Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Easter Egg Cake Be the first to rate & review! A visual stunner, you won't need much in the way of additional decorations with this cake sitting on your table. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 20, 2022 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins Servings: 12 A celebration isn't complete without a beautiful layer cake on the dessert table. As much as we love any cake, we love tall layer cakes even more. Whether you need a luscious chocolate cake to celebrate a birthday or an eye-catching Homemade White Cake as the capstone to your Christmas feast, there is a layer cake for every occasion. When it is time to bake a layer cake for the Easter celebration many Southern bakers turn to two iconic favorites: either a carrot cake or a coconut cake. This year step out of your routine and try this beautifully colored Easter Egg Cake. Truly a visual stunner, you won't need much in the way of additional decorations with this cake sitting on your table. Your prep time is reduced with the use of a convenient box mix (our Test Kitchen prefers Ghiradelli). The cream cheese frosting is colored with two shades of food coloring gel to create this beautiful shade of blue. Ingredients Cooking spray 4 large eggs 1 1/3 cups water 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 (12.75-oz.) pkg. double chocolate cake mix (such as Ghirardelli) 2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened 8 cups (about 32 oz.) powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 drops sky blue food coloring gel 2 drops royal blue food coloring gel 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted Candied egg-shaped malted milk balls (such as Whoppers Robin Eggs) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds, and lightly grease parchment paper with cooking spray; set aside. Beat together eggs, water, and vegetable oil with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add cake mix to egg mixture, and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide cake batter evenly among 3 prepared cake pans, and bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Decrease speed to medium-low, and gradually add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until sugar is completely incorporated after each addition, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and food coloring, and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand, and spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top of cake using a spatula. Repeat procedure with second cake layer and 1 cup frosting. Place remaining cake layer on top and spread 1 cup frosting evenly over surface. Spread 2 cups frosting evenly around sides of assembled cake, and smooth with a spatula. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes. Remove cake from refrigerator, and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake until top and sides are completely smooth. Arrange 1/4 cup shredded coconut in a circle in center of cake to resemble a nest. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup shredded coconut around base of cake. Arrange candied egg-shaped malted milk balls in coconut nest on top of cake. Rate It Print