Easter chocolate cake recipe

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This mouth-watering Easter chocolate fudge cake serves 8-12 people making it ideal for sharing at Easter.

Easter chocolate fudge cake
(Image credit: TI Media Limited)
  • healthy
Serves8–12
SkillEasy
Preparation Time30 mins
Cooking Time25 mins (plus 5 mins' cooling time)
Total Time1 hours
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories491 Kcal25%
Sugar36.8 g41%
Fat31.8 g45%
Saturated Fat17.3 g87%
Salt0.3 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Protein5.3 g11%
Carbohydrates46.2 g18%
Salt0.3 gRow 7 - Cell 2

A dark and dense chocolate cake enveloped in glossy ganache icing.

If you gave up chocolate for Lent (or even if you didn't) this decadent Easter chocolate cake is the ultimate way to celebrate. It serves 8-12 people, so it's brilliant for treating the whole family for tea over the Easter long weekend. The two layers of sponge are separated by the same ganache that's used to ice the cake. Remember to ice and decorate it on the serving plate, as it's almost impossible to move once decorated. We've finished the cake with mini eggs, and gone for a rustic texture to the ganache. This looks really festive for Easter. However, if you prefer a classier finish, make it super smooth and top with shavings of dark and white chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 150g light muscovado sugar
  • 40g cocoa
  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 medium, free-range eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 142ml soured cream
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup

For the ganache:

  • 250ml double cream
  • 250g dark chocolate such as Bournville

To decorate:

  • 1 chocolate flake, crumbled
  • 120g tub mini eggs

WEIGHT CONVERTER

to

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 18cm sandwich tins.
  2. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt; mix well. Add to the creamed butter and sugar.
  4. In a jug, whisk the eggs with vanilla, soured cream and syrup. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together. Divide the mixture equally between the tins.
  5. Bake for 20-25 mins until springy. Leave to cool for a few mins, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
  6. For the ganache, put the cream and chocolate into a bowl over barely simmering water. Heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and stir briefly, until combined and smooth (don’t overstir).
  7. Allow to cool for 1 hr, or until thick enough to spread.
  8. Use slightly less than half to sandwich the cakes together. Spread remaining ganache over the cake, then decorate with flakes and mini eggs.

Top tips for making this Easter chocolate fudge cake

If you want the finish on your ganache to be nice and smooth, it needs to be quite cool when you're applying it. As you work with it, it may warm up and get harder to handle. If so, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before you give it another go.

As the ganache on this Easter chocolate cake is made with cream, it's best to store any leftover cake in the fridge, in an airtight container. The cream can go off if left out on the side.

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Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies