Short & Sweet: Speckled egg cake

Speckled egg cake

*Sorry for the lack of posts recently, with moving back into university and all that comes with that I haven't had a chance to write up any recipes but I hope to be posting more regularly from now on.

I've been meaning to write up this post for a while now because I think that this cake is one of my favourites i've ever made.

Every year I make my Grandma an Easter themed, or day of the week themed (e.g. Happy Tuesday haha) cake because she really does not like celebrating her birthday. So last year after taking to Pinterest as usual for some inspo I found this great speckled egg effect icing, which I have been in love with ever since.

Speckled Egg cake:

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves: 16 people

Ingredients:

For the cake:

400g softened butter
400g caster sugar
8 free range eggs
400g self raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

300g softened butter
600g icing sugar
1tsp milk
1/2 tsp gel food colouring

For the speckled effect:

50g cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Method:

Firstly, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line three 9" cake tins with baking paper.
Place the softened butter and caster sugar into a bowl and mix until of a creamy consistency and colour. Once fully combined add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract, beating well between each addition to ensure that they are mixed in completely and enough air is combined into the mixture.
Finally, sift the flour into the mixture folding in with a metal spoon in a figure of eight action. Ensure that you fold right down to the bottom of the mixture to make sure all the flour is combined.
Place the mixture into the pre-prepared tins and place in the oven on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch.

Meanwhile, to make the buttercream combine the softened butter and sifted icing sugar until smooth. If needed add a teaspoon of milk to loosen the mixture so that it is easy to pipe and spread onto the cake. Add half a teaspoon of your chosen colour gel food colouring and thoroughly mix.

Once the cakes are cooked, place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
To assemble the cake place the bottom sponge onto a cake stand or board and secure with a blob of buttercream. Place a tablespoon of buttercream between each layer, until all three layers are stacked. Then place a tablespoon of buttercream onto the top of the cake and smooth over. To crumb the cake place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe all the way round the cake, making sure the icing overlaps the top edge of the cake. Using a palette knife at a 90 degree angle place a small amount of pressure onto the icing and slowly turn the cake to smooth it over, until only a thin layer remains. Once the side is smooth pull the overhanging icing on the top edge into the centre of the top of the cake. Chill the cake for 30 minutes and repeat this step until there is a thicker layer of icing covering the outside of the cake.

Finally, to finish mix the cocoa powder and vanilla extract together. To create the speckled effect use a small paint brush and dip it into the mixture. Then flick the paint brush at the side of the cake until the whole of the outside is covered in splatters. Then to decorate place mini eggs onto the top of the cake.
You could even pipe some buttercream rosettes onto the cake and place the mini eggs onto them as an alternative decoration.

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this cake, and have fun putting the recipe to practice!