Easter Bundt Cake (Gâteau Bundt de Pâques)

Steal the show with this Easter bundt cake - a thematic masterpiece to finish Easter dinner. Cake with three layers of the airy biscuit with mousseline cream and sprinkled toasted almonds will please you and your family.

Have you ever thought of how to upgrade a humble fluted (bundt) cake into a showstopping dessert - Easter bundt cake (gâteau bundt de Pâques in French)?

The idea is unbeatably simple: to cover the bundt cake with cream, sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and decorate the top of the cake with white chocolate filaments resembling a bird's nest.

This bird nest cake has been our family Easter celebration cake since 2018, and I do not see that it will change in the future.

Once you make it, you will understand why. First, it is so good. Second, it is one of the genius Easter bundt cake ideas.

What are you waiting for? Scroll down for a full recipe with detailed instructions, and enjoy!

Why you should try this recipe

• This Easter bundt cake recipe transforms a traditional bundt cake into a festive Easter dessert.

• Making a biscuit one day in advance saves time the next day to finish the cake.

• Generously flavored with vanilla, the cake pleases and treats equally kids and adults.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

• Flour: use all-purpose flour to make this Easter nest cake.

• Sugar: granulated white sugar works perfectly for the recipe.

• Corn starch lowers gluten formation in the all-purpose flour by softening the flour proteins.

• Eggs: use large eggs at room temperature. If you need to separate egg whites from the yolks, use an egg separator. Plus, chilled eggs are easier to separate.

• Baking powder is one of the leavening agents used for the recipe.

• Vanilla extract: the best and the most flavorful is Madagascar vanilla extract. Replace vanilla extract with lemon extract and some lime or lemon zest creating a lemon bundt cake.

Or switch vanilla extract for one tablespoon of Kirsch (cherry brandy) or any other fruit-based brandy. Finally, a coconut extract makes the perfect addition to a bundt coconut cake.

• Milk: use whole milk or replace it with low-fat milk if desired.

• Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted softened butter. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start.

• Flaked almonds: use store-bought toasted flaked almonds or toast raw sliced almonds in the oven at 300 F/150 C for 10 to 15 minutes.

• White chocolate: Lindt white chocolate or Callebaut white chocolate are used interchangeably when making filaments.

• Edible decorations: use small chocolate eggs, jelly beans, or your favorite Easter candy on top of the cake.

Recipe variations

This Easter egg cake is made from scratch, but if you are a novice baker, you can use a cake mix to prepare a bundt cake.

While mousseline cream is the most delicious cream to fill many pastries, including Paris-Brest to luscious Strawberry Pistachio Tart, if making it scarry you, there is a simple solution. Whip a Chantilly cream or cream cheese frosting and fill your bundt cake.

If you wonder how to decorate a cake for Easter, here is a fun part of the recipe.

• Cover the entire cake with flaked almonds, coconut flakes, or other chopped nuts.

• Use tempered chocolate to make a chocolate nest. Or follow another interesting technique for making chocolate bird nests offered by St. Croix Chocolate Company. Or use caramel to make a fancy-looking caramel nest. Finally, create a bird's nest out of noodles and melted chocolate by watching a Cookies Cupcakes and Cardio's video.

• Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate or candy eggs.

If you are up to it, you can make mini bundt cakes and serve each individually.

How to make Easter bundt cake

Make a biscuit

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). To make the biscuit, use a flour sifter, and sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.

Break the eggs and separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk egg yolks with 50 g granulated sugar until they become whitish (photo 1).

In a separate large bowl, whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until they are mounted.

Gradually pour the remaining sugar (100 g) and whisk until egg whites are firm and glossy. Add vanilla extract and beat for a few seconds (photo 2).

Gently mix egg whites with the yolks/sugar mixture using a rubber spatula (photos 3-4).

Add the sifted dry ingredients and gently mix (photo 5). Butter and flour a fluted cake pan and pour batter into the mold (photo 6).

Bake the cake

Bake the biscuit for 25 to 30 minutes. Test its readiness with a knife: a sharp knife tip should come out dry (photo 7). Let the cake cool on a cooling rack.

Make a sugar syrup

To make the sugar syrup, heat water, sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool, and place it aside.

Make the pastry cream

To make the pastry cream, mix egg yolks, 50 g of milk, sugar, flour, and cornstarch (photo 8).

Bring 150 ml of milk to a boil. Pour hot milk into the mixture and bring it to a boil again, stirring constantly.

Once the cream thickens (photo 9), pour it on a shallow plate and cover it with a plastic film in contact. Cool the pastry cream at room temperature.

Make the buttercream

To make the extra buttercream, heat sugar and water in a saucepan to 250°F (120°C).

Break the egg into a bowl and pour the syrup over the egg, whisking constantly.

Continue to whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture becomes whitish (photo 10).

Add the softened butter and vanilla extract and beat the cream for 10 to 15 minutes with an electric mixer to aerate it as much as possible (photo 11).

Heat it a little bit if it is too compact, or on the contrary, cool it if it is too soft. The cream should be smooth and homogeneous.

Make mousseline cream

To make the vanilla mousseline cream, add the pastry cream little by little to the extra buttercream and whisk (photo 12). Place aside.

Assemble the cake

To assemble the Easter cake, cut the cooled biscuit into three equal and regular parts with a serrated knife.

Using a silicone brush, soak each slice of the biscuit with the sugar syrup.

Spread the vanilla mousseline cream in the middle of the first biscuit and smooth it with a bent spatula. Cover with the second part of the biscuit, soak again with the syrup and cover with the cream.

Spread over the remaining mousseline cream with the bent spatula. Smooth the edges of the biscuit while turning the spatula around the cake (photo 13). Apply the toasted flaked almonds over the entire cake (photo 14).

Make a chocolate nest

To make chocolate filaments, melt white chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath (or microwave), taking care not to overheat it (reach maximum 104°F (40°C), or warm to the touch).

Stir it to bring the temperature down to 85°F (30°C): you should not feel any difference in the temperature touching with your finger. Place the chocolate in a pastry bag and cut its end.

Freeze a plate, and take it out of the freezer. Place the plate upside down on the work surface.

Make a few round trips on the back of the plate, holding the pastry bag. Let the chocolate freeze for a few seconds over the plate (photo 15).

Peel off one of the sides using a bent spatula or a knife. Arrange chocolate filaments on top of the cake.

Repeat the process as many times as you like, using a very cold plate each time. Stick a few eggs with the remaining melted chocolate (photo 16).

Expert Tips

1. Make the biscuit one day in advance, cool it, wrap it in a plastic film, and refrigerate. Finish the cake the next day.
2. Bake the biscuit in a tall fluted cake pan (aka kouglof mold), or use your favorite bundt pan.
3. To toast flaked almonds, place nuts in the oven at 355°F (180°C) for 10 to 15 minutes. If you use store-bought toasted flaked almonds, toast them additionally at 300°F (150°C) for 5 to 7 minutes to obtain a more intense color.
4. Replace white chocolate with milk or dark chocolate to make chocolate filaments.

Storage instructions

Store this bundt cake with mousseline cream in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Can you freeze it? It isn't recommended to freeze cakes with mousseline cream, but you can freeze the undecorated bundt cake.

Let it cool completely and wrap it with plastic. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. To thaw, bring the wrapped cake to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Recipe FAQ

Love Easter desserts? Try these next!

• Ottolenghi's Carrot Cake
• The Best Savoy Cake
• Apple Tarte Tatin
• Browse all the Easter Dessert Recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from http://www.elle.fr. It was originally published on March 29, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.