This easter pinata cake is easy to make. Decorated with a chocolate next filled with chocolate eggs The surprise inside is the overflowing chocolate eggs pinata cake you find when you cut the cake open
in a stand mixer or large bowl mix together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar
add the softened butter and beat on medium low speed until you end up with a fine crumb
in a small bowl whisk together the eggs, yogurt, mayo and vanilla until smooth
our the egg mixture over the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until combined
while the mixer is on low slowly add the milk, scrapping the bottom and the sides - the batter will seem wet
pour into 3 8x3 round cake pans for tall layers you'll level later, or 6 normal 8 inch round pans
bake until a the cake bounces back when you press on it, the sides start to come away and a cake tester comes out clean (for the taller cakes about 40 mins (check around 35) but for 6 pans around 20-25 mins.
EASY SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
In a large bowl or stand mixer beat the egg whites, sugar and salt for about 5 mins until white, shiny and soft peaks have formed
while beating on medium add the butter 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp at a time
once all the butter is mixed in add the vanilla and neat on high about 10 mins until the frosting is thick and ready to spread
add the gel dye and beat until the color is smooth
DECORATING AND ASSEMBLY
before I started making the frosting I made the chocolate nest -
take a bowl the size you want the inside of the nest and cover in plastic wrap
then spray with non stick spray (don't forget this like I did!!!
melt some chocolate and fill a piping bag
pipe long lines of the chocolate over some ice water, when is starts to dull pull out of the ice water and layer over the back of the bowl
repeat as many times as you need to get the bowl shape you want
I use the warm chocolate to pipe between the layers of the cooled strands to help hold the bowl together
pipe some extra strands to use around the bottom of the cake
refrigerate until ready to use
level and torte the cake layers and level the bottom as well for a nice clean slice
using a 2 - 2 1/2 inch small round cooking cutter (or biscuit cutter because they are taller) cut circles in the middle of all but one cake layer (use a parchment circle guide to keep them even)
stack and frost the cakes with the lining up the cut circles - careful not to get the frosting inside the center
fill with chocolate candy Easter eggs
add the final cake layer with no cut out and frost the whole thing!
add the chocolate nest to the top of the cake and the extra shards around the bottom and add more eggs to the nest and around the bottom