this to look right, but honestly there is no wrong way to do it. Just keep adding pipe lines of chocolate all over the cake until you reach your desired look. This step took me about 15 minutes.
Finish the cake by filling the center with malted milk eggs or other egg-shaped candy.
So dust off your Bundt pan and try this recipe. I think you'll be glad you did!
Enjoy!
Laura
