Easter Advocaat Cake
Made from eggs, sugar and brandy, Advocaat is THE Easter beverage. In fact, Germans often bake an 'Advocaat cake' or Eierlikortorte for Easter. My cake is based on this concept, though not on the recipe itself. For my cake, the light Advocaat and nutmeg sponge, studded with white chocolate chips, sits between layers of Advocaat-infused buttercream. It's finished with a coating of white chocolate ganache, which is sprinkled with cocoa powder to make the cake look like a speckled egg!
This cake is a showstopper - let it stand centre stage on your Easter table and take any liberties you like when decorating it. I like the top of mine to look like a nest, filled with even more chocolate treats.
Ingredients
For the cake
Equipment
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) or 200°C (non fan). In a large bowl, whisk the baking spread and caster sugar together using a handheld electric mixer. Try to incorporate as much air as possible. Whisk until light and fluffy.
Made from eggs, sugar and brandy, Advocaat is THE Easter beverage. In fact, Germans often bake an 'Advocaat cake' or Eierlikortorte for Easter. My cake is based on this concept, though not on the recipe itself. For my cake, the light Advocaat and nutmeg sponge, studded with white chocolate chips, sits between layers of Advocaat-infused buttercream. It's finished with a coating of white chocolate ganache, which is sprinkled with cocoa powder to make the cake look like a speckled egg!
This cake is a showstopper - let it stand centre stage on your Easter table and take any liberties you like when decorating it. I like the top of mine to look like a nest, filled with even more chocolate treats.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 225g baking spread/margarine
- 2 eggs
- 100ml Advocaat
- 225g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g white chocolate chips
- 250g salted butter at room temperature
- 500g icing sugar
- 5 tbsp Advocaat
- 300g good quality white chocolate (I used Menier)
- 150ml double cream
- For the speckled egg appearance, 1 tsp cocoa powder
- For the nest, 1 Caramac bar and 1 line of Shredded Wheat
- For the chicken, I bought a chocolate chick from Pump Street Chocolate
- For the eggs, I bought salted caramel seagull eggs from Rococo Chocolates
Equipment
- 2 x Victoria Sandwich tin (deep), lined with baking parchment and sides greased with butter
- Food-safe paintbrush (for the speckled egg appearance)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) or 200°C (non fan). In a large bowl, whisk the baking spread and caster sugar together using a handheld electric mixer. Try to incorporate as much air as possible. Whisk until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the Advocaat. To prevent curdling, it's important to incorporate this into the butter-sugar mixture in small quantities. Add a small amount of the egg mixture, whisk, and then add a spoonful of flour and whisk. Repeat until you've used up all the egg mixture and all the flour.
3. Add the grated nutmeg, baking powder and white chocolate chips. Stir through the mixture using a metal spoon. Divide the mixture between the two baking tins and bake for approximately 35 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch.
4. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Then, release them carefully from the tins using a palette knife. Transfer to a cooling tray and leave to cool fully.
4. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Then, release them carefully from the tins using a palette knife. Transfer to a cooling tray and leave to cool fully.
5. Once fully cool, place the cakes in the fridge, preferably in an airtight tin. This will make them easier to slice later on. Then, making the buttercream filling: using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer, whisk the butter in a large bowl until noticeably lighter in colour, and light and fluffy. At this stage, add 2 tablespoons of Advocaat, and whisk again.
6. Then, add the icing sugar and whisk. The mixture will resemble breadcrumbs.
6. Then, add the icing sugar and whisk. The mixture will resemble breadcrumbs.
7. Add 3 more tablespoons of Advocaat and whisk until a soft, pillowy consistency is reached. If you wish to colour the icing, divide the icing into four separate bowls and add a small amount of food colouring to three of the bowls (paste rather than liquid). Mix thoroughly. The neutral coloured icing will be used to crumb coat the cake.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut each cake into two pieces horizontally. Choose a serving plate (preferably a flat one) and place a small blob of buttercream in the centre, and then place the first layer onto the plate. Fill with one portion of buttercream, and repeat this process until you have a four-layered cake. Using the remaining icing (neutral coloured), crumb coat the sides of the cake. This just means covering it with a thin layer of buttercream in order to trap the crumbs and prevent the crumbs from getting caught in the ganache covering. Put the cake to one side.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut each cake into two pieces horizontally. Choose a serving plate (preferably a flat one) and place a small blob of buttercream in the centre, and then place the first layer onto the plate. Fill with one portion of buttercream, and repeat this process until you have a four-layered cake. Using the remaining icing (neutral coloured), crumb coat the sides of the cake. This just means covering it with a thin layer of buttercream in order to trap the crumbs and prevent the crumbs from getting caught in the ganache covering. Put the cake to one side.
9. To make the white chocolate ganache covering, chop the white chocolate into very small and evenly sized pieces (smaller pieces than the ones pictured here - I should have cut them smaller) and place in a heat-proof bowl. Place the double cream in a saucepan and heat until bubbles appear but remove it from the heat before it boils. Pour the cream directly on top of the white chocolate and leave for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Then, use a wooden spoon to stir the ganache into a glossy, smooth consistency. N.B. if your ganache still has chocolate lumps, you can heat it gently over a bain-marie (a bowl suspended over - not touching - a saucepan of boiling water) and it should come together quickly, but keep the heat gentle so that the ganache doesn't split.
10. The ganache should be of spreading consistency and can be used straight away. Using a large palette knife, coat the sides and top of the cake with the ganache. Use the palette knife to smoothen the icing.
10. The ganache should be of spreading consistency and can be used straight away. Using a large palette knife, coat the sides and top of the cake with the ganache. Use the palette knife to smoothen the icing.
11. To create the speckled egg appearance, mix 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder with 1 teaspoon of boiled water. Flick the mixture onto the cake using a food-safe paintbrush. This is a messy job - cover your surfaces and try to do this in an open space.
12. To make the nest, melt the Caramac (broken into pieces) in the microwave (stop to stir every 30 seconds). Break a line of Shredded Wheat into the bowl and mix until the wheat is covered with chocolate. Assemble the nest on the top of the cake, and decorate with a chocolate chick and chocolate eggs.
12. To make the nest, melt the Caramac (broken into pieces) in the microwave (stop to stir every 30 seconds). Break a line of Shredded Wheat into the bowl and mix until the wheat is covered with chocolate. Assemble the nest on the top of the cake, and decorate with a chocolate chick and chocolate eggs.
13. Store the cake in the fridge and remove it 20 minutes before you wish to serve it.