It might not feel like it, with cold air and snow still hanging around, but Spring is just around the corner. Before you know it, the first buds of green will be popping up on tree branches. Birds will be chirping. Flowers will be blooming. And Easter will be on the way! So today we’re getting ready with a new cake tutorial that is all about Spring! Inspired by the gorgeous color and texture of robins’ eggs, this cake is super easy and incredibly fun. And completely achievable for all levels of bakers, to include your favorite little egg-hunters. It’s a Speckled Easter Egg Cake tutorial and I hope you enjoy it!
Before we get started on the very scientific speckling technique, let’s talk about the cake itself. I used a Classic Vanilla Cake recipe and baked it as four layers. You can bake your cakes several days in advance and either freeze them or keep them in the refrigerator. Being a mom to a little one means my windows of time are quite short. So on Day #1, I baked the cake and made the eggs. Day #2, I made a batch of basic buttercream icing (recipe here). Day #3, I assembled and decorated the cake. You, by no means, have to follow my extra prolonged, toddler-approved schedule. But if needed, you can certainly spread this project out over several days.
Now, let’s talk about the eggs! There are several ways you could go about making these eggs. You can use an egg-shaped candy mold to create white chocolate eggs, colored appropriately. You can use real eggs that are hard boiled (or blown out) and then dyed. {Please do not use raw eggs… that is just asking for trouble.} You can shape eggs out of fondant or gumpaste. Or you can simply purchase any speckled candy eggs that you like. Whichever route you pick, this is your first step in decorating. Your overall color scheme starts with your eggs!
Now, let’s get to the speckling! This project is incredibly fun AND slightly messy. But the mess makes it fun, right? You will absolutely get cocoa splatters on your counter, and yes, probably even your floor. I found a few stray spots even on my refrigerator. Hence the wax paper for your work surface and paper towels for clean up. So please please consider this your official warning. This is not the project for your favorite apron. But I am happy to report that my kitchen was clean with just a few paper towels. And my apron washed up just fine. Now that you’ve read the disclosures… let’s get to it!
SPECKLED EGG CAKE
a tutorial by Carrie Sellman
Supplies
- cake of choice, assembled and crumb-coated
- basic buttercream icing
- Sky blue food color
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- food grade paint brush
- wax paper
- paper towels, for clean up
- speckled eggs
STEP 1: Color your buttercream frosting with a few drops of food coloring. I used 2-3 drops of Americolor Sky Blue gel. When tinting buttercream, I like to add one drop of color at a time until I reach the right shade. If you’ve ever ruined a batch of icing before, you already know the benefit of adding color gradually. And when in doubt, I like to error on the light side. Buttercream naturally darkens slightly as it sets.
STEP 2: Frost your assembled and crumb-coated cake with your pretty blue buttercream. Smooth and shape to your liking. It does not have to be perfect. We’re about to splatter it up!
STEP 3: In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder with 1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Stir well until cocoa is completely dissolved and you have a thin, chocolate paint.
STEP 4: Cover your work area with wax paper. Lightly dip your new (or totally clean, never used for paint) paintbrush into the chocolate. Holding the paint brush with one hand, gently flick the bristles with your other index finger to splatter the chocolate paint. Practice first onto your wax paper until you get the hang of it. No need to move on to the cake until you master the flick. When you’re ready to start speckling, hold the paintbrush fairly close to the cake and start splattering.
NOTE: A little chocolate paint goes a long way. So dip your brush lightly. If your paintbrush becomes ‘clogged’ with paint and is no longer splattering nicely, rinse it with water. Dry with a paper towel. And start again.
STEP 5: Keep splattering away! Move up, down and all around to completely cover the cake.
NOTE: As you work, you will undoubtedly get a splatter that is bigger than you would prefer. Or accidentally get carried away and bump the cake with your paintbrush. (Don’t ask me how I know this!) You have two options here. Either embrace the imperfections and let it go. Or wipe it off quickly with a light dab of water and paper towel. Then go back to speckling. If you look closely, you can see where I wiped one of my oh-no-it’s-too-big splatters. Left-middle. Not too bad of a correction and I think it adds to the speckled egg charm.
STEP 6: Now that you have the hang of splattering, you’ll also speckle the eggs you previously made. While you wait for the cake and the eggs to dry, now is a good time to wipe off any stray splatters on your cake pedestal. Once both the eggs and the cake are completely dry, arrange eggs on top of cake. Use a dab of buttercream to hold them exactly where you want them.
STEP 7: Cut, eat and enjoy!
MORE EASTER CAKES TO MAKE:
Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake
Mini Easter Egg Cakes
Easter Nest Cake
Marbled Chocolate Easter Eggs
Easter Basket Cake
Spring Wreath Cake with Buttercream Birds’ Nest
Jyll says
After seeing your post, I made a speckled cake for a family birthday party and it was a hit! I blew out some blue-green eggs and speckled them in the same way I did the cake. The speckles on the real egg were delicate but worked beautifully. I tinted my cake frosting yellow and the overall effect with the speckles was just lovely. Thanks for the post!
Sandy Cole says
Beautiful cake! If I may ask, what size cakes did you use for your creation?
Debbie Cantales says
I think this would be great for my “Stepping Into Spring” dinner party in three weeks! Thanks for sharing. Your photography is exceptional too.
Steph says
Great Idea! I want to make this but do not have a good vanilla cake recipe. Can you share the one you used please? 🙂
ec says
absolutely gorgeous!!!
Georgina Holden says
Literally love this. . . . x
Mercedes says
Una maravilla de tarta, preciosa. Un saludo
Kristen says
I would love to know how you made the eggs. Did you use a form? How did you dye them? Also I would love to know what kind of cake and filling you used since I love the color combo!
Elba :: Live Colorful :: says
Wow! Beautiful. It looks so real
Shoba Shrinivasan says
OMG that is a beautiful cake and look at all those “scientific speckles”!!! Great clicks. 🙂
Shobha
Agnieszka says
I did it according to your instruction and this is what I had got:
https://tortowastacja.blogspot.com/2013/03/wesoego-alleluja.html
and I have to be honest – it is not as easy as looks. It’s really hard to make sharp edges. You are my hero! 😉
Thnx!
Laurian Baillie says
Just love the simplicity of this cake, it can be so easily adapted to other ideas.
Abi Makes says
i love love love this cake! I make my birthday cake in the same style, pics here https://abimakes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/speckled-birds-egg-chocolate-cake-with.html
Linae Tabor says
This is an awesome cake! I can’t wait to make one!
Thanks for the tutorial!
And with words! Thank you for that!
I see alot of tutorials that just confuse me and since they never have a WRITTEN explanation of what to do, I just don’t bother.
Linae
DONNA Ormandy says
I would love to have your cake blog newsletters.
Leslie says
Love the cake! Do you have a recipe or instructions for making the eggs?
Ann says
Love the cake! I’m planning a birthday cake for a very special friend in April and I think I’ll try this one. she loves her backyard friends.
Betty Johnson says
I am so happy I found the cake I’m going to try for Easter this year!!! SO cute! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Kathy Hayes says
Have used your speckling technique with acrylic paints…..never dreamed you could use it on icing!!! Definitely will try!!! Thanks for the info!
martha.anne says
This cake is amazing! I’ve been dying to make it and thought I’d share it over on my blog post – The 25 Best DIY Easter Ideas. This by far is my favourite! Happy Easter!
https://www.themarthaanne.com/2014/04/the-25-best-diy-easter-ideas.html
Michelle @ The Gathering of Friends says
Beautiful, and what a fun way to decorate a cake! We featured your recipe in our Feature Friday last week for 20 ‘Egg’stra Special Easter Desserts! I hope you can stop by and visit: https://returntothetable.net/recipes/20-eggstra-special-easter-desserts/
Mia says
How do you go about crumb coating a cake before frosting it?
Michelle staab says
I would LOVE to make this for Easter on Sunday!! Can I ask what color or how you dyed your eggs?? Also wondering what color you did the filling for the cake? Is it the se frosting recipie?
Thanks!!
Maureen says
SO beautiful and perfect for Easter!
Question: Cake of choice, assembled and crumb coated…
What is crumb coated? Or, how does one accomplish this?
Thank you 🙂
Maureen
Bee says
I love this, I hope you don’t mind but I put a link to this on my blog (I did something similar on a fondant egg shaped cake) Pop by and have a look if you get a minute! https://arosetintedkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/easter-egg-cake.html x