How to Decorate an Easter Cake

Learn three fun ways to decorate an Easter cake.



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Easter Baking Ideas

Easter baking is some of the most delightful baking of the year. With the Easter message of reflection and renewal, after the sombre days of the feast have passed a joyful celebration with merry colours and appropriate dishes confirms that life can begin again. Baking itself is more of a pleasure as well at this time of year as kitchens are becoming cooler after the summer's heat.
Leading up to the celebration day, a traditional Easter baked good served for Good Friday breakfasts, and one with a very long history, is the hot, crossed bun. In London in 1592, the Clerk of the Markets decreed that bakers were allowed to sell such spiced breads only at burials, the Friday before Easter, or at Christmas.
Hot Crossed Easter Buns
These round, soft, yeast buns are flavoured usually with cinnamon or mixed spices, and have sultanas kneaded into the dough before baking. There are many variations to the recipes with some adding currants, citrus peel, and other dried fruits, such as apricots, as well.
As the name suggests, the top of the bun has a simple decoration of a cross. Sometimes the cross was incised with a knife before baking; often it was made by adding strips of pastry. In modern times, it is likely that the cross shape is piped on with icing after the buns have cooled slightly.
If baking Easter buns is a bit out of scope for you, then another great Easter baking idea is biscuits, also a wonderful tradition.
Easter Egg Biscuits
Easter biscuits can be quite elaborate, if the fancy strikes you. For something simple, an easy idea for including children in the preparations is to start with a plain arrowroot biscuit.
Give each child a blunt butter knife and dishes with different coloured icing, as well as a bowl containing lollies, jelly beans, shredded coconut or sprinkles. They can use the lollies and sprinkles to decorate the biscuits they have spread with the icing mixture so it looks like an Easter egg.
Icing can also be spooned into a small snap-lock bag. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag and the children can use it to pipe stripes and other designs onto their biscuits.
Home-baking your Easter biscuits will add more options to your decorating as you can cut the homemade, rolled dough into the shape of bunnies, chicks and crosses.
Baking an Easter Cake
A little bit outside of the box for Easter baking, but always a favourite, is an Easter carrot cake. Carrot cakes can be very rich and a small slice will make a full serving. The recipe below is an adaption of this favourite in a loaf form that makes the dessert easier to transport or to give as a gift.
Easter Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake

Making an Easter Bunny Cake

For many years, chocolate has had the poor reputation of being "bad for you." But researchers have now discovered that chocolate contains as many if not more antioxidants than tea.

To make this double-chocolate Easter bunny cake (chocolate cake and chocolate frosting), use your round layer-cake pan.
In addition to the cake and frosting, you will need:

* jelly beans

* coconut

* malted milk eggs (the large ones that come in a variety of colors)

* 2 wafer cookies (for the ears)

Cake

* 1 1/2 cups flour

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/3 cup cocoa

* 3/4 cup milk

* 1/2 cup cooking oil

* 1 egg

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Use an electric mixer and blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased and floured round layer-cake pan. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly before removing it from the pan.

Frosting

* 3 cups powdered sugar

* 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa

* 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or margarine, if you prefer)

* 1/4 cup milk

Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. If frosting seems too stiff, add milk by the teaspoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. If the frosting seems too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.

How to Make Your Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake

Remove the cake from the round cake pan. Cut in half. Frost the flat side of one half and put the two pieces together. Place on a platter or a large plate, cut side down.

Frost the cake with chocolate frosting.

Place two jelly beans for the eyes and one jelly bean for the nose. Use a large malted milk egg for the tail.

With a sharp knife, cut a hole on each side of the head where you want to place the ears. To make the ears, use the sharp knife to trim a wafer cookie into the shape of bunny ears. Frost the ears. Put a little frosting into the holes to anchor the ears.

Sprinkle coconut around the Easter bunny cake. Decorate with jelly beans and malted milk eggs.

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My Easter bunny cake

I channeled our food page this weekend and made a perfectly good bunny cake, sans coconut. Video: Tara Cuslidge



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Easter Fun

The holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends. There is no better way to bond with those you love than with food. These easy recipes will having you laughing and bonding with your children, family or friends in a hurry. The Oreo "Mud Cake" tastes incredible, and the presentation is precious and fun. The Easter Egg Nests, also fun to create and beautiful to behold, have taken over my penchant for Rice Krispies Treats. The sweetness, and just plain ooey gooeyness of these two items will have everybody in a good mood: not to mention, leave your fingers, beaters, and whatever else you get messy, finger licking good! Kids go crazy over how fun and cool both of these Easter Treats are to make and eat. So go ahead, this Easter Weekend, gather your family in the kitchen and have fun. These Easter Treats will leave all of your guests speechless and may even a little envious! : )



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