Easter Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free) – decadently show-stopping
A rich and decadent gluten free Easter Chocolate Cake. Sandwiched with vanilla butter icing, this chocoholics Easter cake is decorated with dark chocolate ganache, chocolate cigarillos and mini eggs.
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Easter Chocolate Cake : A decadently show-stopping gluten free chocolate cake
The Golden Egg Easter Chocolate Cake. Yes. It is gluten free. Pick your jaw off the floor… Because this cake is not only a decadent show-stopper, but is also within the skills of the average baker.
But before you rush for the baking tins, beware. This cake is for serious chocolate lovers. Moist, light, gluten free chocolate cake, layered with rich, creamy, vanilla-infused butter icing. It is also slathered from top to bottom in smooth dark, sumptuous ganache and surrounded by crisp, wafery dark chocolate cigarillos. Its crowning glory? The decoration of pretty Easter mini eggs… Mine were golden, but any are good! This cake is dazzling in every sense.
A perfect Easter cake for a coincidental birthday…
Easter is a time for friends and family and for sharing food as well as time. Chocolate and cake seem to be synonymous with the celebrations and I for one, love to pull out the stops when we have staying guests. Throw an Easter birthday into the mix and my cake excitement goes way off the scale.
I could, of course make a traditional Easter Simnel cake. But when it comes to birthdays, chocolate is my emblem of celebration. There was no fruit cake at my wedding! No. Just a towering Sachertorte, covered in chocolate ganache.
So when it comes to celebrations at GFHQ, especially at Easter, gluten free chocolate cake is pretty much guaranteed to be on the table. This Golden Egg Chocolate Fudge Cake was my pièce de résistance.
How we spent Easter
It was a fantastically chilled Easter. We had family staying and a new extension, deck and patio to enjoy in the beautiful sunshine. There was (of course) plenty of delicious food and free-flowing bubbly going on. As every year dictates, there was mooching in the lovely Whitstable shops, drinks on the beach at the local Neptune pub (affectionately known as the ‘Neppy’) and a slow stroll through the harbour… An impromptu egg hunt and the kids (and adults) making the most of the trampoline at the bottom of the garden sealed the fun. Life doesn’t get better.
My Easter Chocolate Fudge Cake was the perfect treat and given that one of our guests had a birthday the day before arrival, it also rose to the occasion as a sensational birthday cake.
Gluten free chocolate sponge for a Golden Egg Easter Cake
The chocolate sponge used in this Easter Chocolate Cake is my ‘go to’ Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe. First developed in our early gluten free days, it is not over-sweet, uses almonds for extra structure and moistness (giving it a fantastic ‘improve over time’ shelf-life) and has yet to fail me.
It has adorned many birthday and celebratory tables in various decorative guises over the years. Among its incarnations have been an early ‘Kiss Cake‘, a special sponge with butter-icing roses, and Miss GF’s 8th birthday ‘Rosy Swirl’ cake. It has even been turned into an incredible 70th Birthday Cake.
The recipe also makes the most amazing cupcakes. These beautiful gluten free Easter Cupcakes were from my first year of blogging, with a variety of Italian Butter Creams and icings. But I always try to make extra cake batter, to squeeze a few ‘ready to go’ cupcakes in the freezer (they freeze brilliantly) or a Nutella trifle.
What special ingredients do you need to make Easter Chocolate Cake?
Chocolate Cigarillos
Followers of Gluten Free Alchemist may have noticed that this Golden Egg Cake is the second cake in a matter of weeks that has appeared dressed to kill… in cigarillos. Having bought a stash with this cake in mind, Miss GF snaffled a load when I wasn’t looking for her own baking. I am absolutely not complaining. She did them (and me) proud, making a Fudgy Chocolate-Berry Cake for my birthday… But then (of course) I had to buy more.
The first batch of cigarillos was bought online from the Chocolate Trading Company (can also be sourced from Amazon). I was massively impressed with both the quality and the packaging (which kept them secure from breakage during transit) and would absolutely recommend them over other brands. I speak from experience. Sadly, the additional cigarillos were bought from a different company (The Craft Company). Stupidly, I fell for the line ‘you won’t find them cheaper anywhere else’, only to discover about a third of the sticks were broken.
This left just enough (with only one to spare) to surround the cake. There was no time before making the cake to complain and I’m not sure I can be bothered now. But I won’t be buying cheap cigarillos again!
Mini Easter Eggs
My Easter Chocolate Cake was adorned with mini golden Easter eggs. Creamy, crunchy gold-dusted eggs, that were divine. Unfortunately, in 2020, these little golden treats morphed into rose gold ‘enchanted eggs’, which also, subsequently, disappeared from the shelves. Life moves on! The cake is still phenomenal… Just decorate in whatever alternative mini eggs or treats make you smile!
How to make gluten free Easter Chocolate Cake…
Chocolate Cake
Simply make the two 8 inch (20 cm) layers of sponge using my Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe and cool completely. This recipe uses Gluten Free Alchemist flour blend A, but should work with other white flour blends.
Then follow the instructions below…
Easter Chocolate Cake
Key equipment
- cake board/preparation board
- cake spreader
Ingredients
Vanilla Butter Icing
- 170 g butter (or dairy free alternative) softened
- 340 g icing sugar (confectioners sugar) sifted
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk (approx) as needed to loosen
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 225 g good quality dark chocolate (chopped)
- 160 g double cream
Decoration
- 100 10cm dark chocolate cigarillos approx 90 to 100
- 2 to 3 bags Easter mini-style eggs
- 1 dark chocolate mini egg
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate curls/grated chocolate
- edible gold glitter (optional)
- ribbon of choice
Instructions
Butter Icing
- Beat the butter with an electric whisk or wooden/silicone spoon until pale and light.
- Gradually add the sifted icing sugar a spoon at a time and the vanilla extract, beating thoroughly to blend.
- Dependent on the consistency of the butter icing, you may need to add a little milk to loosen. Judge by feel and sight. You want the consistency to be soft and spreadable, but firm enough to hold the weight of the second layer cake.
Filling and Crumb-Coat
- If necessary, level the top of each cake using a sharp knife, so that it is flat.
- Place one sponge (internal side up) on a flat, clean cake or preparation board and spread a thick layer of icing evenly and smoothly across the top
- Sandwich together with the second sponge.
- Fill any gaps in the icing layer at the sides of the cake and smooth with a palette knife.
- Crumb-coat the sides of the cake : Carefully spread a thin layer of butter icing around the whole side wall of the cake using a palette knife. Use a cake spreader (taller than the cake) and hold at an angle against the side of the cake. Hold firm and slowly turn the cake to scrape off and smooth the icing to a very thin layer (known as a crumb-coat).
- Carefully remove any excess butter icing from the top edge of the cake so that it is even and place in the fridge for about 45 minutes to firm up.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof glass bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just at simmer point.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for about 30 seconds, before stirring until the chocolate has melted and blended with the cream and the ganache is smooth.
- Allow to gradually cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally until the ganache has thickened to a spreading consistency.
- Spread the sides and top of the cake with a layer of ganache using a palette knife.
- Smooth all sides with a cake spreader, paying particular attention to ensuring the top of the cake is smooth (although the sides will be covered with Cigarillos, it still needs to be even).
Move the cake to a presentation plate/board
- Immediately after adding the ganache, use a couple of flat spatulas to carefully lift the cake onto a serving plate or stand.
Cigarillos
- Immediately stick the cigarillos vertically to the sides of the cake (whilst the ganache is still soft and sticky), working quickly but carefully until you have a cigarillo ‘wall’ around the entire cake.
- Carefully tie the ribbon round the sides of the cake to secure.
Mini eggs & final decoration
- Arrange the mini eggs around the inside of the cigarillo wall and in the centre of the cake, with the dark chocolate egg in the middle.
- Sprinkle the surface of the cake with chocolate curls, grated chocolate and edible glitter, ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Your creations are simply stunning. You are very skilled. I love this cake!
Thanks Alida. xx
So pretty! I love the color and this cake looks stunning !
Thanks you Claire. That's so kind of you x
I used my trusty chocolate cake recipe to make an Easter nest cake this year. Everyone needs a good a chocolate cake recipe to rely on. This looks absolutely stunning and divine.
Absolutely Ness. a 'go to' is essential. Thanks for your kind comments x
Wow Kate! It's absolutely stunning! And I just love cakes which improve over time. I too have used the Chocolate Trading Company, though probably about a yr ago now for some chocolate transfers, and i have to agree that they items came so well packaged and arrived saf and sound. It's always such a shame when products arrive broken and spoilt isn't it. Definitely Pinning,
Angela x
Thanks Angela. I was a bit peed off with all the broken sticks, but Miss GF seems to have started to find some great uses for them! x
what a totally choctastic cake – I would love to be served this at easter or anytime to be honest with you. You would never know this is a GF cake – the cake looks so moist and delicious! Thank you for linking up to #Bakeoftheweek x
Aww thanks Jenny. It was very very good! And (in my very humble, probably can't remember what a wheat-based cake tastes like) absolutely as good as a wheat cake. xx
My goodness what an amazing cake! Although, as we've had two birthdays in our family in the last week I am trying to hold off eating any more cake right now! I'll have to have a look at what the Chocolate Trading Company as next time I do need to make an impressive cake, although it might not be until our next family birthday in the middle of summer. Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEattwice x
Thanks Corina. Birthdays can be a bit of a diet-killer (as was Easter!).
Can definitely recommend the Chocolate Trading Company xx
Well that is certainly a stunning cake. Who could tell its gluten free the texture looks fabulous. I shall be recommending this to my sister who was recently diagnosed Coeliac.I nearly always buy my chocolate for baking from the Chocolate trading company and a gree its a very good and reliable company.Thank you for popping over to Recipes Made easy to share on #CookBlogShare
Thanks Jacqueline. I pride myself on making GF bakes that are as good if not better than wheat-bakes. This is one of my favourite sponges, regardless of how it is decorated, so I hope your sister enjoys it too! If she needs any help getting her head around the world of living gluten free, I am happy to help!
I love this sponge, so versatile. Being on a diet, I made and froze most of, a simnel/bara brith gf hybrid cake.
Me too DC….. We seem to have endless leftover cake in the freezer which regularly makes it into trifle! This one was way too good though….. fortunately we had friends to share it with. x
Glad your Easter gave you some nice relaxing time. This cake looks magnificent – I think part of the fun of easter is using up easter eggs after – in fact Sylvia was very disappointed there weren't any easter eggs in the supermarket on sale the day after Easter Sunday because she had visions of baking – I noticed more chocolate cigarillos on this cake – they are very stylish
Thanks Johanna. I hope you did too!
Anything that involves chocolate is a hit in our house! The chocolate Cigarillos were so easy to use and for a special cake, worth the cost! x