Made with plain milk and white chocolate this Easter chocolate truffle cake is perfect for Easter treat
Consisting of layers of white and dark chocolate ganache sandwiched between two layers of chocolate sponge and covered in a milk chocolate frosting it is sure to be every chocolate lover's dream cake.
The long Easter weekend is the perfect time to do a spot of baking or cooking just for the fun and as you can never have too much chocolate at this time of year then this truffle cake is ideal.
You will love this cake because:
While it is a little more involved than a simple chocolate sandwich cake, broken down into stages it is pretty simple to make.
The end result is a great centrepiece for your Easter table which not only look fabulous it also tastes amazing.
Ingredients
Chocolate – This recipe uses no less than three different types of chocolate. White and plain (dark) chocolate for the truffle filling. I like to use a dark chocolate with a cocoa solid content of around 70% as this contrasts deliciously with the creamy sweet white chocolate layer. Milk chocolate is used for the chocolate frosting that covers the cake.
Cocoa powder
Butter – I tend to use lightly salted butter as that is what I have in the fridge. If you use unsalted butter add a pinch of salt.
Caster Sugar – I like to use golden caster sugar for most of my baking. It’s the same as normal caster sugar, but it’s unrefined, It is a little more flavoursome with light caramel tones.
Eggs – Medium
Vanilla Extract – The vanilla enhances the chocolate flavour of the cake. Look for the word extract or essence, not flavouring, as vanilla flavouring is artificial and has an inferior flavour. My favourite brand of extract is Nielsen-Massey.
Self-raising flour – I use self-raising flour in a lot of my recipes for convenience. If you use plain flour add 2¾ teaspoons of baking powder. Self-raising flour in the US has a lower amount of baking powder than UK self-raising flour and also contains added salt. So if you are based in the US, use plain flour with baking powder to get the same results.
Double Cream – (US = heavy cream)
White chocolate mini eggs – I used Lindt, Milky Bar also make mini eggs and Hotel Chocolate have really pretty speckled white eggs which would look fabulous if you can get them.
To make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/170℃ fan/gas mark 4. Lightly oil and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin.
- Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl and slowly add the boiling water, mixing until smooth.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the cocoa powder mixture and mix well, then gently fold in the flour.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top then make a slight dip in the centre. Bake for about 45 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. You can also test with a skewer which should come out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
Once baked
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then loosen the edge with a blunt knife and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wash and dry the cake tin and line the edge with baking parchment.
- When the cake is completely cold, use a sharp serrated knife to level the top of the cake if necessary and cut it into two equal layers. Place the top layer back into the lined tin.
Cook's Tips
- Use a loose bottomed or spring clip cake tin for this recipe - it makes it easier to remove and reassemble in the tin.
- Most cakes dome in the centre when you bake them, but you can minimise this by making a dip in the centre of the uncooked mixture before baking. If you want a completely flat cake, like mine in the pictures, trim the top of the cake level with a sharp knife before cutting it into two layers. Save the crumbs to use later, or just nibble on them as you go along as a cook's perk! Place the trimmed top of the cake upside down back into the cake tin, then line the edge of the tin with a strip of baking parchment.
- If you don't mind a domed cake (I still think it would look great) place the bottom layer of the cake into the tin first.
To finish the cake
1 Melt the plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Then repeat with the white chocolate. Allow to cool slightly.
2 Whip the cream, then fold half the cream into the melted plain chocolate a little at a time and half into the white chocolate.
3 Spread the white chocolate ganache over the cake in the lined baking tin.
4 Gently spread the dark chocolate ganache over the white chocolate ganache.
5 Carefully spread the remaining white chocolate ganache over the dark chocolate layer.
6 Place the second layer of cake upside down on top of the truffle layers.
7 Spread the icing over the top and sides with a palette knife.
8 Spread the icing into a swirly effect then decorate with mini eggs.
Cook's Tip
- Take care not to overheat the chocolate when melting it by placing the bowl over a pan of hot (not boiling water) and making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Add the cream a little at a time. If you add it all at once the cold cream may cause the chocolate to set before it is fully combined with the cream.
Add a splash of booze
You can ramp up the flavour of this delicious cake a little more with a splash of booze. Drizzle a few tablespoons of orange flavoured liqueur, coffee flavoured liqueur, kirsch or brandy over the cut side of the sponge layers. But don't get too carried away you don't want to make the sponge soggy.
Plan ahead
You will need to allow enough time for chilling and decorating before you want to serve this cake. It will keep one or two days covered in the refrigerator. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.
The layered undecorated cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before covering with the chocolate icing.
Easter Chocolate Truffle Cake
Equipment
- 23 cm (9in) springform or loose bottom deep round cake tin
- baking parchment
- electric whisk
- palette knife
Ingredients
for the cake
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 75 ml (3½oz) boiling water
- 225 g (8oz)butter softened
- 225 g (8oz) golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 275 g (10oz) self-raising flour
for the white and dark chocolate ganache
- 100 g (3½oz)white chocolate broken into pieces
- 200 g (7oz) plain dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 600 ml (1pt) double cream (US =heavy cream)
to complete the cake
- 300 g (10½oz) milk chocolate broken into pieces
- 100 g (3½oz) butter
- 12 mini white chocolate easter eggs
Instructions
To make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/170℃ fan/gas mark 4. Lightly oil and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin
- Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl and slowly add the boiling water, mixing until smooth.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Beat in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract followed by the cooled cocoa powder mixture and mix well. Fold in 275g (10oz) flour.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top then make a slight dip in the centre. Bake for about 45 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then loosen the edge with blunt knife and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wash and dry the cake tin and line the edge with baking parchment.
- When the cake is completely cold, use a sharp serrated knife to level the top of the cake if necessary and cut into two equal layers. Place one layer back into the tin.
To make the white and dark chocolate ganache
- Melt the 200g (7oz) plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Then melt 100g (3½oz) white chocolate in another bowl. Allow to cool slightly.
- Whip 600ml (1pt) cream until standing in soft peaks, fold half of the cream a little at a time into the white chocolate until just blended. Next fold the remaining cream a little at a time into the plain chocolate.
- Spread half of the white chocolate mixture over the cake in the pan. Then top with the plain chocolate cream and a final layer of white chocolate cream.
- Place the remaining cake layer pressing down gently to make sure it comes completely in contact with the cream. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To complete the cake
- Place 300g (10½oz) milk chocolate broken into pieces in a bowl with 100g (3½oz) butter and heat over a pan of hot water, stirring until melted and combined. Allow to cool slightly
- Carefully remove the cake from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Then spread the chocolate icing over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife. Swirl the icing to give a wavy effect. Decorate with mini white chocolate easter eggs and allow to set.
Notes
- Plan ahead – Allow time for chilling and decorating.
- Take care not to overheat the chocolate when melting it by placing the bowl over a pan of hot (not boiling water) and making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Add the cream a little at a time. If you add it all at once the cold cream may cause the chocolate to set before it is fully combined with the cream.
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