Speckled Easter egg cake Recipe

Our speckled Easter egg cake will impress all your friends and family but it’s easier to make than it looks.

How to decorate an Easter egg cake?

We have decorated this Easter egg cake with a nifty chocolate bird's nest filled with delicious mini eggs from Hotel Chocolat and given it a cool Easter egg effect by splattering it with cocoa powder.

How to make a chocolate Easter cake?

We have used chocolate sponge and chocolate icing in this Easter egg cake but you could experiment with any flavours you like - vanilla, lemon or coconut would all be delicious.

How to make chocolate nests?

We have simply painted a vermicelli pasta nest with chocolate for this great effect to go on the top of the Easter egg cake

Ingredients

• 240g unsalted butter
• 240g vegetable oil
• 100g cocoa powder
• 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 720g caster sugar
• 720g plain flour
• 4 free range egg
• 240ml buttermilk
• 2tsp vanilla paste

for the icing

• 1kg icing sugar
• 500g unsalted butter, softened
• 2tbsp milk
• 2tsp vanilla paste
• few drops food colouring
• 50g dark chocolate, melted

for the speckles

• 1tbsp cocoa

for the nest

• 1 vermicelli pasta nest
• 75g dark chocolate, melted
• handful chocolate eggs, we used Hotel Chocolat Gianduja eggs and Mini Eggs

you will need

• 4 x 18cm prepared sandwich tins
• disposable piping bags

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. Place the butter, oil and cocoa powder into a medium pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool then add 250ml of water, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
2. In a separate bowl beat the egg with the buttermilk. Add the mixture from the pan and combine.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 45 mins, or until cooked through. They will rise above the edges of the tin. Leave to cool in the tins. Using a serrated knife level the cakes by using the edge of the tin as a guide.
4. To make the icing beat together all of the ingredients, except the chocolate. Remove two third of the icing mixture and fill two disposable icing bags. Beat the melted chocolate into the remaining third of the butter cream. Fill a third icing bag with this. Colour the remaining buttercream with a few drops of green and blue colouring.
5. Layer the sponges with the chocolate buttercream. Cover the sides and top with the pastel buttercream, smoothing with a palette knife.
6. For the speckles mix the cocoa with 2tbsp water. Using a brush flick the mixture over the cake.
7. To make the nest crush the vermicelli pasta into the melted chocolate and mix until coated. Cover a small bowl in clingfilm and add the mixture. Chill until set. Add to the top of the cake and fill with the chocolate eggs.