Easter Chocolate Traybake
Easy
This delectable chocolate cake is rich and delicious with its decadent chocolate fudge frosting decorated with colourful mini chocolate Easter eggs. Baked in a 23x30cm tray, it’s easy to transport, cut and serve for fun get-togethers with friends and family. Sponsored by Odlums
PREP IN
20 MIN
COOK IN
35 MIN
SERVE
20-24
Easter Chocolate Traybake
Easy
PREP IN
20 MIN
COOK IN
35 MIN
SERVE
20-24
Introduction
This delectable chocolate cake is rich and delicious with its decadent chocolate fudge frosting decorated with colourful mini chocolate Easter eggs. Baked in a 23x30cm tray, it’s easy to transport, cut and serve for fun get-togethers with friends and family. Sponsored by Odlums
Ingredients
- 320g white sugar
- 300g Odlums plain flour
- 60g cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tbsp Odlums baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 225g butter, very soft
- 180ml buttermilk, room temp
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp Goodalls vanilla extract
- 75g 70% dark chocolate, roughly broken
- 75g butter, cubed
- 340g icing sugar
- 80ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- About 240g mini chocolate Easter eggs
FOR THE SPONGE:
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING:
TO DECORATE:
Method
- 1. For the cake, pre-heat oven to 170°C / 150°C fan assisted, then grease and line a 23x30cm (9x13 inch) cake tin or oven dish with parchment paper.
- 2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer.
- 3. Add the remaining sponge ingredients and mix just until the batter is smooth and uniform in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- 4. Spoon batter into the prepared dish then spread and smooth the top with a spatula.
- 5. Bake in the pre-heated oven until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. If using a cake tin, between 32-37 minutes. (Thinner roasting dishes or glass may take longer, up to 45 minutes.) Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely in the dish before decorating.
- 6. Do not start on the fudge frosting until the sponge is cool, as the frosting needs to be spread while still slightly warm.
- 7. To make the fudge frosting, place all the ingredients into a medium sized saucepan over low heat, stirring until the chocolate and butter has melted.
- 8. Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer, starting on a low speed then slowly working up to a medium speed, until the fudge frosting starts to cool and thickens to a spreadable consistency that just holds its shape. This can take up to 10 minutes. Tip 1: To speed up the process, you can transfer the hot fudge frosting into another heat proof dish so that you’re not mixing in the hot saucepan and set it on a cold counter. Tip 2: For the consistency, rather have the fudge frosting a little too soft and warm than hard and cooled, as it will cool fast and crust over very quickly when you start to spread it on the cake.
- 9. To decorate your cake, spoon the fudge frosting on top of the cooled sponge, then using the back of a spoon or small spatula, spread it evenly over the top of the cake, then create lovely swirls in the frosting. Tip: If your frosting was still a little too warm, just keep creating swirls as this will help it to cool until you get the pattern you like that holds.
- 10. Immediately decorate with mini chocolate Easter eggs as the frosting will start to crust over.
- 11. Use a sharp knife to cut into 5x4 for 20 portions, or 6x4 for 24 portions.
- 12. Store in an airtight container and room temperature for up to 3 days.
