Easter Basket Layer Cake Recipes

EASTER BASKET CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake mix and bake the cake in two 8 inch rounds according to package directions. Cool completely.
• Cut a circle out of the center of one of the layers, leaving a ring that measures 1 1/2 inches from the outer to the inner edge. Place the uncut layer on a serving platter and frost the top. Place the ring layer on top of the frosted layer, and frost the sides and top of the basket. Decorate the sides and top by pressing candy pieces into the frosting.
• To tint the coconut, combine water and green food coloring in a medium bowl. Stir in coconut with a fork until evenly tinted. Place green coconut grass in center of cake basket.
• To make a handle, cut a piece of aluminum foil 8x16 inches. Fold in half lengthwise 4 times. Wrap with ribbon, securing the ends with tape. Insert ends of the handle into the cake top. Fill basket with Easter candy and goodies, if desired.

EASTER BASKET LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and one 8-inch square pan.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Combine white sugar, 1 cup butter, and 2 tablespoons vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture alternately with cold water until batter is combined. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Trim one of the round cakes by 1 inch using a serrated knife. Cut a 5-inch circle, about 1/2-inch deep, out of the second round cake. Cut the square cake so it measures 8 inches on the diagonal.
• Place square cake layer on a large cake plate. Spread half of the raspberry preserves on top. Cover with the 8-inch round cake. Spread remaining raspberry preserves on top. Add the 9-inch round cake layer, positioning it so the hole is in the center.
• Whisk 1 cup butter in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar gradually, alternating with milk, until frosting is smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 pinch salt. Whisk in cocoa powder until frosting is evenly mixed.
• Spread frosting around the sides of the cake. Spread frosting over the top cake layer but leave the hole unfrosted. Make horizontal marks over the frosting with an icing knife to create a basket look.
• Mix 1 tablespoon water and green food coloring together in a bowl. Add coconut; toss until evenly coated with green food coloring. Pour into the hole on top of the cake. Cover coconut with chocolate eggs.
• Cut out a strip of cardboard that measures 1x18 inches. Grip it with both hands at one end; run your thumbs down the strip in opposite directions to create a smooth, rounded shape. Wrap handle well with aluminum foil.
• Insert handle into the cake. Cover aluminum foil with a thin layer of frosting. Make horizontal marks over the frosting with an icing knife to create a basket look.

EASTER BASKET CAKE

Steps:

• Make the handle:
• Separate the fondant into 2 pieces. Place 1 to 2 drops of pink color into half, and the purple into the other half. Knead the fondant until the color is uniform and the desired shade. Roll each color into a 14-inch long 1/4-inch thick rope. Roll the ropes together to create a "braided" effect. Curve the fondant so it will arc over the angel food cake basket. Lay on a flat surface and allow to dry overnight, until solid and firm.
• Cut the top off the angel food cake horizontally so the cake is an even basket shape. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, enlarge the center hole.
• Frost the entire cake with white frosting. Press cookies vertically around the outside of the cake to give it a basket look.
• Fill the inside hole of the cake with Easter candies. Affix the handle onto the cake by pressing into the cake.
• Spray with cake decorating spray.

EASTER BASKET CANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Cover the serving board with gift wrap, taping the wrap on the back side of the board. Cover the wrapped board with clear cellophane in the same way. Set the board aside. , Using two 9-in. round baking pans, prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks to cool completely. , Place on cake in the center of the covered serving board. Spread the top of the cake with frosting. , Cut a 6-in. circle from the center of the second cake. Remove the center circle and set aside for another use. Place the cake ring on top of the frosted cake layer, creating the basket. Frost top and sides of basket., For the handle, cover the 14x3/4-in. strip of lightweight cardboard with plastic wrap. Bend the cardboard strip into an upside-down "U" shape and insert the ends into the top of the cake about 1 inch from the outside edge. Frost the handle., In a large resealable plastic bag, combine three drops of green food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon of water. Add coconut, seal the bag and shake until coconut is evenly tinted. Sprinkle a portion of green coconut inside the basket. Reserve remaining coconut to sprinkle around the bottom of basket later., Fill the basket with candy of your choice. Press candy pieces onto the top of the handle where shown in the photo or as desired., When the frosting on the cake is firm, press the tines of a fork into the frosting on the sides of the cake to create a basket-weave pattern, alternating vertical and horizontal designs., Sprinkle the remaining tinted coconut around the bottom of the basket.

EASTER BASKET CAKE

Steps:

• For the chocolate fudge frosting: Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until smooth, with no lumps, approximately 3 minutes. With the motor running, add the sugar, one cup at a time, adding the next cup only after the previous
• addition is absorbed.
• Stop the machine and add the cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Paddle on low-medium speed until completely smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Add the water and continue to paddle until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Put the chocolate fudge frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a #48 interchangeable basket weave tip.
• For the white American buttercream: Combine the butter and shortening in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Sift in the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed to prevent the sugar from spilling out of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the mixture aerates and becomes smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn down the speed to low.
• With the motor running on low speed, add the salt and slowly pour in the vanilla and oil in a thin stream. Increase the speed to medium and combine until the mixture is light, fluffy and smooth.
• For the green American buttercream: Put 3 cups White American Buttercream in a large bowl.
• Add a small amount of the green food coloring gel and combine with a rubber spatula until the cream is uniformly colored. Add more gel as you mix until the frosting is the desired shade of green.
• Put the green buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a #233 interchangeable grass tip.
• To assemble: On a turntable, prepare a double-layer cake of your choosing on a doily-lined cardboard circle, filling it with the filling of your choice.
• Put 3 cups of the White American Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a #6 star tip. Dirty ice the cake with the buttercream by covering the cake with a thin layer to create a crumb coat.
• Take the chocolate fudge bag in hand, and working from bottom to top, using the straight side of the tip (the basket weave tip has a plain/straight side and a ruffled/serrated side), pipe vertical lines around the side of the cake, 1/8-inch apart, turning the turntable after each line.
• Next, starting at the bottom, and turning the turntable as you work, pipe horizontal bands over every other vertical line. Pipe another set of bands above the first set, piping them over the lines you skipped on the first level.
• Continue in this fashion, piping over alternating sets of lines, until you have created a basket weave that covers the entire side of the cake.
• Take the green buttercream bag in hand and squeeze-and-pull grass around the border, letting the grass come slightly over the edge. Cover the entire top of the cake with grass.
• Top the cake with the jelly beans, Peeps, Reese's peanut butter cups, and other candies.

SURPRISE-INSIDE EASTER CANDY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 1 box cake mix and ingredients called for on box with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide evenly between pans.
• Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, repeat mixing and baking with second box of cake mix to make 2 more layers.
• Flatten cake layers by trimming off round tops. In 2 layers, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch round cutter. In small bowl, mix chocolate candies, mini eggs, baking chips and 1/2 cup of the sprinkles; set aside.
• To assemble cake: Place 1 uncut cake layer on serving plate; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with 1 layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with second layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top.
• Fill cake with candies and sprinkles mixture. Gently press candies to level; top with full cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, place 1 1/2 cups of the frosting; stir in pink food color until blended. Fit decorating bag with 1/2-inch round piping tip; fill with 3/4 cup pink frosting. Set decorating bag and pink frosting aside. In 1 small bowl, place 1/4 cup of the frosting; stir in yellow food color until blended. In another small bowl, place 1/4 cup frosting, stir in green food color until blended.
• Using photo as a guide, spread 1/2 cup of the pink frosting on top of cake, reserving remaining pink frosting for top third of cake. Starting on side, spread yellow frosting on bottom third of cake. In middle third of cake, spread green frosting so green frosting overlaps yellow frosting. On upper third of cake, spread remaining pink frosting so pink frosting overlaps green frosting.
• To blend colors together on side of cake: Using an icing spatula, starting at bottom edge of cake, lightly blend and barely smooth colors in an upward motion toward top edge of cake; wipe spatula clean with paper towel. Repeat blending of frosting and wiping off spatula. Smooth top if needed. Pipe frosting mounds around top edge of cake. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons candy sprinkles in center.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.

EASTER BASKET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
• Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate. Spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer, rounded side up. Frost side of cake and spread a thin layer of frosting on top of cake. Make a basket weave pattern in frosting on side of cake by drawing inch-long horizontal and vertical lines with tines of fork.
• Shake coconut and 3 or 4 drops food color in tightly covered jar until evenly tinted; sprinkle on top of cake. Place candy eggs on coconut. Store loosely covered.