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Vegan Easter Egg Cake with Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache Drip Recipe

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3.9 from 84 reviews

  • Author: Emma
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 15 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Vegan Easter Egg Cake is a rich, moist chocolate cake layered with creamy vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream and finished with a luscious coconut milk chocolate ganache drip. Topped with a vegan Easter egg filled with mini vegan eggs, this festive cake is perfect for celebrating Easter with family and friends while accommodating a plant-based diet.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

  • 280 g plain flour
  • 250 g soft brown sugar
  • 80 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or unsweetened dark cocoa powder)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 236 ml soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 100 ml sunflower oil (or light olive oil or rapeseed oil)
  • 200 ml hot strong coffee

Buttercream

  • 1 batch vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream

Ganache Drip

  • 100 g chilled full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 50 g vegan dark chocolate

Decoration

  • 1 medium or large vegan Easter egg of choice
  • 75 g vegan mini eggs

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line the base of three 6″ cake tins with parchment paper and spray the sides with oil spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, soft brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined.
  3. Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a jug, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar, stir, and set aside to curdle for 10 minutes, forming a vegan buttermilk substitute.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the vegan buttermilk, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, and hot coffee to the dry ingredients. Whisk carefully to combine without overmixing to retain cake lightness.
  5. Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in tins for 15-20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cooled, refrigerate in an airtight container for a few hours or overnight to firm up for easier decorating.
  6. Prepare Buttercream: While cakes cool, make the vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream according to the recipe, setting aside half for crumb coating and half for layering.
  7. Make Ganache Drip: Chop the vegan dark chocolate and place it in a heat-resistant bowl. Heat the canned coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat until gently simmering. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and let sit uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Stir gently with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool to room temperature for 20-30 minutes to thicken slightly.
  8. Trim Cake Layers: Using a serrated knife, carefully level the domes off the tops of the cakes to create even layers for stacking.
  9. Assemble the Cake: Place a small amount of frosting on a cake turntable or serving plate and position the first cake layer on top to secure it in place. Spread a layer of buttercream on the first sponge using an offset spatula. Add the next cake layer and repeat with buttercream. Top with the final cake layer.
  10. Crumb Coat & Final Frosting: Use the reserved buttercream to coat the outside and top of the cake, smoothing with a cake scraper for a clean finish.
  11. Apply Ganache Drip: Pour the room temperature ganache over the top of the cake. Use a spatula to gently encourage the ganache to drip down the sides for a decorative effect.
  12. Decorate: Break or cut the vegan Easter egg into 3-4 pieces. Arrange these pieces on top of the cake and fill the hollowed parts with the vegan mini eggs for a festive look.
  13. Storage: Keep the cake at room temperature on the day of serving. For later use, store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep well for 4-5 days.

Notes

  • Use strong hot coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake without adding bitterness.
  • Chilling the cake layers before decorating makes them easier to handle and helps prevent the frosting from melting.
  • The vegan Italian meringue buttercream provides a silky smooth texture with a strawberry flavor that pairs beautifully with chocolate.
  • Full-fat canned coconut milk adds richness to the ganache and helps it set to a perfect drip consistency.
  • The vegan mini eggs and Easter egg decorations can be substituted with other vegan candies as preferred.
  • This cake can be made ahead of time and stored refrigerated for up to five days for convenience.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Western

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Find it online: https://therecipeshome.com/vegan-easter-egg-cake-with-strawberry-italian-meringue-buttercream-and-chocolate-ganache-drip-recipe/