Easy Chocolate Easter Cake
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
12 slices
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Calories
567 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Cake, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
British
Easy Chocolate Easter Cake
Description
This cake recipe involves creaming butter and sugar until light, then incorporating eggs one at a time. Self-raising flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder are folded in gently, followed by milk to loosen the batter. The cake is baked in two 7-inch round tins until lightly pulling away from the sides. Once cooled, a cocoa buttercream made from butter, confectioners sugar, and cocoa powder is used to frost the layers. The decoration with mini eggs and creme eggs adds a thematic touch suited to Easter.
The texture results in a tender crumb with a pronounced chocolate flavor enhanced by the cocoa in both cake and frosting. This cake suits celebratory occasions and serves as a chocolate dessert centerpiece.
Butter should be softened properly, with a tip to soften it by briefly soaking chopped cubes in lukewarm water. The cake can be made with an electric mixer or by hand, and undecorated cakes freeze well. Proper sifting of confectioners sugar and cocoa powder is important to avoid lumpy icing.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 225 g butter see Note 1, or margarine, softened
- 225 g caster sugar
- 4 egg large
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons milk
Buttercream:
- 200 g butter see Note 1, or margarine, softened
- 400 g confectioners sugar sieved (this is really important or you will end up with lumpy icing!, aka icing sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder sieved (this is really important or you will end up with lumpy icing!)
Decoration:
- mini eggs I used 100g, Cadbury’s brand
- Cadbury’s creme eggs (I used 2 large ones and 3 mini ones)
- Or any other decoration you like!
Instructions
Making the cake:
- Pre heat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F. Grease 2 x 7inch (18cm) round cake tins with butter or margarine. Put a circle of baking paper on the bottom of each tin and grease the baking paper. (There is no need to fully line the tins.)
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy looking. (See Note 2.)
- Add one egg and beat until combined. Repeat with the other eggs, adding them in one at a time.
- Add in half the flour and fold it in gently.
- Stir in the baking powder and cocoa powder.
- Add in the remaining flour and fold in gently.
- Stir in the milk to loosen the cake batter slightly.
- Put half the mixture in each cake tin and spread the mixture evenly over the base of each tin. Level the surface with a spoon or spatula.
- Put the cake tins in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. When they are ready, the cakes should be pulling away slightly at the sides. To be sure they are done, push a skewer (or a teaspoon handle if you don’t have a skewer) into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it comes out covered in mixture, pop the cake back in the oven for a few more minutes and check again.
- When the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven. Leave in their tins for 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle, then turn out onto a cooling rack. (Use your grill rack, if you don’t have a cooling rack.)
- Leave the cakes to completely cool before decorating. (Approximately 1 hour after you have removed them from the tins.)
Decorating the cake:
- Make up the buttercream by mixing the softened butter, sieved icing sugar and cocoa together – you can do this by hand or with an electric beater. I always do it by hand – it’s not very much effort if you are only doing a small quantity.
- When the cakes are cool assess which one is flattest. Trim this one down so it is completely flat (yes I know that means you lose a bit of one of your cakes but…well you’ve got to taste a bit to check it’s ok, right?)
- Spread half the buttercream all over the flat cake top, using a knife. Then put the other cake on top. Cover the top cake with the remaining buttercream and decorate with mini eggs and/or creme eggs and/or whatever else you fancy!
Notes
- To soften butter quickly, cut into 1cm cubes and soak in lukewarm water for 3 minutes, then drain before use.
- Sifting confectioners sugar and cocoa powder for the buttercream is essential to avoid lumps and achieve smooth icing.
- You can mix the cake batter using an electric mixer for convenience, or mix by hand as preferred.
- Undecorated cakes freeze well, making them suitable for advance preparation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 567 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 567kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 71g | 24% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 19g | 95% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 131mg | 44% |
| Sodium | 279mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 216mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 52g | 104% |
| Vitamin A | 970IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 51mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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