Chocolate For Easter Egg Nest Cake

Asked by Anita102. Answered on 25th March 2016

Full question

I made the Easter Egg Nest cake for a friend's birthday. I used Lindt 90% dark chocolate, but it was so bitter. Even the mini eggs didn't alleviate the bitterness. I've used Nigella's books for years and seriously this was the first recipe that I didn't like at all! Perhaps the 90% cocoa chocolate was a bad idea?

Our answer

Nigella's Easter Egg Nest Cake (from FEAST) is a flourless chocolate cake made with butter, eggs and melted chocolate, plus some sugar. The ingredients list specifies dark (bittersweet) chocolate and usually Nigella uses chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, though you could also use a good-quality chocolate with a slightly lower cocoa solids content. This type of chocolate has some cocoa butter and also some sugar added.

Chocolate with 90% coca solids has very little sugar added and will therefore be quite bitter. It is similar to usweetened baking chocolate that is found in the US and gives a very intense chocolate flavour in some dishes, but is too bitter to eat. However it is usually added to recipes that have quite a lot of sugar in them, such as brownies. As the Easter Egg Cake is quite delicate it is likely that the type of chocolate used would given a slight bitter taste. If you make the cake again we would suggest using a chocolate with around 70% cocoa solids. Nigella also has several suggestions for Easter Feasting on Nigella.com.