A classic for Easter, Spiegeleierkuchen tastes delicious year-round! This one-of-a-kind German cake resembles sunny-side-up eggs, which are also fun for April Fool's Day.
We used gluten-free almond flour that gives a nutty base for "bread," white chocolate pudding lends the creamy "egg whites," and canned apricot halves make the perfect "egg yolks."
In terms of taste and appearance, the fried eggs cake with sour cream, pudding, and apricots is a real hit at Easter.
We fooled our grandkids with this cake who refused to eat eggs for dessert, ha! Their faces realizing it's an actual cake were priceless. The had the same look when I cut into this surprise Easter cake.
The little girl in me thinks that food in disguise is super duper fun! Nobody minds when April Fools' prank turns out sweet, right?
You can prank me any time with this faux egg cake, chocolate salami, or mushroom cookies.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions. However, there's important stuff to know before you scroll down.
📃 Why it Works
- This dessert yields a soft cake base and creamy topping with a touch of fruit.
- It's fun for kids and adults alike.
- It's such a cheerful and sunny cake, it makes everyone smile.
- It's easy enough to follow even for a novice baker.
- It's budget-friendly.
Although Germans typically bake this cake to welcome spring and Easter, it is not a rule. You can often find it at parties at any time of the year because it's easy to make.
Traditionally, they bake it in a large, 9x13-inch baking pan, so it feeds a crowd.
In my six years in Germany, I've never made this cake. My ex-mother-in-law baked it every year for the kids at Easter.
I wanted to bake a gluten-free version so I feel less guilty going in for seconds and thirds. If you're not into GF, I found this fried egg cake recipe by Sprinkle Bakes to be the closest to my MIL's.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
- Eggs - we use large, white or brown.
- Maple syrup -you can use honey or sugar to sweeten the batter.
- Almond flour/meal - or you can use your favorite cake mix.
- Canned apricot halves - I highly recommend Del Monte apricots. The halves are firm and perfectly shaped. Some other brands I tried were less than desirable - they were too soft and fell apart.
- White chocolate instant pudding and pie filling - Vanilla pudding is fine too, but it makes the "egg white" look ivory/yellowish in color.
- Sour cream - best to use full fat but if you must, use light or fat-free sour cream.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
- Make the base or "bread" layer - Whisk the eggs with vanilla and maple syrup then add baking soda, butter, and flour; bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Make the "egg white" layer - Mix the white chocolate instant pudding with milk and add sour cream. Spread the pudding mixture over the cooled cake.
- Make the "egg yolks" - Drain the apricot halves, pat dry with paper towels, and distribute them on top of the pudding layer.
- Finish the cake - Glaze the apricots with reserved juices.
- You can easily double this recipe if you're serving it to more than 9 people. Use two 9" square pans or one 10x15-inch pan.
- Line the pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cake.
- Don't forget to dry the apricots! Otherwise, their juice is going to ruin the frosting, egg white, layer.
- A sprinkle of fake salt and pepper will make these eggs even more convincing. I used white crystal sprinkles for the salt, grated dark chocolate as pepper, and green candy shreds for chives. You can omit the "salt" and also use poppy seeds, cocoa powder, or ground vanilla bean powder as your pepper. Chopped pistachios make good chives as well.
This Spiegeleirekuchen is the only way I'll eat my eggs sunny-side-up. No runny egg yolks for me, thank you very much! Whether you serve it as a prank or to celebrate Easter, your guests will for sure take a second look.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
You can bake and assemble this cake a day in advance.
Cover with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
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Spiegeleierkuchen - German Sunny Side Up Cake
EQUIPMENT
- 9" square baking pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ⅓ cups almond flour/meal
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
For the "egg" topping
- 1 15 oz. can apricot halves, ½ cup juice reserved
- 1 3.3 oz. package white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
- 1 cup whole milk, cold
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9" square baking pan with cooking spray or oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, salt, and maple syrup. Add in the baking soda and half the almond flour. Stir well to combine. Stir in the butter and remaining flour.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Bake 15-18 minutes or until set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
For the "egg" topping
- Drain the apricots, collecting the juice. Place the apricot halves, cut side down, on a paper towel to dry.
- In a bowl, whisk the pudding mix with 1 cup milk until it thickens. Add sour cream and mix until combined. Spread the "egg white" evenly over the cooled cake using an offset spatula.
- Distribute apricot halves on top of the pudding and glaze with reserved juices using a pastry brush. Refrigerate before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe to serve it to more than nine people - either use two 9" square pans or one 10x15-inch pan.
- Lining the pan with parchment paper ensures easy removal of the cake. You can either serve it from the pan or place the cake base on a serving plate first and then spread the topping. Either way, you don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- I highly recommend Del Monte apricots. The halves are firm and perfectly shaped. Some other brands I tried were less than desirable - they were too soft and fell apart.
- You can use vanilla pudding if you wish, but most have a yellow hue which is not suitable for "egg whites." Even the white chocolate pudding was off-white, but the addition of sour cream turned it white enough.
- A sprinkle of fake salt and pepper will make these eggs even more convincing. I used white crystal sprinkles for the salt, grated dark chocolate as pepper, and green candy shreds for chives. You can omit the "salt" and use cocoa powder or ground vanilla bean powder as your pepper. Chopped pistachios make good chives as well.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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