This cake is a must make if you love vanilla. It is so moist and easy to make that I have a feeling it will become your new go to cake recipe. If you love coconut like me you can sprinkle the toasted flakes between each layer so every bite has a little.
How to Make an Easter Cake
1. Sift the flour, baking soda and powder, salt and sugar into a bowl then whisk together and set aside.
2. Whisk together the milk, sour cream, vanilla, eggs and butter. You can use very soft room temperature butter or melted and cooled butter.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry.
4. Mix until just combined then pour batter into your three buttered and floured six inch pans. I always use cake strips for FLAT layers, if you’re not familiar with them check this post out!
5. Cream the butter and salt then sift the powdered sugar in batches, mixing until combined before adding the next batch. Finish off by beating in the blue food coloring. If you used a yellow butter for your frosting then adding blue will give you a nice Robin’s Egg color. You may beet to add a drop of yellow if your butter was exceptionally white.
6. Pipe buttercream between each layer as you assemble. If desired you can add a sprinkling of toasted coconut as well for added taste and texture.
7. Cover the cake completely in buttercream.
8. Smooth the cake’s top and side, then use an offset spatula to pull in the corner while slowly rotating the cake. Clean the tool off after each pass.
9. Mix the cocoa powder and vanilla in a small bowl to create a slurry then dip a clean brush in and use your finger to flick it onto the cake and chocolate eggs. You can practice on a piece of paper first to get the hang of how much of the liquid to add you your brush as well as the distance to hold your brush from the cake and eggs and overall technique. Lay some paper towels down or be prepared to clean up stray chocolate splatters.
10. Pipe a buttercream ring on top of the cake, gently press in the toasted coconut to make a nest, and finally place the chocolate eggs.
I wish you could reach through the screen and grab this piece now. So moist and the vanilla was just right. I chose blue for the buttercream but you can leave it white or dye it any color you’d like! This recipe makes three six inch layers. If you’re making an eight inch cake double the batter and if you’re making nine inch layers triple the batter recipe.
Pro Tips for the BEST Robin’s Egg Easter Cake
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- If you see little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- If you think American buttercream is too sweet then try mixing up a batch of silky Italian meringue buttercream, you might just fall in love!
- You can assemble and decorate most of the cake ahead of time and chill it then add the nest on closer to the serving time. If you’re concerned about the eggs and coconut shifting around you can “glue” it all together using some caramel or buttercream.
- You can assemble and decorate most of the cake ahead of time and chill it then add the nest on closer to the serving time. If you’re concerned about the eggs and coconut shifting around you can “glue” it all together using some caramel or buttercream.
- These also make great cupcakes if you want a smaller set of treats. Just top with buttercream and then roll in the toasted coconut to create the nest then place the eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make robin egg blue icing?
For this cake I used a turquoise blue which mixed with the light yellow frosting for a perfect robin’s egg blue but you can use a mixture of blue and a drop of green to achieve the same color. Mix in SMALL increments until you have the correct color.
Can you make this cake in advance?
Yes! You can make the cake and freeze it, top with the coconut nest and chocolate eggs before serving.
Where can I Find Robin’s Egg blue chocolate eggs?
While Cadbury mini eggs are the most commonly found, Hershey’s mini eggs come in bright pastel colors including the blue seen in these photos.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Easter Egg Cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Easter Egg Cake
Video
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 213g
- 1 cup sugar 228g
- 1/4 tsp baking soda 2g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 176g, room temperature
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream 133g
- 1/2 cup whole milk 113g
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar 907g
- 1 lb butter 456g, unsalted, room temperature
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Blue food coloring
For the Assembly:
- ½ cup coconut 40g, toasted, sweetened
- 2 tsp cocoa powder nice quality
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 chocolate eggs mini
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Spread coconut flakes out on a baking sheet. Cook for about 5-10 minutes mixing once in between, they will toast quickly. Set aside to cool.
- Increase temp to 340 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch pans. I use cake strips on my pans for more even baking as well.
- Sift the dry ingredients (including sugar) together in a large bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans.
- Bake at for about 25-30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, and milk. Mix.
- Add blue food coloring until you get robins egg blue.
- Transfer to a piping bag. Snip off the tip.
For the Assembly:
- Pipe buttercream between each cake layer.
- Pipe an outer layer and smooth out with a bench scraper.
- Mix cocoa powder and vanilla or alcohol. Using a paint brush, splatter the cake and chocolate eggs to create a speckled look.
- Chill for about 10-15 minutes.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream on the cake. Press toasted coconut flakes onto ring. Create a nest shape.
- Add eggs to the inside of the nest.
Notes
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- If you see little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
Nutrition
Luis says
I just made your cake to celebrate Easter and it was a hit! Delicious! Thanks!
Patrick says
I have not tried this cake yet, but I will be this weekend (quarantine) for my Easter dinner… My big question… How would the recipe amounts change if I want to make this batter malted with malted milk powder? Where should I subtract or add? I’ve found a few other recipes for such a cake online, but I’m really in love with John’s version. Suggestions?
Ally Southworth says
Thanks for the idea, John! It was a hit and fun to make. I did feel the cake was fairly dense. I’m wondering if I overmixed the wet and dry ingredients, or if the cake should be dense. Thanks!
Andrea says
I made the layers and frosting one week in advance and assembled for Easter yesterday. It was so cute and delicious! Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Agnes says
Would something happen od i would add coconut flakes to the cake ?
John Kanell says
It would be delicious!
Tom Hlas says
Does it matter what brand of powdered sugar I use? Is there a difference between major brands and store brands of powdered sugar?
John Kanell says
Not really, pretty much all the same
Donna Belvin says
Thank you.
Donna Belvin says
Yes can you make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them until you are ready to use them thanks
jkanell says
yup!
S. Bohan says
Hi John how far in advance can I make these as cupcakes? Should I refrigerate or leave on counter in air tight container? Thank you!
John K. says
Hello,
They can be stored in the fridge up to a week. Keep them in an air tight container or wrapped up in plastic wrap.
Best,
John