The EASIEST Easter Chocolate cake ever! This Mini Egg Cake is super easy, made in one bowl with basic ingredients and SO delicious.
There are so many reasons why we love this Mini Egg Cake. It's moist and rich, calls for simple ingredients, and is such a breeze to make.
This chocolate Easter cake is based on a classic fudge cake but made even easier, quicker, and with the most basic ingredients.
It's the perfect last-minute Easter dessert to make with staple pantry ingredients!
For the frosting, my-go to cheese frosting is a mascarpone cream whipped up with cocoa powder and orange zest. It's INCREDIBLE, trust me!
But if you don't fancy mascarpone cheese, you will find lots of cake frosting options below, and they're all delicious.
Last but not least, let's talk about the mini eggs!
I use Cadbury mini eggs, but feel free to substitute them with another brand, or any other Easter treat you have at home - mini chocolate eggs, creme eggs, etc.
MINI EGG CAKE INGREDIENTS
To make this chocolate easter cake you'll need very basic ingredients you most probably have in your kitchen already.
The cake comes together with less than 10 ingredients:
- Flour: just regular all-purpose flour. You may use your favourite gluten-free flour blend to make a gluten-free Easter cake version.
- Milk: just regular milk, you can use full-fat or semi-skimmed milk. You may also use dairy-free milk if needed.
- Cocoa powder: the recipe calls for natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch-process cocoa can also be used for a darker, richer flavor.
- Eggs: Go for medium-sized eggs.
- Vanilla: you can use vanilla extract or you can scrape down one vanilla pod.
- Sugar: I like to use brown sugar but caster sugar works just fine.
- Baking powder: you can use baking powder and baking soda, or just baking powder.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Use light olive oil with a subtle flavor.
CAKE FROSTING AND DECORATION
Once your cake is ready, decorate it with your favorite frosting. Here are a few frosting suggestions:
- Buttercream cheese frosting: this basic cream cheese frosting is a go-to option for many. It's made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and orange juice.
- Mascarpone cheese frosting: Made with mascarpone cheese, this is my favorite frosting, it's also a bit lighter and tangier than cream cheese frosting.
- Ricotta frosting: Made with ricotta cheese, this lighter frosting is perfect if you want to make a healthier chocolate cake. Simply follow the recipe below and swap the mascarpone cheese with well-drained ricotta.
- Mini Eggs: I use Cadbury mini eggs, you can substitute them with any other brand, or use a different Easter treat such as creme egg, chocolate mini eggs, etc.
EASTER CAKE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
As I already said, this is by far the easiest Easter chocolate cake and comes together in one bowl.
You combine the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, pour the batter into a cake tin and bake. SO easy!
Scroll down for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1 - Sift the dry ingredients.
By sifting all the ingredients you will avoid any lumps in the batter. I like to measure all the ingredients first, then sift them directly into a bowl.
STEP 1 - Add wet ingredients.
Next, add the beaten eggs, olive oil, and milk into the dry ingredients, and give it a nice quick mix with a hand mixer until you have a smooth batter.
STEP 3 - Bake the cake!
Grease and line an 8-inch cake tin, pour the batter, and bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
STEP 4 - Frost the cake.
Mix all the mascarpone frosting ingredients in a bowl, spread over the cake, decorate with mini eggs, and serve.
MINI EGG CAKE RECIPE TIPS
- This batter bakes up beautifully in an 8-inch round cake pan. It also works well as a 9x13-inch cake.
- To make a 2-layer or 3-layer cake (as pictured) you'll need to adjust the quantities, and double or triple the ingredients.
- To give your cake some extra mini egg flavor and texture, add 3-4 tablespoons of crushed mini eggs to the frosting.
- For a moist chocolate cake, make sure you don’t overbake it. Better to underbake by a minute or so than overbake.
HOW TO STORE EASTER CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Serve: You can leave your mini egg chocolate cake at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Fridge: Cut the cake into slices and transfer them to a Ziplock bag or another airtight container to store in the fridge. They will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Slice the leftover cake, store in freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
MORE EASTER DESSERT RECIPES TO TRY
- Easter Egg Fruit Tart
- Easter Bunny Pancakes
- Carrot Cake Donuts
- Easter Cheesecake Chocolate Eggs
- Lemon Ricotta Cake
- Easter Mini Egg Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
- Classic Tiramisu Without Eggs - Authentic Italian Recipe
- Caprese Cake (Gluten-free Chocolate Cake)
- Water Cake: A Dairy-free, Egg-free, Magic Cake
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment and/or a rating below, and share a picture and tag @thepetitecook on Instagram!
Reading your feedback and looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Recipe
Mini Egg Cake - Chocolate Easter Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 175 g all-purpose flour
- 140 g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda, optional
Wet ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 120 ml olive oil or vegetable oil
- 150 ml semi-skimmed milk
Frosting and decoration:
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 160 g Cadbury mini eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F and arrange the baking rack onto the middle shelf.
- Measure all the dry ingredients first, then sift them directly into a bowl.
- Make a well in the center, and and add the beaten eggs, olive oil, and milk into the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a hand mixer for 5-10 seconds, until you have a smooth batter.
- Grease and line an 8-inch cake tin, pour the batter, and bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Remove the chocolate cake from the oven, let it cool slightly then remove it from the tin and transfer it on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a bowl, add the mascarpone cheese, orange zest, powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Mix with a hand mixer or a whisk until all the ingredients are combined. Spread the frosting over the cake, decorate with mini eggs, and serve.
Notes
- This batter bakes up beautifully in an 8-inch round cake pan. It also works well as a 9x13-inch cake.
- To make a 2-layer or 3-layer cake (as pictured) you'll need to adjust the quantities, and double or triple the ingredients.
- To give your cake some extra mini egg flavor and texture, add 3-4 tablespoons of crushed mini eggs to the frosting.
- Serve: You can leave your mini egg chocolate cake at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Fridge: Cut the cake into slices and transfer them to a Ziplock bag or another airtight container to store in the fridge. They will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Slice the leftover cake, store in freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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