If you want to choose a clearly stated, high cocoa content for your Christmas treats, start with a plain egg cake and add dark chocolate separately. A ready-made chocolate egg cake is easier to decorate, but the product name alone won’t tell you the cocoa percentage. Baking from scratch lets you control the mixture, but you’ll need to set aside time to whisk and bake.
If you want to decide how much cocoa the chocolate you add contains, check the percentage of cocoa solids on the packaging. Albert Heijn lists at least 71% for the Verkade Cooking Chocolate reviewed and at least 85% for the Delicata bar.
You can decorate a shop-bought egg cake without baking the cake yourself first. Jumbo suggests using them for mini treats and recommends melted dark chocolate as a decoration for egg cakes.
If you want to add cocoa to the cake itself, you can follow a chocolate egg cake recipe that uses cocoa powder. Bear the light texture in mind when baking: Jumbo recommends baking egg cakes until they’re only lightly coloured.
First decide whether you want the chocolate accent in the decoration or in the egg cake itself. Then choose between a shop-bought base to decorate and a mixture you make yourself.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Stated cocoa content | Read the percentage of cocoa solids on the chocolate packaging and check that the product you choose is right for your finishing touch. | I want to choose a chocolate with a clearly stated dark chocolate flavour for my Christmas treats, rather than relying on the word ‘chocolate’. For around 42% of consumers, a stated cocoa content is the priority. |
| Quick to decorate | Choose an egg cake with the soft or crisp texture you prefer, and check the topping separately. | If I want to do as little baking as possible, I’d rather use a shop-bought egg cake as the base for a small treat. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this quick decorating option. |
| Baking from scratch | Choose a recipe that explains how to add cocoa to the mixture and how to bake the egg cakes so they stay light. | I want the chocolate accent in the cake itself and don’t mind making the mixture. Around 25% of consumers say this preference for baking from scratch matters most to them. |
These words don’t specify a particular percentage. The dark chocolate drops described by Jumbo contain at least 40% cocoa solids; Albert Heijn lists at least 71% for Verkade Cooking Chocolate and at least 85% for a Delicata bar.
If the percentage is what matters most, compare the stated cocoa solids content.
A darker bake doesn’t mean there’s cocoa in the mixture. Jumbo recommends baking egg cakes until they’re lightly coloured to keep them soft and airy.
Use a suitable recipe with cocoa powder to add chocolate to the cake itself, or top a lightly baked egg cake with dark chocolate.
The base and the chocolate each have their own ingredients and allergen information. The AH Egg Cakes described contain egg, wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients; for the Verkade Cooking Chocolate reviewed, Albert Heijn lists soya and the possible presence of other allergens.
Check the current labels on both the egg cake and the chocolate before use.
An option for separate dark cooking chocolate to pair with an egg cake, rather than a ready-made dark chocolate egg cake.
The product information described includes both egg cakes and a separate dark chocolate bar.
Offers an egg cake recipe with dark chocolate as a decorating tip, as well as information about separate chocolate products.
The Crisp Egg Cake with Cinnamon described is a cinnamon option, not one with a dark chocolate topping.
The egg cakes described are a possible base to decorate yourself.
The Heerlijck Banket barn-egg cakes described are a possible base for your own finishing touch.
This chocolate bar suits the option of choosing dark chocolate separately to go with a plain egg cake. It isn’t an egg cake; before buying, check that the bar is suitable for the finish you want to create.
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For anyone looking for a chocolate bar with a clearly stated high cocoa content to pair with a separate egg cake base.
The bar states 85% cocoa and contains 100 g. Check the current label for allergen information, and make sure the bar is suitable for melting if you want to use it as a melted decoration.
Pairing a plain egg cake with separately chosen dark chocolate lets you select a stated cocoa percentage. Albert Heijn lists at least 71% cocoa solids for the Verkade Cooking Chocolate reviewed and at least 85% for the Delicata bar; the name of a chocolate egg cake alone doesn’t tell you what percentage of cocoa the chocolate contains.
Check the labels on both products, as the egg cake and chocolate may contain different ingredients. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that the specified allergens must be listed on the label. The products described include ingredients such as egg, wheat, milk and soya, while some chocolate products carry warnings about the possible presence of nuts.
Use online product information to compare options, but check the current packaging on both the egg cake and the chocolate before use. This is particularly important for the cocoa percentage, ingredients and allergen warnings on the products you actually buy.
Follow the storage instructions on the chocolate packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened dark chocolate in a kitchen cupboard. If you’ve already decorated any egg cakes, also check the storage instructions for the base and any other toppings you’ve used.
