Whether you're looking for a showstopper cake for the Easter holidays or simply a way to use up leftover Easter eggs and chocolates, this Easter Chocolate Traybake Cake with super simple vanilla sponge and whipped chocolate ganache is a sure-fire winner!
Preheat the oven to 160c fan | 170c | 340f. Line a 11"x8" or 28cm x 20cm rectangle cake pan with baking parchment.
Add 225g Margarine, 225g Caster Sugar, 4 Eggs, 4 tbsp Milk, 1 tbsp Baking Powder,225g Self Raising Flour and 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl.
Use the stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to beat all the ingredients together. Don’t beat any more than it takes to combine everything, or the sponge may go tough. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to make sure nothing gets missed.
Pour the cake batter into the lined tin.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until light golden brown and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the sponge comes out dry.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. After a little while you can remove it from the tin and peel off the lining paper.
Prepare the Chocolate Ganache
While the cake bakes, break up 150g Milk Chocolate and 150g Dark Chocolate into a mixing bowl along with 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes.
Measure out 200ml Double Cream and warm it in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the hob. Keep a close eye on it. You need to heat it until it just starts bubbling a little around the edges. Pour the cream on top of the chocolate.
Stir the cream into the chocolate. It might feel like the chocolate won’t melt but just keep stirring.
Once the ganache is smooth and the chocolate is fully melted, cover it in cling film and allow to fully chill.
Whip the Chocolate Ganache
Once the ganache is cold, it should be thick and hold its shape.
Whip the ganache for around 5 minutes with the balloon whisk in a stand mixer or with an electric hand whisk. Whip until it is lighter in colour and fluffy. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure none of it is left behind.
Decorate the Cake
Pile the whipped ganache into the centre of the sponge.
Use an offset spatula to carefully spread the ganache to the edges of the cake.
Try to end up with a flat top and add a squiggle for interest.
Start decorating with the largest of the eggs you have. I used shards of a Small Milk Chocolate Easter Egg and halved Cadbury Crème Eggs and Galaxy Caramel Eggs.
Continue decorating with a mixture of smaller eggs. I used Galaxy Enchanted Eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Milkybar Mini Eggs, Smarties Mini Eggs and halved Mini Cadbury Crème Eggs.
Carefully slice and serve!
Notes
Please note that the nutrition estimation does not take into account any of the chocolate egg toppings are these are variable from slice to slice and cake to cake.