Fabulous Easter Bakes

Besides the eggs, celebrate with these delicious traditional homemade goodies

Apr 2016

Besides the eggs, celebrate with these delicious traditional homemade goodies

TIP: It’s important to beat the butter until very pale for light end results.

Speckled Egg-Cake

Prep 30 mins (plus chilling) / Cook 45 mins / Serves 12

250 g butter, softened

1½ cups caster sugar

2 tsps vanilla extract, plus 1½ tbsps extra

4 eggs

4 cups self-raising flour

1²/³ cups milk

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Speckled eggs, to serve

1 tbsp coconut rum (optional)

300 ml tub thickened cream, whipped

ICING

250 g unsalted butter, softened

3 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp milk

1-2 drops blue food colouring

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Lightly grease and line 2 deep 20-cm round cake pans.

2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in flour alternately with milk.

3. Divide mixture evenly between pans, leveling top. Bake 30-35 mins until cooked when tested. Cool in pan 5 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Cut both cakes in half horizontally. Place a base half on a serving platter. Sprinkle with rum and spread with one-third cream. Repeat, finishing with a cake layer.

5. ICING In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, half the icing sugar and milk together until creamy. Gradually add remaining icing sugar, beating 2-3 mins. Beat in colour.

6. Using a palette knife, coat the entire cake with a thin layer of icing until smooth. Chill 15 mins. Spread over a thicker layer.

7. In a small bowl, mix extra vanilla and cocoa together. Using a small brush, flick the mixture onto the cake to create speckles. Top with speckled eggs.

TIP: Assemble these when ready to serve as the fairy floss does not last long.

Chocolate Moments

Prep 15 mins / Cook 2 hrs / Makes 24
6 egg-whites
1½ cups caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white vinegar
100 g dark chocolate, melted
1 cup Persian fairy floss

1. Preheat oven to slow, 150 C. Line 2 oven trays.
2. In a bowl, beat egg-whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating for about 10 mins until sugar completely dissolved.
3. Beat in combined sifted cocoa, cream of tartar and cornflour with vinegar.
4. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 48 2-cm rosettes onto trays.
5. Bake 10 mins. Reduce oven to very slow, 120 C. Bake a further 1 hr. Leave to cool in turned-off oven with door ajar.
6. Working with 2 meringues at a time, spread a little chocolate onto each flat side. Sandwich with a little fairy floss. Serve straight away.

Easter Egg Bars

Prep 10 mins / Cook 35 mins / Serves 12
185 g butter, softened
1¼ cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2¼ cups self-raising flour, sifted
2 cups dark or milk choc chips
¼ cup milk
Crème eggs, to serve

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Grease and line an 18 x 28 cm slice pan.
2. In a bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Lightly fold in flour, choc chips and milk until combined. Spoon into pan, spreading evenly.
4. Bake 30-35 mins until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars and serve with crème eggs for dipping

Click here to subscribe to The Singapore Women's Weekly!