I love how Easter tends to bring out the fun in our baking. The more colour the better and this Easter Inspired Bundt Cake packs a colourful punch on both the outside and the inside. 

The decorations are simply tinted chocolate ganache drizzled over the surface then topped with crispy crushed chocolate Easter eggs and some extra sprinkles and bees to top if off. 

Inside though...the colour continues with wonderous swirls of pink, chocolate and vanilla cake. It's a feast for the eyes. 

A sprinkling of little edible flowers on top would also do nicely if you're not making this for Easter and if you don't have a bundt tin then you can absolutely bake this in an 20cm round cake tin. Just be sure to check the adjusted baking time in the recipe as it will take a little longer to bake. 

💡If you decide to bake this in a bundt tin like I have, then make sure you check out how to make your own cake release so you avoid the cake sticking to the pan. 

Easter Inspired Marble Bundt Cake

Makes 1 x 25cm bundt cake or 1 x 20cm round cake

Ingredients

• 125g buttermilk, room temperature (or 125g full cream milk with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar stirred through)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 140g Greek full fat plain yoghurt, room temperature
• 300g plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (bi-carb)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 260g caster sugar
• 185g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs (150g cracked weight), room temperature and lightly beaten
• ¾ teaspoon pink food colouring
• 2 tablespoons (10g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons (40g) milk, extra
• cake release

 Decoration

• 250g white chocolate
• 80g cream 35% fat (I used thickened, whipping cream)
• A few drops pink gel paste or liquid food colouring
• Candy easter eggs, edible flowers and sprinkles

 Equipment

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric beater
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium bowl
• Medium jug or bowl
• Digital scales
• Measuring spoons
• Spatula
• 2 small bowls
• 25cm wide (10") Bundt tin, or 20cm (8”) round cake tin
• Baking paper if not using a bundt tin

Method

1. Position a baking shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 170°C / 150°C fan forced. 

2. Prepare a bundt tin with cake release, or grease and line an 8” round cake tin with baking paper and set aside. 

5. Combine the buttermilk, vanilla and yoghurt in a large jug or bowl and set aside. 

6. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (bi-carb) and salt, then set aside.
7. Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater until light and creamy (approx. 3-5 minutes). 

8. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another minute, until smooth. 

9. Add a third of the flour and half of the combined liquid ingredients and beat on low until just combined. 

10. Add another third of the flour and the remainder of the liquid ingredients and beat until just combined. 

11. Add the final portion of the flour and beat on low until just combined. Don’t overbeat the mixture or you will overwork the gluten and the cake will be tough. 

12. Divide mixture into 3 bowls. 

13. Tint one pink, folding gently until the colour is even.

14. Sift the cocoa powder over the second bowl and add the milk. Fold through gently until the colour is evenly combined. Do not overmix. 

15. Leave the remaining bowl plain. 

16. Drop alternate spoonsful of mixture into the prepared cake tin (an ice-cream scoop can help with this). 

17. Tap the cake tin on the bench a few times to help the batter settle then using a skewer swirl the mixture briefly to create the marble pattern within the cake. Be careful not to go overboard with the skewer or the cake won’t have definite separation of colours inside. 

18. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If using a round cake tin it may take 40 – 50 minutes to bake. 

19. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

💡If the cake doesn’t release from the bundt pan then try the following

• Leave it to sit for 5 – 10 minutes upside down and it should release on its own.
• If it still won’t release, soak a tea towel in hot water and wring out the excess. With the cake tin facing upwards, lay the tea towel over the opening and hug it to the outside of the tin. Leave for 10 minutes and the cake should release.

This cake improves in flavour and texture when left to settle overnight. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or place into a sealed container and leave overnight at room temperature.

Keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature in a sealed container or frozen for up to 3 months.

Always serve cake at room temperature.

💡If decorating, place the cake in the fridge half an hour before decorating to chill slightly. This will help the ganache to set quickly so it doesn’t continue to drip down to the bottom of the cake.

 Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate into a medium heat proof bowl.
2. Place the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Immediately pour over the chopped chocolate and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
4. Stir the mixture until the ganache is smooth. If the chocolate hasn’t entirely melted then zap it in the microwave for 5 seconds and stir. Don’t let the ganache cool down before continuing on with the next step.
5. Divide the ganache evenly into 2 small bowls.
6. Leave one bowl uncoloured then tint the other bowls with a few drops of pink gel paste and stir until the colour is even.
7. Leave the ganache to sit at room temperature, until it’s a pipeable consistency. To test stir with a spoon and if the ganache is the texture of softened butter, it’s ready.

 Decorating

💡Make sure you have all your decorations ready to apply to the cake before you start. 

1. Place the cake on a cooling rack.
2. Make sure the ganache is a pipeable consistency
3. Place the ganache into individual piping bags (no piping tips needed) then snip a couple of millimetres off the ends.
4. Starting with the uncoloured ganache pipe lines from one side to the other quickly going around the entire top of the cake. Continue this with the pink and then the white again.
5. Whilst the ganache is still soft, decorate with easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, flowers and sprinkles, if desired.
6. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, if you have any questions at all just let me know at [email protected]

Happy Baking!

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