How to Make a Bird's Nest Cake

This adorable, edible nest looks impressive, but is so easy to bake and assemble.

By: Alana Jones-Mann

Related To:

Dress Your Nest

It may look like it came from a fancy bakery, but this sweet and chocolatey cake is simple to create thanks to store-bought edible twigs, marshmallow birdies and pastel chocolate eggs.

Watch the Video: Bird's Nest Cake

What You'll Need

Food:

● 3 x 8-inch cake rounds, cooled (choose any recipe you like)

● Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (use the large-batch recipe included or 3 store-bought cans)

6 cups (12 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 pounds (1 bag) confectioners' sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon table salt

● 6 packages chocolate Pocky sticks

● 1 cup toasted coconut

● Mini chocolate eggs

● Peeps

Tools:

● Offset spatula

● Plastic piping bags (and rubber bands to close them)

● 4 - 5-inch round circular cookie cutter

● Serrated knife

Bake & Prep

Prepare your favorite cake recipe. Divide the batter between three round 8-inch cake pans. Bake and cool the cake rounds. Once the pans are cool enough to touch, transfer the cakes to a wire rack and allow the cakes to completely cool before you begin decorating.

Make one large batch of chocolate buttercream frosting. Beat the butter for a few minutes on medium speed, preferably using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. On slow speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar 1 to 2 cups at a time, and then slowly add the cocoa powder and salt. Once combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for an additional 3 minutes.

Transfer the frosting to plastic piping bags, cut the tip off of each bag, and close with a rubber band.

Assembly: Step 1

Place the first cake round on a serving plate and frost with the chocolate buttercream frosting. Use a spatula to smooth the frosting. Layer the second cake round on top of the first, add another layer of chocolate frosting, and smooth.

Assembly: Step 2

Cut out the center of the third cake round using a circular cookie cutter and discard the inner cake center.

Assembly: Step 3

Place the ring-shape cake layer atop the first two layers of cake.

Use a serrated knife to round the top and bottom edges of the cake to create the shape for the bird's nest.

Assembly: Step 4

Frost the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting. Use a spatula to smooth the frosting.

Decorating: Step 1

Break apart the Pocky sticks into short pieces to resemble twigs and add them to the exterior of the cake, starting at the bottom.

Slightly angle some of the pieces by sticking one end of the Pocky piece into the cake. Work your way up the cake, making sure to add pieces to the inner ring of the nest.

Decorating: Step 2

Fill the inner nest portion of the cake with a light layer of toasted coconut.

Decorating: Step 3

Finish off the cake with a handful of mini chocolate eggs and a pair of marshmallow Peeps.

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