Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Brownie Cake

What's your favourite food part of Easter? For the chocoholics among us there's no better combination than chocolate and peanut butter. Here a rich, gluten free chocolate peanut butter brownie cake is topped with a chocolate peanut butter mousse. Resting on the very top is a "birds nest" made of coconut and dark chocolate and speckled Easter eggs. I called her Esther.

This was a last minute cake recipe. One made on the eve of Good Friday, yesterday. I woke and decided that I felt like some chocolate and peanut butter. And then I saw the package of eggs sent to me and I knew that I wouldn't be happy with a peanut butter cup, only a cake would do. If this isn't a cry for cakers anonymous I don't know what is.

Unlike me, Mr NQN dislikes the peanut butter and chocolate combination. It's too rich for him. For me a little goes a long way but the first few bites are like heaven to me. This cake really does have the best of all worlds. It's gluten free but this just means that it has a gooey texture, like a brownie and then there's the light mousse on top, coconut chocolate and eggs. It's really like three desserts in one.

The other day we were walking down the street. I saw this guy with two chupa chups in his mouth. "Look! He's doubling up on the chupa chups!" I said to Mr NQN. "What flavours does he have? Is he experimenting or pairing flavours? I wonder if they're the same flavour? It is vanilla and something? Probably not Cola...", I said. I mean I had so many questions for him. Mr NQN got that look on his face that he often does. It's the "Please don't embarrass me" look. Luckily the guy was speedily walking away before I got the chance to ask him anything. I'll never know about the double chupa chuping!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like the chocolate peanut butter combo? And why do you think he was double chupa chuping? Have you ever done that? And what is your favourite food part of Easter?

Easter Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake!

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 100g/3.5ozs. butter
• 280g/10ozs. dark or milk chocolate
• 130g/4.6ozs. brown sugar
• 110g/4ozs. almond meal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 4 eggs at room temperature

For mousse:

• 100g/3.5ozs. chocolate
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

For "nest"

• 100g/3.5ozs. dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 6-7 speckled Easter eggs

Step 1 - Line a 17cm/6.8inch tin with parchment on the base and sides. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time beating well between addition. Then whisk in the brown sugar and almond meal. Then whisk the peanut butter and cream together and add this in. Pour into the tin and bake for 5-55 minutes or until the centre is set. Cool in the tin completely.

Step 2 - Make the mousse. Melt the chocolate for the mousse. Then whip the cream until it starts to take shape and then add in the peanut butter and combine until you get a smooth, fluffy mix. Pour in the chocolate and whip. Store in the fridge until needed.

Step 3 - Make the chocolate nest. Melt the chocolate and then mix in the coconut.

Step 4 - To assemble the cake you can dig out the centre (which will be gloriously gooey) to provide a bit of a hole to dig the mousse in. Spread the mousse over the cake and then arrange the coconut chocolate into a nest shape with teaspoons. Place the Easter eggs on top.