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This Cornflake Dream Cake with Mini Eggs is the Easter treat you need. It has a moist chocolate cake base, covered in smooth, rich chocolate ganache and topped with crunchy cornflake cake mix, flecked with mini eggs. It’s decadent and rich, perfect for Easter time or using up Easter chocolate.
You can, of course, make this year-round, either by omitting the mini eggs or swapping for something else, such as M&Ms or Smarties. You might also want to try my classic chocolate dream cake. The contrast of the moist cake, melty warm ganache and crispy cornflake cake top makes each bite so delicious and so moreish. This post has a full step-by-step guide on how to make cornflake dream cake, as well as variations and FAQs.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It looks so grand and impressive as a centrepiece on the table.
- The layers are very easy to make, and then it’s just a case of stacking it up.
- As long as you have a nice, deep tin, it’s simple to assemble and serve.
- It’s so delicious with varying textures, making each bite moreish.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Greek yoghurt – opt for full fat to keep the cake moist.
Coffee – hot coffee in this cornflake dream cake makes it a rather loose batter but it keeps it incredibly moist. You can use instant coffee if it’s easier.
Double cream – known as heavy cream in the US.
Cornflakes – unsweetened cornflakes are best; no need to use frosted or flavoured flakes.
Mini eggs – these are Cadbury mini speckled chocolate eggs. You can find them easily in the UK but any little chocolate egg with a crackly shell works.
Substitutions and Variations:
Coffee – if you can’t have coffee for whatever reason, replace it with 50ml boiling water. If you don’t like coffee, I would still add it as it just boosts the chocolate flavour rather than tasting really strongly of coffee.
Nut crunch – add toasted, chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds in the chocolate cornflake mix for a twist.
Mini eggs – if you can’t find Cadbury mini eggs, any mini chocolate eggs, speckled eggs, or something like a Smartie or M&M would be good.
Milk chocolate – the ganache and cornflake cake mix can be made with dark chocolate if you prefer, or a mix e.g. ganache with dark chocolate and cornflakes with milk chocolate. It depends on your preference.
Here’s how to make cornflake dream cake:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4. Grease and line a deep 23cm (9-inch) round cake tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Add the wet ingredients.
TWO: Stir until just combined. Fold in the hot coffee.
THREE: Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
FOUR: Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Pour over the milk chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir gently until smooth.
FIVE: Melt the milk chocolate over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Pour in the cornflakes and half of the crushed mini eggs.
SIX: Fold together.
SEVEN: When ready, pour the chocolate ganache over the cake in the deep tin and spread it out.
EIGHT: Top with the cornflake cake mix. Then scatter the remaining crushed mini eggs over the top.
Cooking Tips:
If you don’t have a deep tin: if you need to, you can bake your cake in any regular shallow tin, then transfer it into a large tin. It doesn’t matter if you have to trim the cake or reshape it slightly, as it all gets layered up anyway, so you won’t see this.
Prevent soggy cake base: Cool completely in tin before adding the ganache; if the cake is warm, you risk the ganache soaking into the cake, rather than forming a layer on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornflake dream cake is a delicious dessert made up of a moist chocolate cake base, covered in smooth, rich chocolate ganache and topped with crunchy cornflake cake mix, flecked with mini eggs.
The cake base can be made ahead of time, up to 3 days ahead. Just cool and wrap really well in clingfilm until ready to use. The ganache and cornflakes should be prepared as close to serving as you can so they stay runny and crisp, respectively.
A cornflake dream cake has layers to make a decadent dessert. Imagine a moist chocolate cake base, covered in smooth, rich chocolate ganache and topped with crunchy cornflake cake mix, flecked with mini eggs.
Traditional cornflake cakes are made with cornflakes, chocolate and a knob of butter and then set into small round shapes. They make a perfect Easter treat with mini eggs nestled on top.
Cadbury Mini Eggs are mini speckled chocolate eggs. You can find them easily in the UK, but any little chocolate egg with a crackly shell works. Or swap entirely for M&Ms and Smarties.
Ideally, don’t make the chocolate cornflake cake topping too far in advance. Layer it with the ganache not long before serving for the crunchiest topping.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you liked this crunchy mini egg cornflake cake, you might want to try our classic chocolate dream cake. Otherwise, for Easter, I love to make mini egg cookies or hot cross bun bread & butter pudding.
Easy Baking Recipes
Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Brownies
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Chocolate Mud Cake with Malted Whipped Cream
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Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chipless Cookies
If you tried this Cornflake Dream Cake or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Cornflake Dream Cake with Mini Eggs
Ingredients
For the chocolate sponge:
- 250 g plain flour
- 350 g caster sugar
- 70 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 125 ml flavourless oil, vegetable, sunflower, or groundnut
- 125 ml milk
- 125 g natural yoghurt, unsweetened
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 50 ml strong hot coffee, instant or fresh
For the cornflake top:
- 200 g milk chocolate
- 140 g cornflakes cereal
- 200 g mini eggs, crushed
For the ganache:
- 200 g milk chocolate
- 200 ml double cream
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4.
- Grease and line a deep 23cm (9-inch) round cake tin (or a square tin if you prefer).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
- In a jug, whisk the oil, milk, yoghurt, eggs, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the hot coffee.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin. Ideally you’ll have baked it in a deep enough tin to build the dream cake on top so leave it in the tin. If you need to transfer it to another tin, you can do so once it’s cooled. Don’t worry if you need to cut it to reshape it a bit as it all gets covered later on anyway.
Make the ganache (do this ideally close to serving so it stays runny):
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming.
- Pour over the milk chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir gently until smooth.
Make the cornflake cake mix:
- Melt the milk chocolate over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Pour in the cornflakes and half of the crushed mini eggs. Fold together.
Assemble the cake:
- When ready, pour the chocolate ganache over the cake in the deep tin and spread it out into an even layer.
- Top with the cornflake cake mix. Then scatter the remaining crushed mini eggs over the top.
- Serve whilst the ganache is still runny so you get gorgeous melted warm chocolate with the crunchy cornflake cake top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
