Instructions

1. Chocolate cake
   Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake tins with baking or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs and sour cream. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the mixture evenly into three cake tins and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Speckled egg frosting
   To make the frosting, add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Gently sift in the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if needed. The icing should be nice and creamy but quite thick.
5. To frost the cake, you may want to level the chocolate cakes first. I use a cake leveler to do this. Then, use a large cookie cutter or similar, to cut a hole in the middle of two of your cake layers. Place one layer of cake with a hole in it, on a disposable board (to make it easier to move once frosted). Gently cover the top of cake with frosting, then add your second cake with a hole on top. Add frosting to the top of the next layer. Fill the middle of the cake with Easter eggs. Then place your final cake layer on top.
6. Frost the entire cake, top and sides. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting from the sides (if you want the naked cake look like I did). To make the specks, mix the cocoa powder with a few tablespoons of water and stir together to form a paste. Dip a pastry brush in and gently squeeze out the excess, then flick the bristles over the cake for the dots. Top the cake with a few extra Easter eggs.