Use grocery store dessert shells to create super simple and delicious mini egg cakes!
Decorating with seasonal Easter candies has never been more fun or easier, and with a variety of ways to fill the inside of this mini cake, every bite can be customized per taste.
Let’s get started on making this magical, delicious dessert hack!
Why you will love making a Mini Egg Cake
Incredible Ease: This mini cake recipe uses grocery store dessert shells; there is no need for flour, heavy cream, granulated sugar, or baking powder! TikTok guided us on how to create the perfect little nest cake without losing half the day baking, and we LOVE it!
Kids can help: Having an Easter party or family-friendly dinner? Because this recipe has no actual baking and is all about decorating, setting up frosting, candies, coconut, and preserves.
Kids can assemble and decorate pretty quickly! Just substitute a knife for a spatula, and voila! A super fun, super-easy way to keep everyone entertained with a delicious outcome.
Where did this Mini Egg Nest Cake Recipe come from?
This adorable and inspiring viral recipe idea stemmed from TikTok Creator @erinsgranola. Follow her for more awesome content!
TikTok Original Recipe Video Below for an idea for creating this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Buttercream – Softened unsalted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Another option over frosting is to use homemade marshmallow fluff.
- Dessert shells – Use dessert shells that typically come in a six-pack for strawberry shortcakes. They have a little dip in the middle that holds the preserves well.
- Strawberry and peach preserves – Any flavor could be used, but strawberry and peach are light and blend with homemade buttercream.
- Green shredded coconut – Turning coconut shreds green has never been easier. It looks great as a mini nest. Please see below the complete instructions to help guide you on dying coconut. If you prefer, go coconut free with edible Easter grass or use Haystack cookies instead.
- Egg candies – There are many choices for Easter Eggs that sit sweetly on the mini cake nests. We used Easter M&M eggs. Jelly beans and Cadbury mini eggs are also popular choices for candy eggs. You can also hand create edible toppers for cakes.
TIP: Optionally add fresh fruit like cut-up strawberries inside cake shells before sealing. Unfortunately, our area is short on strawberries, and we couldn’t include them in our recipe as the original TikTok version did.
How to make Homemade Buttercream Icing
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat well.
- Slowly add milk and vanilla extract and beat on low and then high.
- Add remaining powdered sugar while beating on low and increase speed to medium when incorporated.
- Continue to beat on medium and add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the consistency is appropriate for spreading.
- Place icing into a piping bag and cut a 1/2″ opening in the tip.
Piping bags are essential to keep in a stocked pantry! They are used on nearly every holiday. Here is Amazon’s top choice for piping bags so you can stock up while they are IN stock!
How to make Easter Mini Cakes
- Place three dessert shells on three separate plates.
- Place a small amount of jam or preserves into the cup of each shell.
- Top mini layer cakes with buttercream icing and additional jam.
- Pipe a small layer of frosting (buttercream) into another dessert cup and place (cup side down) on top.
- Gently press two halves together to secure.
- Pipe buttercream on the outside and top of the mini cakes and spread a coat of frosting smooth with a knife.
- Add shredded coconut and egg candies to tops.
- Sprinkle additional green coconut around the base of each cake for more decoration and serve.
Best Candies for Easter Desserts
- Pastel Color Easter M&M Easter Eggs (as seen here)
- SweetTarts Easter Eggs
- Welches Jelly Beans
- Cadbury Mini Eggs
- Brachs Easter Eggs
How to color Coconut Green
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon water with 4-6 drops of food coloring dissolved in the water
- Place the coconut into a small resealable bag and drizzle the color water on top.
- Seal the bag and knead it well to distribute the green color.
- Store any leftover coconut in a sealed container or bag.
If you want to go coconut free, try Edible Easter Grass instead.
What kind of preserves goes best in Mini Cakes?
We like fresh strawberry preserves and peach preserves.
Related Dessert Recipes
- Nothing more beautiful than rainbow popcorn!
- TikTok has such magical unicorn chocolate bark – this can also be transformed easily into an Easter version!
- You haven’t lived until you have bitten down on a sugary crunchy grape tanghulu recipe.
- Get all of the most trendy TikTok dessert recipes right here.
Mini Easter Cakes (TikTok Hack!)
Equipment
- Piping Bags
Ingredients
Homemade Buttercream
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk up to 6 may be needed to smooth out buttercream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Coconut Grass
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 4 drops green food coloring
- 1 tsp water
Mini Easter Cakes
- 6 dessert shells
- strawberry preserves
- egg shaped candy
Instructions
How to make Green Coconut Grass
- Dissolve 4-6 drops of green food coloring into 1 tsp water.
- Place the coconut into a small resealable bag and drizzle the color water on top.
- Seal the bag and knead it well to distribute the green color. Store any leftover coconut in a sealed container or bag.
How to make Homemade Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat well.
- Slowly add 2 tbsp milk and vanilla and beat on low and then high.
- Add remaining powdered sugar while beating on low and increase speed to medium when incorporated.
- Continue to beat on medium and add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the consistency is appropriate for spreading.
- Place icing into a piping bag and cut a 1/2" opening in the tip.
How to make No-Bake Mini Easter Egg Cakes
- Place 3 dessert shells on 3 separate plates.
- Place a small amount of fruit preserves into the cup of each shell.
- Top preserves with buttercream icing and additional jam.
- Pipe a small amount of buttercream into another dessert cup and place (cup side down) on top. Gently press two halves together.
- Pipe buttercream on the top and outside of the cakes. Spread smooth with a knife.
- Top mini cake with shredded green coconut and egg -shaped candies.
- Sprinkle additional coconut around the base of each cake for decoration and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
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