LONDON >> Images of rebirth and renewal are everywhere at Easter: hatching chicks, hordes of bunnies and emerging flower buds. Also returning, prompted by the occasion and a crowd to feed, are the seasonal bakers, rested from the holidays and reenergized for spring.

Easter is an opportunity to bake for loved ones, and this recipe, charming Easter nest “cakes,” is as simple as it gets — barely requiring a recipe — and perfect for baking with the whole family.

Britain’s favorite Easter dessert, the nests are a no-bake medley of chocolate, butter and crunchy cereal, filled with candy, preferably chocolate eggs (they are nests, after all). A mainstay of school bake sales and family get-togethers, they’re one of the first things young British cooks learn to make and couldn’t be easier: just melt, stir, portion, and then chill until firm. It’s a wonder we even call them cakes at all.

The origins of the Easter nest can be traced back to World War II. A recipe for “Chocolate Crisplets” appeared in the 1941 “Mixed Grill of War Time Recipes” booklet, calling for “some unrationed chocolate spread” to be melted and mixed with “enough cereal” until “stiff,” then left to set. The vague instructions — no measurements or specific cereal named — remain typical today.

The exact makeup of an Easter nest varies from family to family, and debates continue over the “right” cereal to use — shredded wheat (for the most realistic-looking nest), Rice Krispies (undoubtedly delightful) or cornflakes (my pick) — as well as the addition of golden syrup and butter. But when it comes to decoration, there’s one universally respected rule: Keep it kitsch. The more miniature Easter paraphernalia, from chocolate eggs to tiny plastic chicks, you can pile on, the better.

Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

Loved by adults and children alike, Easter nest “cakes” are the perfect no-fuss baking activity for the whole family. These couldn’t be simpler: Just stir, portion, chill and fill with as many candy eggs as you can. If you can find golden syrup (a wondrous sweetener from Britain and a product you’ll never regret having in your pantry), you’ll get a more complex sweetness and chew, though corn syrup will work, too. — Nicola Lamb

Yield: 12 chocolate nests. Total time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter

1/4 cup/55 grams golden syrup, such as Lyle’s, or light corn syrup

7 3/4 ounces/220 grams milk chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips (about 1 1/4 cups)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups/130 grams cornflakes

Candy-coated mini chocolate eggs, for decorating (see Tip)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Melt butter and syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling the pan to help the mixture melt evenly, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. It should be slightly bubbling. Remove from the heat, then add the chocolate and salt. Stir until fully melted.

3. Pour the cornflakes into the melted chocolate and stir until completely and evenly coated. Some of the cornflakes will break down; this is good and will help the texture of the final nests. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, divide the mixture evenly among the lined muffin cups, pressing down the center of each. Go over each nest again, making a slight indent in the middle.

4. Fill each nest with chocolate eggs. If your eggs are foil-covered, add them later so they don’t stick. Refrigerate to chill completely until each nest can be lifted out in one piece, about 1 hour. Don’t leave them in too long, or they’ll set too hard.

5. Serve in their paper liners, or remove the liners and put the nests directly on a plate. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Tip: Candy eggs, sometimes labeled robin’s eggs, are available during the Easter season at supermarkets and pharmacies. Cadbury, Whoppers and M&M’s are colorful options.