Easter Cake

Name: Easter cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 15.25 ounce (432g) boxes white cake mix; 8 egg whites; 2 ½ cups (590ml) milk; 1 cup (226g) butter; 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice; food coloring (Yellow, blue, pink); 2 (226g) sticks unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 2 pounds (907g) powdered sugar; 6 tablespoons (90ml) milk; 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice; Yellow food coloring

Jump to Recipe

This Easter cake is a 3 layered cake with pink, blue, and yellow layers and finished off with a rich, creamy frosting. Topped off with Easter sprinkles and eggs, this cake will be the centerpiece of your dessert table.

Side view of a yellow cake with easter decorations.

Easter is one of my favorite times of the year and I take it as an excuse to make all the Easter Dessert Recipes. This fun and easy Easter layer cake is always a hit. Add this colorful Easter Fruit Tray and family favorite Easter Punch, I mean what a dessert spread, am I right?

Top down view of sprinkles on a cake for Easter.

Yes, me and my kitchen present to you this delicious, light, and airy Easter layer cake with a fluffy bright lemony frosting, all completed with Easter eggs and pastel sprinkles. All the gorgeous color and all the Easter feels. I got you.

Table of Contents

Why Make This Recipe

One of the things I love best about this cake is how easy it is to make. Yeap, starting with a simple cake mix makes this pretty foolproof. And if you want it even easier, skip coloring the different layers and just color the external frosting and decorate away. Your cake, your way.

The bonus is that it is endlessly customizable for different occasions. This colorful spring cake is great for Easter parties and Easter brunch menus. But you can use it for spring parties, Mother’s Day, and Baby showers, by using different colors and changing the decorations to M&Ms, colored marshmallows, and sugar strands.

Close up of a 3 layer cake sliced and placed on a plate showing the pink, yellow and blue.

What You Need To Make This

Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow my tips on each ingredient for the best results.

White cake mix – I suggest you get your favorite store-bought white cake mix. Feel free to get a lemon-flavored cake mix if you prefer.
Eggs – It is best to use eggs at room temperature. For this recipe we will only use the egg whites.
Milk – The milks add moisture to the cake and also makes the frosting nice and smooth and creamy.
Unsalted butter – I prefer unsalted butter but you can use salted butter to your taste. This is for the cake as well as the frosting.
Powdered sugar – Sift this before using it in your frosting, to avoid lumps.
Gel food coloring – This gives the cake the fun vibrant colors without changing the texture of the batter. Water-based gel coloring works best. Start with less than you think you need and add more to get the shade you need. I’ve used red, yellow and pink.
Lemon juice – This adds flavor to the cake and the frosting.
Decorations – All the Easter Eggs and Peeps that you want.

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How To Make Easter Cake

Use the process shots below as a visual guide to help you make this.

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Make The Cake

Preheat your oven to 350 F / 180C / gas mark 4 and prepare three 8-inch cake pans by spraying them with non-stick spray and setting them aside.
Melt 1 cup of the butter and let cool slightly.
Then combine the cake mix, cooled melted butter, 8 egg whites, milk, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
Divide the cake batter equally between the 3 mixing bowls and then add pink food coloring to one bowl, yellow to another, and blue to the last one.
Transfer each color batter into a different prepared pan, and gently tap each pan to remove any air bubbles and to even out the batter.
Bake the cakes for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean with no liquid cake batter stuck to it. Cake crumbs on the toothpick and skewer are ok.
Allow the cakes to cool slightly and then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to allow them to cool completely.

Make The Frosting

Once the cakes are completely cooled, then make the frosting.
Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons of milk, yellow food coloring, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and smooth.

Collage step by step for how to make a cake for Easter.

Decorate The Cake

Add the first cake layer on your cake plate top with a good amount of the frosting and spread this out.
Top with the second cake layer and spread out more frosting and then add on the final cake layer and top with more frosting.
Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the frosting over the top of the cake and then add more to the sides and frost the cake completely.
Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off to pipe around the edges.
Decorate your cake with all the Easter goodies that you want.
Let the frosted cake chill for a bit and then slice and serve!

Collage of how to decorate an Easter cake.

Bintu’s Tips And Variations

I love switching things up in the kitchen. Here are some tips for easier baking. I’ve also included a few variations for you to try if you want something a little different.

Cool the cake first. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. Or you will end up with runny frosting. Trust me, it is an interesting sight if that happens.
Flat even layers. For the best results make sure the layers of cake are flat. If your cake layers have domes, use a serrated knife or a cake level to level them, before stacking. Also, tap the cake pans on the counter to remove any visible air bubbles before you bake.
Use room temperature ingredients. For easier combining, the fluffiest cake batter and smooth frosting, be sure to use room temperature eggs and ingredients.
Be careful when coloring. Add more or less food coloring, according to your taste and color preference. Start with a drop and keep mixing till you get to the color level you prefer.
Mix dry ingredients until just incorporated. Avoid over-mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, otherwise you will end up with a dense cake. Mix in the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Make it from scratch. If you prefer you can make this from scratch using your favorite lemon sponge or vanilla sponge to start with.
Chill your cake before frosting. A crumb coat is a must to ensure your final layer of frosting stays smooth and doesn’t pick up crumbs from the cake. Give the crumb coat 15 minutes in the fridge before adding the final layer of frosting.
Have fun with the decorating. Feel free to add some shredded coconut to the filling and sprinkle it onto the frosting. You can make a chocolate sauce and use a brush to spray the sauce onto the cake to have a speckled cake effect. I am not brave enough to try it as I am a bit messy with this.
Tie-dye cake. Have fun with a tie-dye version by simply adding the different colored batter into the same cake pans to end up with a fun tie-dye or marbled cake.
Use a different cake mix. Feel free to use yellow cake mix if you prefer.

Storage

Make ahead – Get a leg up on the hustle and bustle of the day by making the cake, cooling it, and leaving it uncovered in the fridge for the day. Bake as directed and follow our freezing instructions below.
Store – Leftovers of this dessert should be chilled in the refrigerator until the frosting is set. Then cover it carefully with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Freeze – This freezes well. Once completely chilled and the frosting is set, carefully wrap the cake in a few layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature before serving.

Top down view of a slice of cake on a white plate with Easter decorations.

FAQs

How To Cut Through A Layer Cake

1. Make sure to have the cake on a flat plate or stand so you can cut down the cake.
2. Get a clean and warm serrated knife, and first cut the cake straight down the middle, using a sawing motion and making sure to cut through every layer.
3. Then cut one half into half again at a 90-degree angle from the first cuts.
4. Then carefully cut smaller slices making sure to clean the knife and warm it again after every few slices.

Why Make This Recipe