Finally, Easter is almost here and yet this year some things feel very different. Usually the shop windows are decked out with flowers, bunnies and beautiful springtime scenes, but not this year. And taking time to carefully choose Easter eggs for our friends and loved ones isn’t an option. Because we are all at home due to the Coronavirus. So, at the time of writing, we are in lockdown, only allowed out for essential food shopping, exercise and medical appointments. The world as we know it has been paused and it can feel overwhelming and scary. So for me, doing things that are relaxing and routine really helps. For example making and baking this Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake not only calmed me, it was very much appreciated by my family here at home too.
Easter Baking Inspiration
Because certain ingredients are not easy to get hold of at this time I have added a few notes to the recipe to allow for this. While I topped this chocolate and vanilla marble cake with Cadbury’s mini chocolate eggs (with the addition of a few tiny Sainsbury’s eggs that I had), you can use whatever eggs you like, or can get. Since the beauty and fun of home baking is that you can make it your own. Alternatively, you could create an image of an Easter chick or bunny using mini eggs? Since the possibilities are only limited by your imagination and skill!
I love seeing the range of different Easter bakes that people make. While looking on Pinterest for inspiration, the beautiful pastel colours of Cadbury’s mini eggs always catch my eye. And it certainly helps that they taste so yummy too. I have used them here on my Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake, a delicious Easter dessert centrepiece.
While this Easter traybake is cut into 12 large squares it can easily be portioned into small pieces. Because the cake is chocolate and vanilla marbled together, this bake is not overly sweet or heavy.
Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake – makes 12 large cake squares
For the cake:
275g/9oz Unsalted Butter
275g/9oz Caster Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt – I use Maldon
2 tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey
5 Large Free Range Eggs (if you only have medium sized eggs that’s fine, simply add an extra tablespoon of milk)
350g/12oz Plain White Flour (if using self raising flour leave out the baking powder)
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Milk (whole or semi-skimmed are fine)
25g/1oz Cocoa Powder
For decorating the cake:
150ml/5fl oz Double Cream (heavy cream) – optional see note in decorating.
150g/5oz Milk Chocolate roughly chopped – use good quality chocolate with a minimum cocoa content of 30%
75g/3oz White Chocolate roughly chopped
Large Family Bag – approximately 300g/10oz Cadbury’s Mini Eggs, alternatively use your own choice of chocolate mini eggs.
Making The Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan, gas mark 2, 300F.
- First of all you will need a 22.5cm x 30cm (9in x 12in) deep baking tin lined with baking parchment.
- Place the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla extract into a large bowl and whisk together until pale and creamy.
- Crack all of the eggs into a separate bowl with the milk and beat together lightly with a fork.
- Pour the beaten eggs and milk onto the creamed sugar and butter.
- Next, sift the flour and baking powder into the same bowl.
- Whisk or beat all of the ingredients together until combined.
- Remove approximately half of the cake batter into a separate bowl.
- Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix thoroughly.
- You now have two cake batters to create the marbled traybake.
- Using the picture below as a guide scoop the vanilla cake batter into the prepared tin in random dollops.
- Next do the same with the chocolate cake batter, filling in the spaces.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the two cake batters together, taking care to ensure the batter is even across the tray and reaches the edges.
Baking The Marbled Traybake Cake
- Place the tin in the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- The cake is baked when it springs back from a light touch in the centre and near the sides.
- As soon as the cake is baked remove it from the oven.
- Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
- Carefully remove the cake from the tin and place on a cooling rack.
- Leave to cool completely before decorating.
- Note – Making a chocolate ganache topping for the cake makes it easier to slice through. Alternatively, melt the milk chocolate and pour directly onto the cake. Also, when nearly set, score lines through the chocolate to portion the cake, this will make cutting it once set easier.
Icing The Marbled Traybake
- First of all make the milk chocolate ganache. Place the chopped milk chocolate and cream into a bowl set over a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water in the bottom. Importantly, make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chocolate and cream together until fully melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
- Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl a zap in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate into a small piping bag. Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon to drizzle the white chocolate onto the cake.
- As soon as the cake is cooled it can be decorated. Pour the milk chocolate ganache onto the centre of the cake. Continue pouring evenly towards the edges until the top of the cake is covered.
- Pipe or drizzle white chocolate lines onto the chocolate ganache before it sets. Use a skewer to marble both chocolates together.
- Also, use a skewer to mark out the cake portions by drawing lines through the chocolate.
Decorating The Mini Egg Marbled Traybake
- While the chocolate is still unset add the mini eggs in whatever pattern you choose.
- Scoring the portions before adding the mini eggs really does make slicing the cake, once set, easier. Have you ever tried to cut through a chocolate mini egg?!
- Place the decorated traybake into a fridge for at least an hour to fully set.
- As soon as the chocolate is set remove the cake from the fridge.
- Use a clean knife to slice through each scored line, wiping the knife with a clean, damp cloth in between each new cut. Now cut around the outside edge of the cake, separating any excess chocolate from the side of the traybake.
- Finally, run a palette knife underneath each cake portion and the baking parchment.
Place the cake squares onto a platter and share with your lockdown family.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. For the best flavour and texture serve at room temperature.
If you have enjoyed this recipe for Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake you may also like these other Easter bakes:
Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies
Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake
Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes
The True Importance Of Easter
While I really enjoy baking and sharing my bakes with others, Easter is the most important celebration in my year. Because, as a Christian, this is the time of year that Jesus’ death and resurrection are remembered and celebrated. Usually, Easter Sunday is a special time of thanksgiving and worship at church. Yet this year we will be celebrating in our homes, joined together as a church through an online service. Each of us celebrating and remembering the most important gift of salvation that is free to us all through Jesus Christ. If you would like to know more please read Important Stuff.
So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.
Sammie x
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