Just A Mum's Speckled Easter Cake

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Spray cooking spray onto two 20cm round cake tins. Line with baking paper and spray again.

Combine butter, white chocolate, sugar and 200ml hot water in a large saucepan. Melt over a low heat and stir for approx. 4 minutes until the chocolate has melted and the sugar dissolved.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool (approx. 15 minutes, stir occasionally)

In a large bowl, lightly whisk the self-raising flour and plain flour together to combine.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla to combine.

Add the cooled chocolate/butter and the egg/vanilla mixture to the flour. Using a whisk or large wooden spoon, beat together all the ingredients until smooth.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake tins. Place the cake tins onto the same oven rack and bake for 1 hour until a skewer or knife comes out damp but clean, or they spring back to the touch. Take care not to overcook. Check at 50 minutes and rotate the tins and continue to cook at 5-10-minute intervals until baked.

Once cooked, remove and place onto a wire rack to cook for at least 25 minutes before removing from cake tins. The cake needs to be completely cool before icing. It will store well for up to two days until required or freezes well also.

For the buttercream, add butter to a food mixer and whip with a paddle attachment or whisk at a medium high speed for 7-8 minutes. Scrape down the sides and attachment often until the butter is pale white in colour.

Add the vanilla, half the icing sugar and half the milk and gently combine. Once mixed, pour in the remaining icing sugar and milk and gently combine

Bring the speed of the mixer back up to a medium high speed and whip for 5-6 minutes. Scrape the sides occasionally to ensure the buttercream is light and fluffy.

If using, add the food colouring in small amounts until achieving the colour you want. Combine well.

To assemble the cake, trim the tops off each cake until they are flat. Slice each cake into two even halves and set aside 1x bottom half. This will become the top of the cake

Using a round cookie cutter, remove the centre of the remaining three cake halves. Place one of these onto a serving plate and liberally spread buttercream. Avoid the centre and make sure it's smooth to ensure it is level

Place the second piece of cake with the centre removed on top and fill the hole with Easter eggs. Repeat with the buttercream

Place the third half on top. Repeat Easter eggs and buttercream before placing the final half of cake, bottom side up, onto the cake

Spread a thin layer of buttercream evenly spread over the top and sides of the cake. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.

Once the buttercream has set slightly, add liberal amounts of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake and smooth. You can use a palette knife, a large knife or even a clean kids plastic ruler for this! You want to get smooth sides and then smooth off the top.

To do the speckles, in a small bowl, add the cocoa and vanilla essence and mix together well.

Prepare an area to flick your speckles as this step makes a bit of a mess!

Using a pastry brush or new toothbrush, dip the brush into the cocoa mix and using your finger to flick back the bristles to flick the cocoa mix onto the cake. Turn the cake often to get an even speckle over the sides and top of the cake.

Pop the cake in the refrigerator to set until required for serving. Remove cake at least 20 minutes before serving.