Easter Cake
Total Time
1 hour and 15 minutes
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4.77 out of 5 stars
(13)
Ingredients
12 servings
- 1 Vanilla Cake (, 3 layers (or other 20cm/8" cake of choice, Note 1)
- 340g/ 3 sticks unsalted butter (, 1.25cm / ½" cubes, softened to 18°C/64°F (Note 3)
- 750g/ 1.5 lb (6 cups) soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (, sifted)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 drops blue gel food colouring (or 1 - 2 tsp blue food colouring, Note 4)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened or sweetened, doesn't matter)
- 3 tbsp boiling water
- Toothbrush (or basting brush)
- 2 cups coconut flakes (or shaved)
- 200g/ 7oz small Easter eggs (I use pastel coloured speckled ones, Note 5)
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Preparation
Step 1
Level: Trim the top of cakes if required/desired to make the layers level (for aesthetic purposes).
Step 2
Chill: Place cake layers in fridge until thoroughly chilled (this makes it easier to frost so crumbs don't go everywhere).
Step 3
Toast coconut: Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F (140°C fan). Spread coconut on a tray. Bake 6 - 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until golden. (Bake time depends on sugar level, so keep an eye on it). Cool.
Step 4
Buttercream Frosting:
Step 5
Cream butter: Beat butter in a stand mixer on Speed 8 for 3 minutes until it changes from yellow to almost white.
Step 6
Add icing sugar in 3 batches: Add icing sugar in 3 batches, starting the mixer on speed 1 until partially incorporated, then increasing until it's mostly mixed in.
Step 7
Vanilla, salt, and beat 2 mins: Add vanilla and salt, then beat on Speed 8 for 2 minutes until almost white, and it's beautifully fluffy.
Step 8
Colour (Note 4): Remove 1 tbsp frosting into a small bowl. Add 1 drop of blue gel, mix in. Add 1 teaspoon of coloured frosting back into main frosting, beat until incorporated (scrape down sides as needed). Add more coloured frosting 1 teaspoon at a time until desired tone is achieved.
Step 9
Speckle Mixture:
Step 10
Mix cocoa and boiling water.
Step 11
Decorating:
Step 12
Frosting: Spread 3/4 cup frosting between each cake layer, then using remaining frosting for side and surface (I usually have ~1/2 cup frosting leftover, but better safe than sorry!).
Step 13
Speckles: Place something behind cake as a backboard for the speckling mess! Dip toothbrush in cocoa mixture, then use fingers to flick speckles onto cake surface - sides and top. (Hint: Practice in sink first). TIP: When doing top of cake, angle toothbrush 45 degrees down NOT over cake, to avoid accidental big drips.
Step 14
Coconut Nest: Pile coconut in the middle to form a "nest" then pile a mound of eggs in it.
Step 15
Coconut Rim: Place a mound of coconut all along the base of the cake, then dot with Easter Eggs.
Step 16
Bask in praise: Take proudly to table and bask in the compliments!
Step 17
Save recipe for the next time?
