Easter Baking: Lemon Cake With Fudgy Bunny Centre
How amazing is this Easter cake! Each slice reveals a cute bunny – the kids will love this. The recipe comes from Lindt Maitre Chocolatier Thomas Schnetzler and we think it’s the perfect Easter project!
“This is a rather simple cake that is turned into a stunning Easter treat that is combining two cakes in one. Imagine the delight when each time you
cut a slice, a cute bunny is revealed. Well worth the effort of creating the fudgy bunny centre. Of course you can have the fudge in any shape or just
the delicious lemon cake on its own but at Easter I like a special treat, I am sure you agree.”
Preparation time 30 minutes plus freezing and baking
Ingredients
Chocolate Fudge Centre
115g Butter, unsalted at room temperature
150g Dark brown sugar
3 Eggs
1tbsp Cocoa powder
110g Plain flour
250g Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, melted and cooled
40g Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, finely chopped
Lemon Cake
180g Butter, unsalted
180g Caster sugar
2 Lemons, zest only
Pinch Salt
4 Eggs
180g Plain flour (plus 1 tbsp for dusting the cake tin
1 1/2tsp Baking Powder
80g Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, chopped
Syrup
80ml Lemon juice
80g Icing sugar
Lindt Ganache (recipe here)
Method
1. For the Chocolate Bunny Centre, preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. Combine the butter and dark brown sugar and mix until pale. Add eggs one at the time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Sift together the flour and cocoa and gently mix into the butter mixture. Then add the melted chocolate.
4. Scrape down the sides and stir in the finely chopped chocolate.
5. Spread the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a dry skin forms but the centre remains soft. Set aside to cool slightly and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
7. Using an Easter themed cookie cutter of your choice (eg a bunny), cut out shapes and place them on top of each other, forming a Easter themed log.
8. Place in the freezer until lemon cake is ready.
Note: Don’t throw away off-cuts as they are perfect for making truffles (recipe here).
To make the lemon cake:
1. Cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt until light and pale.
2. Add eggs one at the time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and mix into the butter mixture.
4. Last, mix the chocolate chunks with little flour which prevents them from sinking and then mix through the cake batter.
To assemble the cake:
1. Grease a 19 cm cake tin and place the chocolate fudge log standing up in the center of the cake tin.
2. Gently place lemon cake batter around the fudge cake being careful not to move the chocolate centre.
3. Bake at 180°C for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Mix together the lemon juice and the icing sugar to create a syrup. Using a skewer pierce some holes and brush the hot cake with the lemon syrup.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Top with some chocolate ganache and a little lemon zest.
Chocolate? Hot cross buns? What’s your favourite Easter treat?