Nutella chocolate loaf cake recipe (with an adorable hidden bunny centre)

Name: Nutella chocolate loaf cake recipe (with an adorable hidden bunny centre)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 8 - 10 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 shop bought madeira loaf; 200 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease; 200 g caster sugar; 4 medium eggs, beaten; 175 g self-raising flour; 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 40 g cocoa powder; 2 tbsp. milk; 100 g unsalted butter, softened; 100 g icing sugar; 175 g Nutella; 1-2 tbsp milk; crumbled chocolate Flake, chocolate rabbits, mini eggs and colourful sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

Slice into this decadent chocolate cake with Nutella icing to find a little surprise inside…

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 07 April 2025

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When you cut into this chocolate loaf cake, you'll be met with a fun Easter surprise - a madeira cake in the shape of a bunny! This cake is topped with Nutella buttercream and all of your favourite Easter confectionary.

This is a very fun Easter baking activity that requires a bit of patience - but we think is totally worth the effort.

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Yields:

8 - 10 serving(s)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr 25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 55 mins

Cal/Serv:

624

Ingredients

1
shop bought madeira loaf

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE

200 g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
200 g
caster sugar
4
medium eggs, beaten
175 g
self-raising flour
1/2 tsp.
baking powder
40 g
cocoa powder
2 Tbsp.
milk

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM AND DECORATION

100 g
unsalted butter, softened
100 g
icing sugar
175 g
Nutella
1-2 tbsp milk
crumbled chocolate Flake, chocolate rabbits, mini eggs and colourful sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. Step 1
  Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin (ideally a deep tin, we used a 17 x 10 x 8.5cm tin) with baking parchment. Cut the madeira cake into 2cm slices and stamp out bunny shapes using a cutter. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or freezer proof plate and put in the freezer to firm up.
2. Step 2
  Make the chocolate sponge: Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually whisk in the eggs. Sift over the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the cocoa and fold in with the milk.
3. Step 3
  Spread about a third of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the cake tin and spread to level. Remove bunny sponges from the freezer. Gently and carefully press the sponges down vertically into the centre of the cake mixture so they fit snugly in a line with no gaps in between, leaving a small space at either end for the chocolate sponge batter. Carefully spoon the remaining chocolate batter into the tin (don’t worry if a little of the madeira cake pokes through, or you can’t completely level the mixture as it will even out as it bakes). Bake for about 45min or until firm and springy to the touch, then leave to cool in the tin.
4. Step 4
  For the Nutella buttercream, beat the butter until soft and smooth, then beat in the icing sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Beat in the Nutella until smooth and combined, and finally stir in enough milk to loosen to a spreadable consistency. Spread icing over the cake and decorate with mini eggs, chocolate rabbits and sprinkles.

GH TIPS:

We've used a shop-bought Madeira cake to speed this up. If you struggle to find this in stores, use any vanilla cake you can find instead.

Feel free to personalise the toppings as you like. We've opted for mini eggs, crumbled Flake and Malteser bunnies, but you could top with a drizzle of Nutella, Ferrero Rocher's or any other chocolate you like best.