I'm always looking for recipes that are out of the box so to speak. So when I read the post from the Cupcake Project and Delicious Days on how they made Cake Eggs right in the shells of a real egg I thought this was something I needed to attempt.
It was really quite simple, just a little time consuming, but the results were well worth it, fun and a fantastic surprise for the Easter table!
I decided I'd use Stef's recipe from the Cupcake Project for my first run, but instead of using the sour cream I used plain yogurt. They turned out delicious! Let me walk you through the steps of how these were done. I'm sure you'll probably have all or most of the ingredients already in your pantry.
Easter Egg Cakes
makes 10 large egg cakes
Ingredients:
- 10 large eggs - however, you'll only be using one egg for the cake batter. (Save the rest and make a great Fritatta for brunch).
- 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- large pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Using a pin or tip of a corkscrew, carefully poke a small hole in the base (larger end) of the egg.
Then carefully peel away about a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch circle of the shell and thin film below the shell. Turn the egg over a bowl and remove the entire egg from the shell. To remove the remaining egg I used a round popsicle stick to carefully help scoop out the contents. Do this same thing with the rest of the eggs.
At this point rinse the insides of the eggs carefully with a slow steady stream of water over the sink. Then place the rinsed eggs into a bowl of salt water. I used about 1/4 cup of Kosher salt and then enough water to cover the eggs. Be careful when submerging the eggs into the water so the shells don't break. Leave them to soak for 30 minutes.
Rinse the eggs and lay on a paper towel to drain with the holes setting directly on the towel to dry out.
Directions for making the cake batter:
- In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix one egg and the sugar until blended and smooth.
- Add the butter and lemon extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add the plain yogurt and blend until smooth.
Set a popover pan (which I used) or cupcake pan (which would need a base of aluminum foil set into each cup to help the eggs stand upright) in front of you on the counter.
Place the cake batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip or you can use a plastic baggie. Make sure that the tip will fit into the hole of the egg. Gently fill each egg approximately 3/4 full. If you don't fill enough your cake won't look like an egg. I filled all of mine 3/4 -7/8 full. Remember the batter will expand. If some of the batter spills out of the egg, don't worry you can easily clean it up and nibble on the scraps. You can then clean the egg with a damp paper towel.
Bake the eggs in the pan at 350F for about 23-25 minutes.
Let cool completely before peeling the eggs. However, if you prefer you can also serve them directly in the shell and let your guests peel their own.
These are great served with lemon curd. As I mentioned, I had fully intended to stuff these with the lemon curd but they came out so light and fluffy that I was afraid I would ruin the cake eggs so didn't bother.
These are fun to make and I am sure your kids will enjoy it as well. Just make sure they handle the eggs very carefully so they don't break them.
Have fun making these and have a very Happy Easter!
