Speckled Egg Chocolate Cake

This speckled egg chocolate cake has two layers of decadent chocolate fudge cake frosted with a simple chocolate buttercream. It’s an easy cake recipe perfect for spring and Easter celebrations.

This cake was inspired by the beautiful speckled egg cake on The Cake Blog.  Does it look amazing in Robin’s egg blue?

My version is frosted with chocolate. It reminds of the speckled brown eggs I usually purchase.  

Easter Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Use the chocolate recipe included at the bottom of the post. Otherwise, use your favorite from-scratch chocolate cake recipe. Boxed chocolate cake mix also works! 

Simple American Buttercream

This recipe using a simple buttercream made from confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), unsalted butter, and cocoa powder. 

Use this chocolate Swiss buttercream for a lighter, silkier buttercream. However, this method is a bit more complicated because it uses eggs. 

Shaved Chocolate Decor

Use a knife or vegetable peeler to shave a large chocolate block. Standard 4 oz chocolate bars work. However, I highly recommend using a real chocolate block.

Speciality baking stores sell chocolate curls or packaged shaved chocolate.  

Mini Chocolate Easter Eggs

I used these mini milk chocolate creme candy eggs. They are sold in a variety of colors and sizes. The mini ones are perfect for a 6-inch cake. 

Speckled Chocolate

 You will need cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a food grade (food safe) paint brush to speckle the assembled chocolate cake. 

How to assemble chocolate layer cake:

The cake batter makes enough for two 6-inch cake rounds. 

Use this recipe for this classic chocolate cake if you want a three layered 6-inch cake. 

If necessary, level cake layers using a long serrated knife.

I recommend this serrated bread knife. I use this rotating cake stand. It’s my favorite! 

1. Place one cake layer on turn table or cake stand. Add chocolate buttercream.
2. Spread buttercream into an even layer.
3. Add next cake layer. Repeat spreading buttercream layer.
4. Spread thin layer of buttercream to crumb coat the cake. This seals any loose cake crumbs. Pop in the fridge for about 2o minutes to harden buttercream. 

Once crumb coat is set, use remaining buttercream to add a thicker layer all over the cake.

Decorating with the Speckled Effect

The Cake Blog has an excellent tutorial on how to decorate and recreate her speckled egg cake.  

Speckled Egg Chocolate Cake

This speckled egg chocolate cake has two layers of decadent chocolate fudge cake frosted with a simple chocolate buttercream. It's an easy cake recipe perfect for spring and Easter celebrations.

Yield: two layer 6-inch cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cooling: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 slices

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Ingredients

Chocolate Fudge Cake:

• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
• ⅓ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1 cup water boiling
• ¾ cup unsalted butter room temp
• 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs room temp
• ⅓ cup sour cream room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Simple Buttercream:

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temp, softened
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Chocolate Speckle:

• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Chocolate Fudge Cake:

• Pre-heat oven to 350° F.  Butter two 6-inch cake rounds and line with parchment paper.  Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour in boiling water and whisk until smooth. Set aside and let cool.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one a time and mix until incorporated. Add sour cream and vanilla and continue to mix.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 of flour mixture into bowl of stand mixer. Mix at low-speed until almost combined. Pour in half of chocolate mixture and mix until almost combined. Add another 1/3 of flour, following by remaining chocolate, and then end with the last 1/3 of flour. Mix between each addition and scrape down bowl as necessary.
• Transfer batter into prepared cake rounds. Divide batter equally, I suggest weighting the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating pan after 15 minutes. Bake until cake is set and toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a couple of minutes. Run a knife or offset spatula around the perimeter of cake to loosen. Invert. Cool to room temperature on wire rack.

Buttercream:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, softened butter and salt until smooth.  Add heavy cream and mix until incorporated.  If you want a looser frosting, add more heavy cream 1/2 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved.  Add gel food coloring, if darker brown color is desired.

Assembly

• Level cooled cake rounds. Place one cake layer on cake stand, turntable, or serving plate. Spread a layer of buttercream over cake layer.
• Place second cake layer on top. Spread layer of buttercream. Spread a thin layer of buttercream around the sides of the cake to seal in the crumbs (crumb coat). Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Coat cake with final thicker layer of buttercream.
• Chocolate Speckle: Mix together cocoa powder and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Mixture will be rather thin.
• Dip food grade brush into chocolate paint mixture. Flick brush all over assembled cake to create a speckled effect.
• Decorate finished cake with chocolate shavings and mini chocolate eggs. 

Notes

Speckled Egg Cake tutorial at The Cake Blog

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate, cake, easter, buttercream

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