Easter Piñata Cake!

Cake Ingredients

• 500 g unsalted butter
• 500 g light brown sugar
• 425 g self raising flour
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 10 medium eggs

Buttercream Ingredients

• 350 g unsalted butter (room temp)
• 700 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Food colouring

Piñata

• 400 g chocolate eggs (Mini Eggs/Smartie Eggs/etc)

Decoration

• 50 g milk chocolate
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 100 ml double cream
• 100-200 g chocolate eggs (Mini Eggs/Smartie Eggs/etc)
• Sprinkles

For the Cake!

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C Fan and line two DEEP 20cm/8inch cake tins with baking parchment – leave to the side.
• In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, cocoa powder and eggs and beat again briefly until combined – try not to overbeat!
• Divide the mixture between the two tins and smooth it over – bake for 60-70 minutes (Check after 50 minutes if your oven runs hot, can take longer) until the cake is golden and when the cake springs back (the skewer should also come out clean)
• Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack.

For the Decoration!

• In a stand mixer, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is smooth and loose and then beat in the icing sugar 1/3 at a time until its fully combined.
• Add in the food colouring and vanilla – Keep beating the buttercream for 5-6 minutes on a medium speed so it starts to get fluffier and lighter. If too thick, add one tablespoon of boiling water at a time until its smooth enough.
• Once the cake is cooled, I level them off so that they are flat, and then divide the cakes into two – so I end up with 4 layers. On three of the four layers, cut out a hole using a 6 or 7cm cutter in the middle of the cake.
• With the first layer of the cake, spread some of the buttercream onto the top of the first layer (basically on the sponge you can see, not where the hole is). Only use about 1-2 tbsp of buttercream per layer so that you have enough to decorate with!
• Add the second layer on and repeat, and the third layer and repeat. Once you’ve used the three layers with the holes, fill in the hole with the chocolate egg sweets. I used a mixture of all different Easter chocolate eggs. Make sure it’s quite compact but don’t go crazy!
• Add the fourth (And complete) layer on top so the hidden sweets are covered and sealed in. Buttercream round the edges and sides so the cake is covered – I went for the naked effect so scraped it away so part sponge, part buttercream was the outside.
• Let the cake sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up.
• Add your milk and dark chocolate to a bowl, and pour over the cream.
• Heat until melted – I microwave the mix for 30 seconds, and stir well. Then I heat for 10-second bursts until smooth!
• Pipe around the edge of the cake, and cover the top! Let the cake sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up again.
• Pipe on any leftover buttercream, and decorate with some extra chocolate eggs and some sprinkles!

• As its for Easter, I made my buttercream a peachy colour, but you could easily dye the frosting a pale shade of pink, blue, etc – add in a little of whatever colouring as you’re whipping the frosting up!
• I bake the cake at 140C in my oven as its a deeper cake, and it makes it bake flat. It also tends to stay moister. If you’re in a rush you can bake it at the usual temperatures, but adjust the baking time accordingly.
• This cake will last in an airtight container for 3 days, at room temperature.
• Nibble on the offcuts of the 3/4 layers whilst decorating – best fuel for decorating.
• You can use whatever chocolatey filling you like, even just regular stuff not even Easter treats!
• This recipe was updated March 2020
  • The original cake recipe used 450g butter and sugar, 325g flour, 75g cocoa powder and 7-8 large eggs.
  • The original didn’t feature a drip, but everything else is the same.