This Easter Whoppers Cake is light and fluffy, yet moist and flavourful, and prepared with chocolate pudding! The cake is topped with buttercream frosting and crushed whoppers. If you have never tried a cake made with pudding, you’re in for a treat! This is the ultimate Easter Sunday dessert!
Last year, just a week or so before St. Patrick’s Day, I was looking for recipe ideas that were green in colour. I came across the most beautiful Pistachio Pudding Cake and had to make it! Fast forward to this year and I found myself trying to develop a cake idea for Easter. With whoppers as my inspiration, I was able to settle on this delicious Easter Whoppers Cake!
My inspiration for the pistachio cake is from The Busy Baker. That cake was such a success, I decided to use the same technique with a change to the flavour. Instead of pistachio pudding mix, I used chocolate pudding and the cake turned out wonderfully moist and delicious. I feared that it was going to be too sweet, but it wasn’t overly sweet at all!
My daughter, McKenna, loves Whoppers, and I had two bags of them sitting in my pantry. I thought she would have taken them to her room by now, but she must have not seen them, which is lucky for me! I had used crushed malt balls in my Easter Bunny Roadkill Cookie recipe, and knew that I wanted to crush the Easter Whoppers too for the topping of my cake. The buttercream frosting was an easy choice too because it’s one of my favourite frostings.
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CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Basically, there are two types of boxed chocolate pudding – regular and instant. In most cases, you’ll be hard-pressed to find regular pudding mix anymore, because the world has gone and got itself in a hurry. Don’t worry; the instant works perfectly and that’s what I used in this recipe.
When I made the pistachio cake last year, I followed Chrissie’s advice and did not use low-fat or low-sugar pistachio pudding. I was thrilled with the outcome of that cake, so I applied the same rule to this chocolate version. So, don’t get the low-fat or sugar-free version. I have not tried this recipe with anything but the full-fat/regular dry chocolate pudding mix. I can’t guarantee that your cake will work or even taste good if you choose to use something other than what I used.
BAKING A PERFECT CAKE
Whenever I bake a cake, I have to fight the desire to open the oven door and take a peak. It’s because I’m a control freak and I tend to worry and obsess about just about everything. If you open that oven door, you will put all of your cake-making efforts at risk.
When I was a kid, I remember my mother giving us all a very stern warning whenever she baked. “Don’t walk too hard on the floor!” she would shout. The vibrations in the floor from a heavy walker would flatten her cake or her bread. I’m not sure it ever happened, or if it would! We were too afraid to test it.
That same warning should be applied to the oven door. Opening the door can release heat, depending on how long you leave the door open. And, maybe my mother was on to something about vibrations. Maybe the oven door causes a little shift or jolt, resulting in a deflated cake. Don’t risk it, folks!
BAKING THE CAKE IN DIFFERENT PANS
As you can see from the photos and the recipe card below, I used a 9×13 inch baking pan. You can use a bundt pan if you prefer. Just like all bundt pan baking, never fill your bundt pan more than 3/4 full. There are lots of different bundt pan designs and sizes. So, apply that general rule and you’ll never go wrong.
You can also use regular baking pans. If you use a 9-inch round, you’ll get two cakes. It will make for a beautiful layer cake; especially with that buttercream frosting layered between the two! I noticed that in Chrissie’s original pistachio cake recipe, readers asked if they could use the cake batter for cupcakes. If you use any baking vessel other than the tested 9×13 inch baking pan, you will need to adjust the baking time.
A bundt pan will take the full time and maybe a bit more. The batter is piled higher in a bundt pan, so you might need more baking time. If you make something smaller, like a cupcake, you’ll need much less time.
Because I have not tested this recipe using other options, it’s best to stick to the baking pan. With that said, most cupcakes take about 20 minutes. There’s a lot of cake batter in this recipe, so you could always test just one to see how long it takes.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Easter Whoppers Cake. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
For the Cake:
- Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes.
- Chocolate Pudding Mix – Use regular, not low fat or low sugar. Here is the exact pudding I used. Note that it is the 113g size.
- Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
- Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated.
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.
- Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
- Cornstarch – When added to a cake recipe, it helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture.
- Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
- Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and it helps to enhance and balance sweetness.
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For the Frosting:
- Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often.
- Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! You should use unsalted butter for buttercream frosting.
- Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.
- Milk – When a baking recipe requires milk, I always use whole milk, unless otherwise stated.
HOW TO MAKE AN EASTER WHOPPERS CAKE
For the Cake:
Start by greasing a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter and dusting with flour. Set that aside while you work on the cake batter. Beat together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate pudding powder and mix it into the butter and sugar mixture. Add each egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set that mixture aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture into the butter and egg mixture in thirds, beating after each addition. Next, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mixed through.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 1 hour. Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake for 5 more minutes and test again. Once done, remove from oven and set onto a wire cooling rack. Do not invert the cake. This cake will stay in the baking pan. I removed it from the pan for the purpose of photographing only.
For the Frosting:
Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Next, beat in the vanilla extract and milk. If you want to tint the frosting with food colouring, do so now. It is best to use gel food colouring rather than liquid so that you don’t change the consistency of the frosting.
Note that my buttercream frosting looks a little yellowish. Firstly, this is based on the fact that I used real butter, which is the only butter anyone should use to make a proper buttercream frosting. Secondly, different brands of butter can be more yellow in colour than others. Your buttercream frosting might have a yellow tint to you or it might look closer to white.
Vanilla extract can also tint the buttercream. If you want to avoid any tinting at all, try using a clear vanilla extract rather than the traditional deep caramel-coloured variety.
CRUSHING WHOPPERS CANDY
Crushing Easter Whoppers is not a task that should be completed with a food processor. It’s too easy to over-crush the eggs, which will not give you the chunky egg look you see in the photos. In fact, it’s very easy to over-crush them to the point of turning them into candy dust.
The best way to crush them is to place the desired amount of whoppers into a large resealable plastic bag. Push all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay it flat onto a flat surface like your countertop or a cutting board. Using a wooden rolling pin, tap each egg with just a little force. Remember, we want larger pieces as well as some smaller bits.
The vibrant blue, pink, and yellow colours will become too subdued and barely visible if you crush them too much. In addition, you’ll lose that chunky texture. Over-crushing will not change the taste, and you can over-crush if you want, but the look of your cake will be less vibrant.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Once the cake is fully cooled, you can frost it. If you want to remove the cake from the pan, you can, although traditionally, these types of cakes are left in the pan and cut into squares when served. Smear the buttercream frosting onto the top of the cake in an even layer. This works best if your buttercream frosting is at room temperature.
Once the frosting is applied, sprinkle over the crushed Easter Whoppers. The thickness of the buttercream frosting and the light and airiness of the whoppers means that in all probability, the whoppers will not stick to the frosting. This is easy to fix. Simply lay your hand onto the whoppers and very gently push down to embed them just slightly into the frosting.
This cake can be served immediately or covered and left at room temperature for a few hours. If you plan to serve this cake much later, cover it well and refrigerate it until needed. Remove the cake from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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Easter Whoppers Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 box chocolate pudding 113 grams, use regular not low fat or low sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 cups crushed Easter Whoppers
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
- Beat together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the chocolate pudding powder and mix into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Add each egg one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the butter and egg mixture in thirds, beating after each addition.
- Next, add in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mix through.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 1 hour. Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake for 5 more minutes and test again.
- Once done, remove from oven and set onto a wire cooling rack. Do not invert the cake. This cake will stay in the baking pan. Allow cake to fully cool.
For the Frosting:
- Beat the butter until smooth.
- Add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Next, add the vanilla extract and milk. Beat well to incorporate.
- Spread the buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Top by sprinkling over the crushed Easter Whoppers.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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