Easter Cake

Name: Easter Cake
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 Vanilla Cake (, 3 layers (or other 20cm/8" cake of choice, Note 1)); 340 g / 3 sticks unsalted butter (, 1.25cm / ½" cubes, softened to 18°C/64°F (Note 3)); 750 g / 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)); 200 g / 7oz small Easter eggs ((I use pastel coloured speckled ones, Note 5))

Recipe video above. This Easter Cake is not so much a recipe as it is a charming Easter Cake decorating idea! A 3-layer vanilla cake is frosted with pale blue, fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and speckled with chocolate. Finally, it's topped with a toasted coconut "nest" nestle...

⏱️ 75 min 🔪 Prep: 45 min 🔥 Cook: 30 min 📊 Medium 👁️ 4 views

👨‍🍳 Start Cooking

Foto: RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

12 servings

1 Vanilla Cake (, 3 layers (or other 20cm/8" cake of choice, Note 1))
340 g / 3 sticks unsalted butter (, 1.25cm / ½" cubes, softened to 18°C/64°F (Note 3))
750 g / 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))
200 g / 7oz small Easter eggs ((I use pastel coloured speckled ones, Note 5))

Steps

Level: Trim the top of cakes if required/desired to make the layers level (for aesthetic purposes).
Chill: Place cake layers in fridge until thoroughly chilled (this makes it easier to frost so crumbs don't go everywhere).
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.
Cream butter: Beat butter in a stand mixer on Speed 8 for 3 minutes until it changes from yellow to almost white.
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.
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.
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.
Mix cocoa and boiling water.
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!).
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.
Coconut Nest: Pile coconut in the middle to form a "nest" then pile a mound of eggs in it.
Coconut Rim: Place a mound of coconut all along the base of the cake, then dot with Easter Eggs.
Bask in praise: Take proudly to table and bask in the compliments!