Recipe by Angela Romeo / Photograph by Charlie Richards
Recipe by Sainsbury's magazine
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Make our marvellous Mini Egg cake - the ultimate Easter showstopper for the long weekend. Follow our easy recipe and wow your Mini Egg-obsessed friends with this fun, colourful cake
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
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Sainsbury's magazine
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
See more of Sainsbury's magazine’s recipes
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Ingredients
For the sponge
340g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
340g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large eggs
340g self-raising flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
For the filling and decoration
300g Cookeen or Trex solid vegetable fat, cut into small pieces
600g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-7 tbsp milk
100g seedless raspberry jam
200g dark chocolate, 85% cocoa solids
328g packet mini eggs
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Step by step
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, fan 160ºC, gas 4. Grease and line 3 x 20cm loose-based sandwich tins (if you don't have 3 tins you can bake 1 or 2 cakes at a time, cover the mixture with clingfilm between batches).
Using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Fold through the flour and baking powder. Divide between the 3 tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted co*cktail stick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. If the cake tops aren't level, use a serrated knife to trim them so they are nice and flat.
If you'd like to make the sponge without the decoration, you may like to have a whipped cream filling. You will need 450ml whipped double cream; spread the layers with jam first, followed by the cream. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
For the icing, place the vegetable fat, icing sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Whiz until combined, then add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a spreadable consistency (you may not need the full 7 tablespoons).
Sandwich the cakes together using the jam and 150g of the icing. The bottom side of the top cake should face down. Coatthe cake in half the remaining icing. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up, then use the remaining icing for a second coat. Return to the freezer for a further 30 minutes.
Put 175g of the chocolate in a microwave-safe jug and heat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and very runny.
Remove the cake from the freezer. Pour the runny chocolate around the top of the cake, next to the edge, allowing it to trickle down the sides. Continue drizzling the chocolate in a spiral motion moving inwards to completely cover the top of the cake. If there are any holes, simply drizzle a drop of chocolate into the hole (you will cover the top with mini eggs so it doesn't need to be perfect).
Heat the remaining chocolate in small bowl in the microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted but is still thick, like a glue to stick the mini eggs onto.Start with one mini egg in the centre and work around it in circles, making sure there are even gaps between the eggs, to make it easier to cut the cake. (If the chocolate in the bowl starts to set, simply put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.) Leave for a few minutes until the chocolate has set, then serve.
The generally rule is 1 egg per 1 & 1/4 cup of flour for muffins and 2 eggs per 1 & 1/4 cups of flour for cakes. Generally speaking, when you go from 4 to 3 eggs, you are not making that much of a difference, and most recipes are built around large eggs, and most people buy extra large eggs.
One option is to use 2 eggs and add an extra 1/4 cup of liquid, such as milk or water, to make up for the missing egg. Another option is to use 2 eggs and add in 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana to add moisture and binding properties.
Use the 1 whole egg the recipe calls for, but reduce any liquid also used (water, milk or oil) by 1 teaspoon once halved. I need to cut a baking recipe in half, but the full recipe only calls for 1 egg.
With a small knife, carve out the 2- to 3-inch crescent moon-shaped border using the top layer as a tracing guide. Place the moon-shaped piece below the non-cut cake layer to resemble an oval egg shape. Trim the remaining cut cake piece to resemble a small egg.
If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.
1. Whisk together water, oil, and baking powder. This is a great substitute if you need to replace multiple eggs in a recipe, as it won't make the baked good too greasy or change its flavor profile (like some other substitutes). A simple combination of water, baking powder, and vegetable oil mimics eggs almost to a T.
Substitutes like vinegar and baking soda, plain yogurt or buttermilk can help keep cake light, airy and structurally sound. Replace each egg with 1 teaspoon of baking soda combined with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ¼ cup of plain yogurt or ¼ cup of buttermilk.
Mayonnaise. Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.
Duncan Hines cake mix is accidentally vegan-friendly. Just replace eggs with 1/3 cup of non-dairy creamer. You can use oatmilk, soy milk, coconut, cashew, etc. For a richer flavor, replace water with any dairy-free unsweetened milk.
Some alternatives to eggs in baking include applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt or silken tofu, flaxseed or chia seed "eggs," and commercial egg replacers. Milk alone cannot replace eggs in baking due to differences in their properties.
By removing this structure-building ingredient, you make the cake less structurally sound, so it becomes less fluffy and more likely to fall apart. Additionally, eggs also add to the cake's flavor profile, so cakes without eggs may taste too sugary.
If a quick bread calls for two eggs, try subbing in mashed banana or applesauce for one of the eggs. Quick breads tend to be more forgiving in terms of texture. Cookies usually call for 1 to 2 eggs. Subbing in mashed banana or applesauce will be acceptable, but the overall texture will likely be cakier.
What Eggs Do in Baking Recipes. Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze.
If a recipe does not specify egg size, use large eggs – this is the standard in baking, and cooking generally. Eggs at room temperature means 20–22 °C / 68–72 °F. You don't need to measure with a thermometer!
About ¼ cup of applesauce can work as an egg replacement in baking for dense baked goods like brownies or cookies. While you can use applesauce in sweets like cakes and cupcakes, you may need to add an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder to your dry ingredients to create a light and airy final product.
When a recipe calls for just one or two eggs, feel free to substitute any size. For larger quantities, follow these substitution guidelines: 3 large eggs are equivalent to: 3 medium eggs, 3 extra-large eggs, 2 jumbo eggs. 4 large eggs are equivalent to: 5 medium eggs, 4 extra-large eggs, 3 jumbo eggs.
Use 1/4 cup of applesauce for each egg you're replacing. It works well in recipes where moisture and binding are essential, like muffins and quick breads. Mashed Bananas: Ripe mashed bananas can replace eggs in recipes, adding moisture and sweetness. Use 1/4 cup of mashed banana.
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Prep time: 1 hr
