Easter Basket Cake Recipe

This Easter Basket Cake is an easy and fun recipe, which uses a store-bought angel food cake and fondant for decoration. It’s a fun kid-friendly project, ready in about 30 minutes.

Jump to Recipe

Easter Basket Cake Ingredients

• 1 package fondant
• Pink and purple food coloring
• 1 store-bought angel food cake
• 1 (16-ounce) container white frosting
• Oval sandwich cookies (like Vienna Fingers or similar)
• Assorted Easter candy (jelly beans, chocolate eggs, etc.)
• Edible cake decorating spray (optional)

How To Make Easter Basket Cake

1. Place the Cake: Carefully place the store-bought angel food cake on a large, flat serving platter. This will be your “basket.”
2. Frost the “Basket”: Using an offset spatula, frost the entire outside (the sides) and the top rim of the angel food cake with the white frosting. You don’t need to frost the inside of the hole.
3. Create the “Weave”: Press the oval sandwich cookies vertically into the frosting on the outside of the cake, side-by-side, all the way around to create the look of a woven basket.
4. Spray the Basket (Optional): If using, hold the edible cake spray about 10-12 inches away and lightly mist the cookie-covered sides to give your “basket” a uniform color or shimmer.
5. Make the Handle: Divide your fondant in two. Knead a few drops of pink food coloring into one half and purple into the other. Roll the two colors into long, thin ropes. Twist the two ropes together, like a candy cane, to create one long, colorful handle.
6. Attach the Handle: Gently bend the twisted fondant rope into an arch and press the two ends firmly into the top of the angel food cake, on opposite sides, to secure it.
7. Fill the Basket: Fill the center hole of the angel food cake all the way to the top with your assorted Easter candy (jelly beans, chocolate eggs, etc.).
8. Serve: Serve the cake as a centerpiece.

Recipe Tips

• How do I get the handle to stand up? A fondant handle can be heavy and may droop. For best results, make the handle 1-2 hours ahead of time and let it dry on a piece of parchment paper in an arch shape. For extra support, you can insert an uncoated floral wire or a bent-pipe cleaner inside the fondant twist before you shape it (just warn guests before eating!).
• What if I can’t find fondant? You can make an easy handle by twisting 2-3 colorful pipe cleaners together. It won’t be edible, but it’s very easy. You can also use long, flexible licorice ropes (like Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel).
• How do I keep the cookies from falling off? The frosting is your “glue.” Apply a thick, generous layer of frosting to the sides of the cake so the cookies have plenty to stick to.
• Can I add “grass” to my basket? Yes! This is a great touch. You can buy edible Easter grass, or place a handful of sweetened, flaked coconut in a Ziploc bag with 2-3 drops of green food coloring, shake to combine, and sprinkle it on top of the candy.

What To Serve With Easter Basket Cake

This cake is a complete dessert and a centerpiece in one! It’s best served on its own or with simple beverages for an Easter party.

• A cold glass of milk
• Coffee or tea for the adults
• A light, fruity punch

How To Store Easter Basket Cake

• Store: This cake is best assembled the day you plan to serve it. Store it, uncovered, in a cool, dry place at room temperature.
• Refrigerate: You can refrigerate it, but be aware that the fondant handle may become soft and droop due to the moisture.

Easter Basket Cake Nutrition Facts

Nutrition information is highly variable and depends entirely on the specific brands of store-bought cake, frosting, cookies, and candy used. This is a celebratory treat meant for sharing.

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs