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    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    06/03/2020 by thebakingexplorer 28 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Loaf cakes are one of my favourite bakes as they are so easy to put together and relatively hassle free. For Easter, I've created this Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake. It's a chocolate sponge and I've decorated it with a pastel coloured vanilla buttercream to match the colours of the Mini Eggs on top. The pretty pastel colours of Mini Eggs are so iconic, and they just scream spring time! I've used light brown sugar to make the chocolate cake extra rich and tasty, plus I added a little bit of coffee to increase the chocolatey richness. Don't worry, it doesn't add a coffee flavour, it just enhances the chocolate. Of course you don't have to add it if you don't want to! The method of piping the pastel colours together is easy to do too, scroll down to see the step by step photos and explanation.

    This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • For the best flavour, make sure to use a good quality vanilla extract and not an essence.
    • You can use caster sugar instead of light brown soft sugar if you can't get hold of it.
    • I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
    • The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour - it will not make the loaf taste of coffee. If you want to leave it out, replace the coffee and the boiling water with 1 tbsp milk instead.
    • You will need to use a professional grade food colouring to get the same colour strength that you can see in my photos. Brands I recommend are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Colour Mill and Americolor are also good quality brands.
    • You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
    • For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around Ā£12 ($16.50).
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    To make the sponge, mix together light brown sugar and butter, then whisk in eggs and coffee. Next add self raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, and mix in gently.

    Pour the batter into a loaf tin and bake it for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

    Make the buttercream by mixing icing sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract and milk together. Split it into three bowls and colour one with pink food colouring, another with purple and the third with yellow. Only use enough food colouring to get light pastel shades.

    Spread the three different coloured buttercreams out onto some cling film. Then wrap the cling film up to create a sausage shape, snip off one end with scissors and then feed the buttercream "sausage" into a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Watch the recipe video if you're not sure how to do this. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cake and add the Mini Eggs to decorate.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Click on the image to order your copy!
    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    How should this cake be stored and can it be frozen?

    The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponge either alone, or decorated. Once the sponge is fully cool, wrap well with cling film or put it in an airtight container. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

    What is the best food colouring to use for the buttercream?

    I recommend using a professional grade gel food colouring for the best results. You can buy these easily from many online shops, including Amazon. I used the brands Sugarflair and Pro Gel regularly, other good quality brands include Americolour and Sugarflair.

    What size tin do you need for this recipe?

    You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100mls of water).

    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Can you make this loaf cake with plain/all purpose flour?

    Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

    Can this loaf cake be made gluten or dairy free?

    Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum to the cake for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake and the buttercream, and a dairy free milk for the buttercream. You will also need to use dairy free mini eggs, such as Mummy Meegz Chuckie Eggs or Doisy & Dam Good Eggs. . Please check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this recipe to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

    More tips for making the Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake:

    • You can spread the buttercream onto the loaf cake with a spoon if you don't want to pipe it, just add blobs of each colour alternately then gently swirl together.
    • You can decorate the cake with other Easter treats if you prefer!
    • If you don't want to decorate the cake with buttercream, I recommend drizzling some melted chocolate all over it!
    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Troubleshooting

    My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients

    • Loaf cake tin
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cooling rack
    • Kitchen scales
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Loaf cake tin liners
    • Piping bags
    • Loaf cake storage box
    • Jem 1E Piping nozzle
    • Wilton 1M Piping nozzle
    • Mini Eggs
    • Cake tester
    • Pink food colouring
    • Yellow food colouring
    • Purple food colouring

    I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

    More Mini Egg recipes...

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      Easter Speckled Egg Drip Cake
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    • Mini Egg Ice Cream
      Mini Egg Ice Cream (No Churn)
    • Chocolate Baked Donut Easter Nests
    • Mini Egg Cookies
      Mini Egg Cookies
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      Easter Egg Cheesecake
    • Easter Rocky Road
      Easter Rocky Road
    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Mini Egg Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Rich chocolate sponge with pastel coloured vanilla buttercream and Mini Eggs
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: Cake
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    For the sponge

    • 200 g Butter or baking spread
    • 200 g Light brown sugar (caster sugar will be ok if you prefer)
    • 4 Eggs large
    • 1 tsp Instant coffee granules (see notes)
    • 1 tbsp Boiling water
    • 175 g Self raising flour
    • 25 g Cocoa powder
    • ā…› tsp Baking powder

    For the buttercream

    • 150 g Butter
    • 300 g Icing sugar
    • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 1-2 tbsp Milk
    • Pink food colouring I use Pro Gel
    • Purple food colouring I use Pro Gel
    • Yellow food colouring I use Pro Gel

    For decoration

    • 100 g Mini Eggs
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat the oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
    • Dissolve the coffee granules into the boiling water and set aside
    • Mix together the butter and light brown sugar using an electric mixer or a spoon until light and fluffy
    • Add the coffee and eggs and whisk in until smooth
    • Whisk in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder until fully combined
    • Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for an hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool fully
    • To make the buttercream, use an electric mixer or a spoon to mix together the butter and icing sugar until they start to combine, then add the vanilla extract and milk, and mix until smooth. You may need more milk or you may not need it all, so add it slowly
    • Divide the buttercream between three bowls. Colour one with pink food colouring, one with purple food colouring and one with yellow food colouring
    • Spread the buttercream out onto some cling film, spread each colour out in a line directly next to the following colour
    • Wrap the cling film tightly around the buttercream, creating a sausage shape
    • Snip one end of the cling film to expose the buttercream and feed the cling film sausage into a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle, the snipped end first
    • Pipe the buttercream onto the loaf cake, or you can spread it one with a spoon adding blobs of each colour alternately
    • Decorate with the Mini Eggs
    • Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Video

    Notes

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • For the best flavour, make sure to use a good quality vanilla extract and not an essence.
    • I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
    • The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour - it will not make the loaf taste of coffee. If you want to leave it out, replace the coffee and the boiling water with 1 tbsp milk instead.
    • You will need to use a professional grade food colouring to get the same colour strength that you can see in my photos. Brands I recommend are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Colour Mill and Americolor are also good quality brands.
    • You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
    • For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around Ā£12 ($16.50).
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
    Ā 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

    NB. This post is NOT sponsored in any way by Mini Eggs - I just love their product!

    If you like this, check out more of my Loaf Cake recipes!

    Or you might like more of my Easter recipes!

    « The Ultimate Drip Cake How To Guide
    Easter Speckled Egg Drip Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist

      March 06, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      So pretty Kat. Mini eggs are so perfectly 'Easter'! x

      Reply
    2. Rosemary

      March 06, 2020 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is so pretty. I love the pastel coloured icing which matches the mini-eggs - and you can't go wrong with a chocolate loaf cake!

      Reply
    3. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      March 06, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      Love the look of this cake! The colours of the buttercream are absolutely perfect. Mini eggs are my favourite Easter treat.

      Reply
    4. Karen

      March 07, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      What a delicious and very seasonal bake - so spring like! Love it ? Karen

      Reply
    5. Jenny Walters

      March 08, 2020 at 2:04 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful and brilliant recipe! I just love the pastel colours. A really fun bake just perfect to get the kids involved with. Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare

      Reply
    6. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

      March 08, 2020 at 6:54 pm

      This is really pretty - Pinned! I love the colors - and I'd love it if you shared it at our What's for Dinner party!

      https://lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-243/

      Reply
    7. Chloe Edges

      March 08, 2020 at 10:39 pm

      5 stars
      Everytime I think you've reached peak bake, you manage to top it! This is stunning!

      Reply
    8. Michelle Rolfe

      March 09, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      I love mini eggs and usually eat far too many at this time of year! Looks delicious and love the matching buttercream to the eggs! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle

      Reply
    9. Donna

      March 09, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      It's so beautiful! I've not even thought of Easter baking yet, so maybe it's time to start.

      Reply
    10. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

      March 10, 2020 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      Gorgeous! LOVE the multi-coloured buttercream. Eb x

      Reply
    11. Veronica

      March 10, 2020 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      Mini eggs are my absolute favourite! What a lovely idea to put them on top of a cake. It looks so pretty too!

      Reply
    12. Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook

      March 11, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      The cake looks so beautiful and the color makes me happy. Thanks for sharing, Kat!

      Reply
    13. Gbemi

      April 08, 2020 at 4:58 pm

      I can’t wait to try! Do you think I could sub the light brown sugar for golden sugar? I fear I won’t be able to get any from the shops!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 08, 2020 at 10:37 pm

        Hi, yes you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar too šŸ™‚ Let me know how you get on!

        Reply
      • Megan

        March 20, 2021 at 11:38 pm

        5 stars
        Amazing recipe! Super easy to follow and it turned out perfect, i did mine without the coffee and it still tasted amazing! Kat has so many incredible recipes! šŸ™‚

        Reply
        • thebakingexplorer

          March 21, 2021 at 9:10 pm

          Thank you so much Megan!

          Reply
    14. Shannon

      April 10, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      If I omit the coffee do I also omit the boiling water I assume?
      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 10, 2020 at 11:16 pm

        Yes that's right! Add 1 tbsp milk instead šŸ™‚ Let me know how it turns out

        Reply
    15. Marie

      February 17, 2021 at 5:07 am

      Can you make make mini loaf versions with this recipe?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        February 17, 2021 at 8:20 am

        Hi Marie, I've never done this but yes I'm sure you would be able to do this. Let me know how you get on!

        Reply
    16. Carlyn Bambridge

      February 18, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      I have 2 packs of sponge mix, son bought and never used, just add 2 milks and eggs, will it be fine to use with this and add the cocoa?! Try to use up but not a fan of plain sponge.

      Reply
    17. Emmajay

      February 21, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy recipe to follow and the mini egg decorations are really cute. The cake tasted so good, I think adding the coffee really developed the chocolate flavour without drying out the sponge

      Reply
    18. Northie1416

      February 22, 2021 at 6:45 am

      5 stars
      Great cake, the recipe was easy to follow and will definitely be making this again.

      Reply
    19. Emily

      February 24, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      I had a great time trying this recipe out, easy clear instructions especially with the icing which is one of the most difficult parts for me! The loaf cake was moist and bouncy, not too dense and the icing was sweet and colourful. I was delighted because I’m not a savvy baker, so these instructions made it so easy for me to achieve! Thank you!

      Reply
    20. Naseera

      March 03, 2021 at 4:34 pm

      Hi! Love your recipes! Would I be able to make cupcakes with this recipe? Do you suggest changing anything ?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        March 03, 2021 at 9:26 pm

        Hi Naseera, yes for sure, it will probably make a lot of cupcakes, maybe 16? You will also need more buttercream to cover all of the cupcakes. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    21. Mindy

      April 03, 2021 at 3:04 pm

      Hello. Can you use a box chocolate cake to make things easier?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 03, 2021 at 9:30 pm

        Hi Mindy, yes you could but I'm not very familiar with box cake mixes so I don't know what tin size they are meant for. To be honest, they only really save the time of measuring out the flour and cocoa powder as usually you have to add eggs and oil/butter to the mix.

        Reply

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