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.
You stock up on all the speckled egg chocolate candies in preparation for Easter festivities. What happens when you’ve realized that you bought a little too much egg candies? Use the extra candies to decorate your favorite chocolate cake, of course!
This speckled Easter egg cake is a fun and festive centerpiece cake for springtime gatherings. There are many ways to customize this cake to your liking. Best of all, it can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge a few days before serving.
Cake Ingredients
There are three components to this Easter cake: 1) chocolate fudge cake, 2) simple chocolate flavored American buttercream, and 3) edible chocolate decorations.
The chocolate cake uses the standard cake ingredients of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, and salt. In addition, you will need the following:
- Unsweetened Chocolate: Also known as Baker’s Chocolate. This chocolate does not have added sugar. It is sold as chocolate bars.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder varieties include natural cocoa, Dutch-processed cocoa, or black cocoa. Recommend using natural or Dutch-processed for this recipe.
- Sour Cream: For best flavor use full-fat sour cream. Sour cream adds moisture and depth of flavor to the cake batter. In a pinch, sub in full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- Cake Flour: The recipe uses a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour. Cake flour’s lower protein content gives the cake a softer crumb. If preferred, simply sub in all-purpose flour.
Recipe Variations
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.
Or, use your favorite chocolate cake recipe or boxed chocolate cake mix. Otherwise, swap out for a different cake flavor.
- Yellow Cake: Yellow cake paired with chocolate buttercream is a birthday classic for good reason! It just tastes great.
- Vanilla Cake: This Easter cake variation combines vanilla cake layers with raspberry jam and chocolate American buttercream.
Just like the cake flavor, you may swap out the frosting. American chocolate buttercream is an easy mixture of confectioners’ sugar, butter, and cocoa powder. These are other great options:
- Swiss Buttercream: Chocolate Swiss buttercream is a lighter, silkier buttercream. It’s a strong, stable buttercream suitable for all weather types.
- Colored Buttercream: Omit the chocolate and simply flavor the buttercream with pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Add a drop of coloring to tint the frosting! The Cake Blog does a beautiful Robin’s egg blue (the inspiration for this cake!)
Cake Decor Options
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.
Layer Cake Assembly Instructions
Speckled Egg Effect
The Cake Blog has an excellent tutorial on how to decorate and recreate her speckled egg cake.
More Easter Dessert Recipes
Speckled Egg Chocolate Cake
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Does buttercream need to be refrigerated?
Yes, I would recommend refrigerating any excess buttercream.
Hello Maryanne,
I love ur blog! I can’t wait to make some pastries after looking at all ur delicious cakes and baked goods!
I love game of thrones too!!!
Best,
K
Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by! I’m excited for you to try out some recipes. :)
What a lovely looking cake! So nicely frosted and I like the color very much.
Thanks! I can’t wait to make it again using other colors :)