Intensive Cake Unit

Tag: birthday cake

Basketball Cake
How to make a Basketball Cake when you have next to zero time…
Story time. I once got a rather anxious-sounding request from one of my co-workers.
Her son’s birthday was in just a couple of days, and she’d gotten a cancellation notice from the baker she had booked. She needed a basketball cake for her son’s birthday. Usually not too difficult to get – but not in a couple of days! Mind you – this was early summer of 2020 when the whole world was a pandemic-ridden disaster.
I was fortunate enough to have the actual birthday day available to drop off the cake. But with so little notice (no fault of my poor coworker), and two 12-hour shifts to work in the meantime, I had *very* little time to work with!
A few more elaborate ideas had to come off the table because of the short time available. Because I didn’t have time to get a large enough half-sphere pan – this was the design we went with! Just a classic-shaped cake with a basketball design – it worked!
Why make this basketball cake?
Having had to make it under the gun of very limited time, I can tell you it’s easy and quick!
Easy enough to bake, assemble, and decorate even with not much time – even if you’re not an experienced cake-maker!
Chocolate cake layers and cream cheese buttercream frosting are my go-to cake bases for a reason – they’re a great combo! Cake layers and frosting both come together in one bowl each, and the cake layers feature my favorite secret ingredient – buttermilk!
Sometimes simple is the way to go – this cake was a big hit at the party I sent it to, and will be great for yours too!
This would be a great go-to if you need a basketball cake for a kids birthday party, a basketball team season-end party, or even a March Madness game day party!
Recipe + links + video below!
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
FAQs:
Can I make the cake / frosting ahead of time?
Definitely! (Well done you for planning ahead far enough to ask this question! 😉 )
Wrap the cake layers well and refrigerate up to 4 days (or freeze up to 4 months).
Transfer the frosting to a zip-lock bag and squeeze out the extra air, and again – refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months. (They might be okay in the freezer longer than that; I’ve just not personally tested it.)
Cover any remaining cake well to keep it from drying out – it will keep 2-3 days in the fridge. I’d be lying to say I’ve never stored leftover cake on the counter – but it’s definitely wiser to store it in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting.
QUICK ‘CHEATER’ CAKE LAYER VERSION –
I don’t exactly recommend this, but am still going to put out the option because I’ve tried it and it worked okay.
You can simply the cake-baking with cake mixes. (I know, I know. Judge all you want. I have two small kids as I update this post; I’ve had to call an audible or two in the last couple of years to maintain my sanity. I didn’t say it was the best option, just that it can save you some time and mess. Cool?)
Substitute 2 of your favorite chocolate cake mixes plus the ingredients the mix calls for, and keep the baking pans the same. The cake layers will just be a little less dense and rich.
Substituting butter for oil and buttermilk for the milk or water will make the cake layers richer. 🙂

Print Recipe

Basketball Cake

How to make a super simple Basketball cake – perfect for when you have next to zero time!

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Basketball Cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 755kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle (or an 8-inch cake circle; I prefer Wilton's center-punched circles)
3 8 inch round cake pans
Cake leveler
Cake turntable
large offset spatula
cake scraper or pastry cutter
small piping bag + tip (linked is a set that includes both; if you just need the tip the one I used is very similar to Ateco 44 or 45)
Kitchen scale (optional, if you'd like to measure ingredients in grams)

Ingredients
Chocolate Basketball Cake layers
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350 grams)
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450 grams)
1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda (5 grams)
¾ teaspoon salt (4 grams)
1 cup unsalted butter (227 grams or 2 sticks, softened)
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups 350mL buttermilk (350mL; buttermilk powder with water is an option if you can’t find liquid buttermilk at your grocery store!)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
8 oz cream cheese one package, softened
16 Tablespoons butter two sticks, softened
6-7 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 T clear vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Orange gel food color (feel free to add later if you’d rather use less food color & fill the cake with white frosting! I used Americolor orange)
Black gel food color (Save and use later! I used Americolor Super Black)

Instructions
Basketball Cake layers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C) or 325 FC (160C) for a convection oven. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured spray and/or line pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (or sift the ingredients together). Add in the softened butter until it’s well incorporated into the dry ingredients and no lumps of butter are visible.
Next, add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla together and whisk until well combined. With the mixer on low, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.
Fill the three pans evenly – I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined. (If you want to use a bit less color, you can fill and crumb-coat your cake layers with white frosting and just use orange for the outermost coat of frosting. Up to you!)
Add gel food color until desired color is reached – if you have time, making your frosting a day or so ahead and letting it sit overnight to let the color deepen lets you get away with less gel color!
Remove about ¼ cup of frosting from the bowl and add Black gel food color (I used Americolor Super black) until a dark consistency is reached. You can also add a bit of cocoa powder to deepen the color without using so much gel color! (You'll use this at the end to decorate!)
Assembly
Once your cakes are cool, level them (if needed/desired). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler. Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle.
Spread the layer with frosting, and center your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
Frosting & Decorating
Now you’re ready to crumb-coat . If you’re unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it’s just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or freezer to set the frosting.
Now you’re ready to decorate! Transfer your black frosting to a piping bag fitted with a flat/oblong nozzle (see links above) and (see video for help with this part) pipe first a ‘+’ over the top of the cake and down the sides. Add two curved lines to the top – )( – and follow the lines down the sides of the cake.

Video

Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 755kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 35g
And you’re done! Super easy!
Did you make this Basketball cake?
Make this recipe? Let me know how it went – or find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Other recipes you may love…
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
August 12, 2020
'Older Than Dirt' Cake
I love snarky birthday cakes!
I love snarky birthday cakes SO much! This Older Than Dirt’ cake is up there with my ‘Holy Crap You’re Old’ TP Cake and Poo Emoji Cupcakes on the favorites list 😉
And there’s even more reasons to love this one! This ‘Older than Dirt’ cake is soo much less work than the other aforementioned cakes. It’s more colorful, messier, and just as fun!
Why it makes such a great birthday cake –
Dirt cakes are some of my favorites to decorate – there’s nothing messier than dirt, so you can’t go wrong decorating!
Chocolate cake layers that come together with simple ingredients in one bowl – and super easy-to-make chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting!
The chocolate ganache drip (0nly 2 ingredients!) adds even more chocolate and a fun ‘mud’ look to the cake – and really – what beats chocolate and Oreos and ganache for a birthday cake? Add on a few gummy worms and you’ve got a sure-fire winner of a cake!
Recipe and instructions are below!
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
FAQs
“Any tips for frosting the cake?”
I thought you’d never ask! 😉
I actually have an entire post on frosting cakes! If you’re short on reading time though, I’ll hit the highlights here. Or if you prefer, here’s the same info in a YouTube video.
First, some equipment will be super helpful – I always recommend a
Cardboard cake circle – (or a fully flat plate)
Cake turntable
Cake scraper or pastry cutter
(If you don’t have any of those cake-specific supplies, you could try using the ‘wheel’ of a microwave turntable, and cutting down something like a large plastic lid. My first DIY scraper was definitely cut from a food container lid!)
First, make sure your layers are flat and even – if they’re domed or uneven trim the tops down a bit.
A crumb-coat is highly recommended to keep crumbs out of that final frosting layer!
Finally, when you apply your final frosting coat, I highly recommend chilling or flash freezing your cake first (unless you live in a very humid area). This really helps firm up the frosting next to the cake and make it easier to smooth!
“How do I store this cake?”
(If I assemble a cake ahead of time, I always store it in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting. Allow to come to room temperature before serving though.
If covered well, and cake will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Good luck getting it to last that long though! 😉
One quick time-saver hack –
I’ve noticed from paging through search results for this cake – most of them are super-simple sheet cakes. If you’re on the fence about this one, know that you don’t *have* to make the layers from scratch!
Obviously, I recommend scratch layers because man – there’s just not beatable taste-wise! But I also recognize that sometimes you need to save to time / hassle / mess in the kitchen. Doctoring up 2 boxed cake mixes by substituting in buttermilk for water, butter for oil, and adding an extra egg will give you surprisingly good cake layers! Just an option 🙂

Print Recipe

Older Than Dirt Cake

A birthday rendition of the popular 'dirt cake' - make this deliciously hilarious 'Older than Dirt' chocolate Oreo birthday cake!

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dirt Birthday Cake, Dirt Cake Decoration, Dirt Cake Recipe, Older Than Dirt Birthday Cake, Older Than Dirt Cake, Oreo Dirt Birthday Cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 795kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle
Baker's floured cooking spray (optional, but I prefer this spray to parchment rounds)
1 large piping bag + star tip
1 Squeeze bottle (or small piping bag or spoon; to add cake drip)
large offset spatula
Cake leveler
Cake turntable
cake scraper or pastry cutter
1 'Older Than Dirt' Cake topper (here's one available on Amazon, but I think I like this one from Swankerie’s Etsy shop better! (Mine was black and 5” across)

Ingredients
Older Than Dirt Cake layers
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350g)
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100g)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks/250g, softened)
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups buttermilk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (one package, softened)
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
5 ½ -6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
4-6 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Drip & Decorations
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup; for cake drip)
6 ounces heavy whipping cream (3/4 cup; for cake drip)
1 cup of chopped chocolate (for decorating; I used Dove chocolate)
15-20 Dark Chocolate Oreos, chopped (regular Oreos would work; chocolate Oreos just fit the dirt theme better!)
10-15 Gummy worms I used a mix of Black Forest, Trolli, and Haribo twin snakes!

Instructions
Older Than Dirt Cake layers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C) or 325 FC (160C) for a convection oven. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with non-stick or baker's floured spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low for a minute to combine dry ingredients. Add softened butter 1 Tablespoon at a time until well incorporated into the dry ingredients and no lumps of butter are visible.
Next, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together until well combined. With the mixer on low, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.
Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
Once your cake layers are cool, level them (if needed/desired). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler.
Ensure cake layers are well-cooled or chilled before decorating. This is a great time to start prepping your frosting and ganache!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with cocoa powder and milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Assembly
Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting, and use your offset spatula to press in slightly to the center and create a bit of a ‘rim’ around the outside of the cake. Sprinkle the frosting with chopped chocolate, Oreo pieces, and a drizzle of chocolate ganache if you’d like (recipe below).
Add your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
Firmly set your crumb coat – about 10 minutes in the freezer. Once your crumb coat has set, add your final layer of frosting and texture – I used a small offset spatula followed by fewer-than-usual passes with a bench scraper for this part; it added an irregular mud-like texture to the cake sides that I liked. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge to set the frosting.
Chocolate ganache drip
Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
Decorating
When your ganache has cooled to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid – transfer it to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. (Or use a spoon; you'll just have a little less control.)
Slowly drizzle ganache around the upper edge of your cake, pausing every inch or so to let more fall in a drip down the side of the cake. I left a few breaks in the drip to make room to add some gummy worms to the sides. Return cake to the fridge or freezer to set the drips.
Top your cake with your cake topper! Transfer some frosting to your piping bag – I used the large star tip – and add a rim of frosting swirls around the top of the cake. Decorate gummy worms and sprinkles of chopped chocolate and Oreos - I covered the cake top with worms, chocolate, and Oreos and added a few gummy worms to the sides of the cake as well.
And you're done! Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes
Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.

Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g
Did you make this Older Than Dirt Cake?
Let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Mentioned in post
Chocolate Cake layers
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Other recipes you may love…
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
March 5, 2020
Batman Birthday Cake
Need a cake for a Batman fan?
Well I've got you covered! Regardless of your prior cake decorating experience, I really do have a high confidence margin you can pull this one off! You know that quote / advice / proverb / whatever - "Do one thing every day that scares you"? That about sums up my assembly of this Batman birthday cake! 😉 That said, I didn't need to be as nervous as I was going into it.
I’d seen Batman cakes before with ‘city skyline’ borders, and thought they looked SO cool! I’ve had a bit of trouble making realistic-looking shapes with fondant before though. Given that, I was doubtful about my ability to pull off the 'city skyline' look. But gathered black fondant and yellow frosting to give it a shot. The bad news? I'm still slow, so it was a touch time-consuming, but the good news? I LOVED the way it turned out!!
Promise you, if I can do it you can make this Batman Birthday cake! I just cut out paper shapes to use as templates, and actually found that the fondant was shockingly forgiving to shape. Even with my lack of fondant experience the logo and skyline were pretty convincing 😉
Cake, filling, frosting, drip and fondant recipes below!

FAQs -
"Any tips on the fondant decorations if I've never done decorations like them before?"
First tip - give yourself a confidence-boosting pep talk - because honestly if I can do it you absolutely can!
Next! Have a bit of water and a bit of powdered sugar or cornstarch on hand - water helps stick any fondant that cracks back together and cornstarch/powdered sugar helps release any that gets stuck to your cutting board or tools.
Third, I highly recommend working from a paper cut-out template unless you're a better free-hander designer than I am (which, honestly, is likely).
Finally - patience if it's a little time-consuming! Getting all those little angles cut took me some time, but I really liked the look of the cake when it was done! If you're under the gun time-wise (like I was) the skyline doesn't have to go around the entire cake.
"Can I use a different cake / frosting recipe?"
Cake recipe - absolutely change it up if you'd like! The flavor / color cake layers shouldn't make a difference here, and the height of the cake is up to you.
Frosting recipe - if you know you have a color-able recipe that you love, go for it! I'd advise a bit of caution changing the frosting recipe unless you know you have a recipe that colors well.
"Can I prep this cake and/or the frosting ahead of time?"
Short answer - yes you can! With a couple of caveats...details below. 🙂
The cake layers can be baked and cooled, then well-wrapped and frozen for up to 4 months.
The frosting can be made and frozen for up to 4 months - I recommend thawing in the refrigerator.
I've not done a lot of experimenting with prepping fondant decorations ahead of time - well-wrapped they should keep at room temperature without drying out for a couple of days. But because you'd need these to transfer to the cake sides without cracking I don't think I'd recommend prepping any further ahead than that.
Also - if you're wanting to assemble + decorate the entire cake ahead of time, I'd recommend storing it in the fridge rather than the freezer. I've had a couple of fondant decorations 'bleed' color onto the cake while thawing on a couple of tester cakes.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
Don't forget to pin this recipe for later!

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Batman Birthday Cake

Yellow frosting, a bit of black fondant, and a black ganache drip (optional) are all you need to decorate an easy but impressive Batman birthday cake!

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Batman birthday cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 718kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle
Cake turntable
Cake leveler
large offset spatula
cake scraper or pastry cutter
1 Squeeze bottle (optional, for ganache drip)
small piping bag + small round tip (linked is a set that includes both; the tip is similar to Wilton #2)
small food-safe brush (to help adhere/ remove powdered sugar from fondant transfers)

Ingredients
Batman Birthday cake layers
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, room temperature)
5 eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Yellow Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (one package)
1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
6-7 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 drops yellow gel food color (or 8-10 drops liquid yellow food color)
Filling / Decorations
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips divided; for filling & drip
6 oz heavy whipping cream for drip; details below
1-2 drops Black gel food color for drip; details below
4 ounces Black fondant (linked is my favorite brand from Amazon)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds, and /or grease with non-stick or baker’s floured cooking spray.
Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.
Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
Pour in eggs and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two parts on low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
Bake for 35-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans – it helps to run an offset spatula or knife around the perimeter of the pan first. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
This part is optional, but once the layers have fully cooled, the caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming. If you try to trim the layers while they’re still warm, they will crumble and break.
Frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. Stir in food color.
Once your cakes are cool, level them (if needed/desired). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler. Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle.
Spread the layer with frosting. (Optional, but you can add a sprinkle of chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate ganache if you’re feeling fancy! If you fill the cake with chocolate, pipe a small 'dam' of yellow frosting to make sure the chocolate doesn't discolor the outside of the cake.)
Add your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and cake scraper / pastry cutter for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or freezer to set the frosting.
The fun part! Decorations!
Fondant can be purchased, or it’s less expensive and not too difficult to make your own! Note though – I recommend making this fondant a day or two ahead of time; it tears much more easily if used too soon.
Whether you make or buy your fondant, here are Links to the images I used for templates – the Batman Logo: ( https://flyingmeat.com/acorn/docs/batman_logo0.png ) and Batman City Skyline: ( https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51228514486009837/ )
I started by pasting the images above into a photo editor, printing them in a couple of sizes, and then cutting out the sizes I liked best after holding them against the cake.
Using the paper outline as a guide, cut out the black Batman logo and the city skyline shapes (I did this in a few different sections to make it easier to transfer!) I also cut out the oval black ring around the Batman logo - since it's fairly thin, I found it easiest to place the paper on top of the cake, position the fondant over the paper, and remove the paper from underneath the fondant to make sure it kept its oval shape.
Wet a small brush (you could use a basting brush; I used a new craft foam paintbrush) and dampen the top and sides of the cake slightly to help adhere the fondant. Once the logo and skyline shapes are in place, you can use the same brush to clean any excess powdered sugar off.
With a small piping bag (and I used the same paper images as a template) pipe yellow frosting onto your city skyline to make the building windows. I made the mistake of doing some piping before transferring the buildings to the cake, and ended up scraping most of it off to do over. :/ I highly recommend you save yourself that particular headache and do the piping after the transfer to the cake!
This drip is 100% optional – you could run the skyline around the entire cake border – but I opted to make a black ‘cake cape’ with black chocolate ganache.
Ganache: place 6oz chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Add 6oz whipping cream and microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Stir in black food color.
Cool to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid. Transfer it to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. A spoon will work if you don’t have either of those, I've just found spoons to be a little bit more difficult to work with.
Slowly drizzle ganache around the upper edge of the back half of your cake, pausing every inch or so to let more ganache fall in a drip down the side. Return cake to the fridge or freezer to set the drips.
And that’s it – congratulations on your kick-butt Batman Cake!

Video

Notes
Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.

Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 38g
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
Other recipes you may love...
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
PJ Masks Cake
Sprinkle Birthday Cake
Superheroes Birthday Cake
April 30, 2019
Oreo Overload Cake
One of my most requested cake recipes!
Having a baking blog means you need recipe testers. And one of the best things about having testers is the awesome ideas they come up with! Many of absolute favorite cakes to date have been created at requests from friends, family, or coworkers. And - based on pageviews - they tend to be the most popular once I get the recipes posted! Below is my recipe for one of them – my take on the Oreo Overload cake!
Just from the name alone you know an 'Oreo Overload Cake' should look...well...overloaded. So I went ALL in!
I added a chocolate ganache drip to a chocolate cake filled and covered with Oreo cream cheese frosting. Then I used frosting and ganache to add huge towering pile of Double-Stuf Oreos to the top!
Recipes, instructions, FAQs, and links to supplies available online are below! Please feel free to email me with any questions - emails through my contact page go straight to my inbox! Happy baking!
FAQS:
What do I need to make an Oreo Overload Cake?
You'll need classic cake ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, butter, vanilla, eggs, - and one of my favorite cake ingredients; buttermilk! You'll also need crushed Oreo cookies to fill the cake!
For the frosting I used cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make it spreadable! Stir in more crushed Oreos at the very end so the Oreo crumbs don't turn your frosting too dark brown.
Can I make the cake / frosting ahead of time?
Definitely! Wrap the cake layers well and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months.
Transfer the frosting to a zip-lock bag and squeeze out the extra air, and again - refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months.
Also - if you're actually asking this question - well done you for planning that far ahead!!
How should I store this cake?
Before serving, I tend to lean toward storing cakes with ganache decorations like drips in the refrigerator in a cake box. You could also wrap it very loosely in plastic wrap, but you run the risk of messing up some of your cake drips. I recommend the refrigerator because of the cream cheese in the frosting, but I also recommend allowing the cake to come to room temperature (1-2 hours depending on the temperature of the room) before serving.
After you cut the cake, cover or wrap any remaining cake well to keep it from drying out. It will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days if well-protected from the circulating air in the fridge. (It might keep longer, I just personally haven't checked. Good luck keeping it from getting eaten that long too!)
"I've never added a drip to a cake before...so idk. What do I need to know?"
First off - you can do it! Don't even stress; it's really a simple process.
BIGGEST most important tip I can pass on - measure your chocolate and heavy whipping cream carefully + accurately. Too much/little of either will tend to have an effect on your drip consistency.
Next - I highly recommend trying a test drip first! Make sure you're happy with the way the ganache is dripping before you pour it over the entire cake. Take it from someone who's skipped the test drip and had to scrape a runny mess off her cake. WAY bigger headache than it's worth!!
I loved this YouTube tutorial by Sugar&Sparrow when I was new to cake drips!
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
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Oreo Overload Cake

A delicious cake featuring a chocolate ganache drip, cookies n cream cheese frosting, and a mountain of Oreos - make this Oreo Overload Cake!

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cookies n Cream Birthday Cake, Cookies n Cream Cake, Oreo Birthday Cake, Oreo Overload Cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 782kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle (an 8-inch circle would work; I've just found transporting cakes easier on larger circles)
Baker's floured cooking spray
Cake leveler
Cake turntable
large offset spatula
cake scraper or pastry cutter
small piping bag + small round tip (to add lettering & ganache drip to cake)
large piping bag + open star tip (for decorating)

Ingredients
Oreo Overload Cake layers
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350g
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100g)
1 tsp baking soda (5g)
¾ tsp salt (4g)
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks/250g; softened)
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 ½ cups buttermilk (350mL)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
¾ cup Oreo cookie crumbs
Filling, Drip, & Decorations
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
6 oz heavy whipping cream (¾ cup)
1 package Oreo cookies (I used Double Stuf - chop 8 to fill the cake; save the rest for decorating)

Instructions
Oreo Overload Cake layers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Prepare three 8 inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle (or hand mixer or whisk) until well combined. Add in bits of softened butter, mixing until no lumps of butter are visible and the mixture looks crumbly.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds. Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g.
Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. When you're ready to frost the cake, stir in the Oreo crumbs - but don't stir for too long or the crumbs will soften and dissolve, turning your frosting brown!
Chocolate ganache drip
Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Add whipping cream and microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted and smooth.
Assembly
Once your cakes are cool, level them (if needed). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler.
Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with Oreo frosting. (Optional - I piped a rim of frosting around the outer edge and filled the cake with chopped Oreos and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. Optional but recommended!) Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers, adding the final layer on top.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like - a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or freezer to set the frosting and to chill the cake in preparation for adding the ganache drip!
The fun part! Decorating!
When your ganache has cooled to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm but still be fairly liquid – transfer it to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. A spoon will work; I've just found spoons to be a bit more difficult to work with.
Slowly drizzle ganache around the upper edge of your cake, pausing every inch or so to let more ganache fall in a drip down the side of the cake. Return cake to the fridge or freezer to set the drips.
(If you’re piping onto the top of your cake, place the remaining ganache into the fridge to set it to a pipeable consistency for the letters. Once it’s cold enough to hold its shape, transfer it to a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe away! I practiced a few times on a paper towel just to get a feel for what size/shape I needed the letters/numbers to be.)
Time to start piling on the Oreos! I used a large pile in the back cascading to a small rim in the front, but you can do whatever you think looks the best! I used whole Oreos as my base layer and used small amounts of frosting and leftover ganache to stick smaller Oreo pieces onto the top and sides. Add until you’re happy with the way it looks!
Add a rim of Oreo crumbs around the base, and press a few crumbs up into the frosting with the back of a spoon. (Or an offset spatula. Or your fingers. Whatever floats your boat! 😉 ) Step back and admire your amazing Oreo Overload cake!

Video

Notes
Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.

Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 782kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g
Did you make this Oreo Overload Cake?
Send me an email and let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Other recipes you may love…
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
April 13, 2019
Minnie Mouse Smash Cake
Is there anything better...
...anything better than watching littles with their adorable smash cakes? It's usually a massively-messy explosion of cake and frosting with a little one in the center, and I can't handle all the cute! I got to see my little niece with her Minnie Mouse Smash cake for her first birthday, and it was the absolute best!
I raided my local craft store for supplies to top this cake with - but everything I used is available online! You could also save a few decorating steps by purchasing a Minnie Mouse birthday cake topper.
Cake and frosting recipes, decorating supplies, a quick video overview, and all my tips and tricks are below! Enjoy, and happy baking!
Why make this Minnie Mouse smash cake?
Easy and inexpensive to DIY - and the fondant decorations are simple and easy to do yourself!
Simple to make, to decorate, and to personalize!
Cake, filling, and frosting easy to tweak to your preference if you want to use different recipes!
FAQS:
"Your recipe calls for cake mixes? Seriously?"
Okay, all my scratch recipe purists - hear me out on this one! 😉 I'm ALL about those scratch recipes because nothing beats them for taste. One catch though - my favorite scratch recipes are delicious, but they bake too dense to be easily smash-able by little hands. After making many smash cakes over several years, I've found cake mix layers to work the best. Kiddos need to be able to smash their smash cakes! 😉
If you'd like a scratch recipe though, a half batch of my favorite Vanilla Cake layer recipe is a perfect size for smash cakes! 🙂 A scaled version perfect for 6-inch cake layers is on the Vanilla Cake layer recipe page, below the standard recipe.
“How do I transport or store this cake?”
If I need to transport a cake - and before serving - I prefer storing cakes in cake boxes. They help keep the cake from drying out - (but without any fussing with plastic wrap)! If I prep a cake ahead, I place it in the refrigerator until close to serving time. But I allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)

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Print Recipe

Minnie Mouth Smash Cake

Is there anything cuter than smash cakes? Here's how I made an adorable little pink and gold Minnie Mouse Smash Cake!

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Minnie Mouse Birthday Smash Cake, Minnie Mouse first birthday cake, Minnie Mouth Smash Cake

Servings: 1 smash cake

Calories: 688kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
1 6 inch round cake pans
1 8 inch cardboard cake circle (a 6-inch cake circle will work; I've just found moving cakes easier on a larger circle)
Cake leveler (or serrated knife & ruler)
Cake turntable (optional, but makes decorating much faster and easier!)
small offset spatula (to spread frosting)
cake scraper or pastry cutter (to smooth frosting)
large piping bag + star tip (linked is a set that contains the bag & tip I used)

Ingredients
Cake layers
1 box Vanilla cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines French Vanilla)
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted and cooled)
1 cup buttermilk room (room temperature)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 ounces butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Decorations
8 ounces baby pink fondant (for decorating; you can purchase fondant or make your own!)
1-2 Small circle cutters (or bottle caps; I used two sizes, but you could use just one size)
Oval cutter (if adding a name to the cake)
Gold gel icing (optional; to pipe a name on the cake – make sure you allow enough time for this to set/dry! It won’t dry hard, but it will get tacky enough to not run after about an hour.)
Pink sugar pearl sprinkles
Gold sugar pearl sprinkles
2 Cardboard craft circles (for gold Minnie ears – or you could use a cake topper like this one)
Edible gold spray (for gold Minnie ears; I used Wilton spray)
Ruler or tape measure

Instructions
Cake layers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 6 inch round pans with baker's floured cooking spray, or grease and line with parchment rounds.
Combine melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add in cake mix and stir until moistened (about 30 seconds), then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Using a kitchen scale, divide batter evenly between the two 6” pans – I had about 450g in each pan. (Using the kitchen scale guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.)
Bake for 30-35 minutes, (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Assembly
Once your cakes are cool, level them - this can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler.
Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting. Add your second cake layer on top – I like to flip the top layer upside down to make smoothing the top edge easier.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake tiers to keep crumbs out of your final layer. Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth (I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for my final frosting layers).
Decorating
Roll out fondant to about 1/8" thickness and use a tape measure or ruler to cut a strip to run around the base of the cake (or two smaller strips; use a bit of water to hold the edges together).
(Optional) With an oval cutter (or I’ve plastic-wrapped an oval fridge magnet and used that as a guide before), cut a pink oval if you’d like to pipe a name onto the side of the cake.
To make the Minnie 'bow', cut two 1-inch x 6-inch strips and one ½ inch x1 inch strip of pink fondant. Double the longer strips and crimp the centers together into a bow, and wrap the smaller strip over the crimped centers.
Roll out your remaining fondant, and use your circle cutter(s) to punch out several circles to make the polka dots! Cover a few of the polka dots and Minnie ears with gold spray.
Adhere your decorations to your cake with a bit of frosting. (For transport stability I used toothpicks to hold the ears in place.)
Take a step back and admire your adorable cake!

Video

Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)

Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g
Did you make this Minnie Mouse Smash Cake?
Let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Other recipes you may love…
Pictured: Mickey Mouse Cake, Ladybug Smash Cake, Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake, Hawaiian Smash Cake
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
April 12, 2019
Woodland Deer Smash Cake
Woodland Deer smash cake
Smash cakes. are. the. best.
I swear…I don’t think there’s ANYTHING cuter than a little kid with a birthday smash cake! One-year-olds are generally no-limits soldiers, and watching them do anything tends to be entertaining. But smash cakes take that to a whole new level!
Watching a little one take apart a smash cake is like watching a tiny snapshot of their personality – you’ll see them land anywhere on the spectrum between ‘careful and dainty’ and "I have cake AND frosting ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE." 😉 This Woodland Deer Smash Cake was no exception!
This cake was made for a ‘Woodland deer’ themed 1^st birthday party – recipe below!
FAQS:
"Umm...this recipe calls for cake mixes? For real?"
Okay, all my scratch recipe purists - hear me out on this one! Nothing beats scratch recipes for taste. The one catch - my favorite scratch recipes bake too dense for littles to smash. It took me 2 smash cakes to figure that out. After making many smash cakes over several years, I've found cake mixes to work the best. Kiddos need to be able to smash their smash cakes! 😉
All that said though - if you'd like a scratch recipe, go for it! A half batch of my favorite Vanilla Cake layer recipe is a perfect size for smash cakes! 🙂 There's a scaled version on the Vanilla Cake recipe page.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)

Print Recipe

Woodland Deer Smash Cake

Need an easy DIY smash cake for a Woodland Deer party? Fondant molds make this cute Woodland Deer 1st Birthday Smash Cake super easy!

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time32 minutes
Decorating time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 32 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Smash Cake, Woodland Deer Smash Cake

Servings: 1 6" smash cake

Calories: 688kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
1 6 inch round cake pans
1 8 inch cardboard cake circle (a 6-inch cake circle will work; I've just found moving cakes easier on a larger circle)
small offset spatula (to spread frosting)
cake scraper or pastry cutter (to smooth frosting)
Cake turntable (optional, but makes decorating much faster and easier!)
Cake leveler (or serrated knife & ruler)
1 large piping bag + star tip (linked is a set that contains both)
1 small piping bag + leaf tip
Tree branch fondant mold

Ingredients
Cake layers
1 box Vanilla cake mix (I like Duncan Hines French Vanilla)
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, melted and cooled)
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 ounces butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1 small drop soft pink gel food coloring (save & add later)
Decorations
Chocolate or brown fondant (you can purchase this or make your own! (Note – the recipe recommends making fondant several hours or the day before decorating – it molds the best after some resting time.)
Tree branch fondant mold (or a cutting board and small knife)
White jimmies sprinkles (optional)

Instructions
Cake layers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 6 inch round pans with baker's floured cooking spray, or grease and line with parchment rounds.
Combine melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add in cake mix and stir until moistened (about 30 seconds), then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Using a kitchen scale, divide batter evenly between the two 6” pans – I had about 450g in each pan. (Using the kitchen scale guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.)
Bake for 25-32 minutes, (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Remove about ½ c of frosting and color a light green – you’ll use this to pipe leaves a bit later.
Stir pink food coloring into the rest of the frosting until it reaches desired color – add carefully; gel colors are strong.
Assembly
Once your cake layers have cooled, level them - this can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler. Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting. Add your second cake layer on top – I like to flip the top layer upside down to make smoothing the top edge easier.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake tiers to keep crumbs out of your final layer. Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth (I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for my final frosting layers).
Decorating
I decorated with frosting and chocolate fondant - I like Amy’s Confectionary Adventures recipe for chocolate marshmallow fondant, or you can buy it here on Amazon!
Whichever type of fondant you decide to use, soften it slightly in the microwave and shape into small tree trunks / branches and deer antlers. I liked using this fondant mold, but you can also mold your own tree trunks and deer antlers. Press them into the top and around the sides of the cake.
Transfer remaining pink frosting to a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe frosting swirls around the top rim of the cake. White sprinkles optional but recommended!
Transfer your green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a teardrop or leaf tip. (It doesn’t hurt to do some practice leaves onto a plate or paper towel if this is your first time piping them.) Pipe leaves onto the ‘tree trunks’ on the sides of the cake – and you're done! Enjoy watching the cake smashing!

Video

Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)

Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g
Did you make this Woodland Deer Smash cake?
Send me an email and let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Other recipes you may love…
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
October 17, 2018
Grasshopper Ombré Cake
"If it's worth doing....then it's worth doing poorly. Until you can do it well."
- My dad
Years ago - when I was first dabbling in recipe-testing, taking photos, and posting recipes - I made a layered Grasshopper cake.
If that sounds gross - no, no bugs involved! The grasshopper referenced in the recipe is actually a cocktail. The Grasshopper is is typically made with Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao, and heavy cream. And it's every bit as delicious as it sounds!
The ‘Grasshopper cake’ my sisters and I grew up with is a mint green sheet cake covered with chocolate fudge and mint whipped cream. Also as delicious as it sounds!
Since my first attempt taking photos and video of this cake...well, let's just say some practice has made some difference. I've done a LOT more baking and learned a few lessons along the way. (Ask me about the caramel cake I tried once that fell apart on me). After a lot more photo-taking and video-editing practice - I knew these photos and pictures needed a do-over!
I grew up with my dad's favorite 'Grasshopper Cake' every year, and this is layered version with identical flavors and a bit more excitement to the decorations! Got GREAT reviews and the recipe's below!
Why make a Grasshopper Ombre cake?
Rich and lightly minty Creme Menthe flavored cake layers (made with a simple recipe that comes together in just one bowl)
Wrapped in mint cream cheese frosting that smooths beautifully, and filled with semisweet chocolate ganache and chopped chocolate
Topped with piles of chocolate - room for piping if desired - and a chocolate ganache drip!

Try out this Grasshopper Ombre cake; let me know how it goes! Happy baking!
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)

Print Recipe

Grasshopper Ombré Cake

Based on the chocolate mint cocktail, this Grasshopper Ombré Cake features mint layers and is covered in mint frosting and chocolate ganache!

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Grasshopper Cake, Grasshopper Ombre Cake, Mint Chocolate Cake, Mint Chocolate Grasshopper Cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 770kcal

Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle
Baker's floured cooking spray
Cake leveler
Cake turntable
large offset spatula
cake scraper or pastry cutter
Squeeze bottle (or small piping bag or spoon; to add ganache drip)
small piping bag + star tip (optional; for decorating)

Ingredients
Grasshopper Ombre Cake layers
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cup granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, room temperature)
1 cup egg whites (about 7 eggs; you can use egg whites from a carton to avoid wasting the yolks)
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
½ cup Crème de Menthe liqueur
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4-6 drops green gel food color (Save & add later; I used Americolor Leaf Green)
Mint Cream Cheese frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons Creme de Menthe liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4-6 drops green gel food color (Save and add later to color frosting for decorating)
Ganache drip & decorations
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (12 ounces)
2 mint dark chocolate bars
10-12 Andes Mints (or a few more if you tend to eat them as you're baking like I sometimes do... ; ) )

Instructions
Grasshopper Ombre Cake layers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle (or mixing bowl with a hand mixer or whisk) until fully combined.
Mix bits of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks crumbly.
Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Combine the Crème de Menthe, buttermilk, and vanilla, and mix in on a low speed. Add in oil, and beat at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
Divide batter evenly between three bowls (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). Color each bowl a progressively darker shade of green. I used about 1 small drop of gel color for the top layer, 2 for the second layer, and 3-4 for the base layer. Pour into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 34-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting and ganache!)
Once the layers have fully cooled, the caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming - otherwise they may crumble or break.
Mint Cream Cheese frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with Creme de Menthe until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Ganache (for filling and drip)
Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Add whipping cream and microwave on half power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. Reserve about 1 cup for cake drip; place the rest into the fridge until it's semi-solid (so it can be used to fill the cake!)
Assembly
Place the darkest green cake layer on your cake circle (I like to anchor my base layer with a smear of frosting so it doesn’t slide while I’m decorating). Pipe a ring of frosting around the outside of the cake layer (to keep the ganache from showing on the outside of the cake) and spread chocolate ganache over the layer. Repeat the process with your second cake layer, and place the final layer on top. Note – make sure you reserve at least 1/3-1/2 c of ganache to use for the drip!
Use frosting to crumb-coat your cake (if you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like - spread a thin layer of frosting to keep cake crumbs out of your outermost frosting layer). Chill cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes (or 10 in the freezer) to set the crumb coat.
While your cake is chilling, divide your remaining frosting into thirds and color the same way you did your cake layers - progressively darker shades of green. (I made my largest third the darkest green so I'd have some leftover to use for decorating.) Once the crumb coat is set, you're ready to frost your cake - I found it easiest to pipe on the colored frosting layers and smooth with a bench scraper. Set your cake in the fridge to prep the cake for the ganache drip - I've found drips to set the best on a chilled cake.
Cake drip
Okay – ganache drip time! Allow ganache to cool to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. (A spoon will work; I've just found spoons to be a little bit more difficult to work with.)
Slowly drizzle ganache around the upper edge of your cake, pausing every inch or so to let more ganache fall in a drip down the side of the cake. Return cake to the fridge or freezer to set the drips.
Decorating
Break chocolate bars into triangular pieces and arrange on the top of the cake - I used small swirls of green frosting to anchor them in place. Place the largest pieces at the back and work your way forward, adding chocolate pieces and Andes mints. (I covered about half of the cake, leaving an open space to pipe some lettering and wish the cake recipient a happy birthday!)
Add the smallest broken chocolate pieces around the rim of the cake, covering the rim of the cake top.
And you're done! Step back and admire your cake - and enjoy!

Video

Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)

Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 770kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g

Did you make this Grasshopper Ombre Cake?
Please let me know how it went - or find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Other recipes you may love…
(Click / tap the photos to be taken to the recipe pages!)
September 12, 2018
Candy-filled M&M Drip Cake
Where are my fellow klutzes?
(Cause you're in good company!) Seriously. I've fallen down stairs. And fallen going *up* stairs. I've actually tripped on 100% flat linoleum flooring. I've caught toes on countless steps and almost eaten dirt *tons* of times. I drop things, break things, tip things, and spill things. All that said though - that was the source of the idea for this candy-filled M&M Drip cake! I just channeled that tendency to spill things into a cake style where the 'spilled everywhere' look is on purpose! 😉 Recipe and instructions below! 😊
Why you'll love this candy-filled M&M drip cake -
Rich and delicious homemade chocolate cake - featuring my favorite cake secret ingredient - buttermilk!
the *best* homemade chocolate cream cheese frosting
2-ingredient chocolate ganache drip
Fun anti-gravity topper! Plus - can anything beat a huge pile of M&Ms on a cake?
the BEST cakes to cut into are surprise cakes! My little nephew about lost his mind when he saw this cake for the first time!
FAQs:
Can I make the cake / frosting ahead of time?
Short answer - yes, definitely! With one caveat if you check out the next couple bullet points.
Wrap the cake layers well and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months. Transfer the frosting to a zip-lock bag and squeeze out the extra air, and again - refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Allow frosting to come to room temperature before decorating.
On a related note – cover any remaining cake well after serving to keep it from drying out - it will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Note – I once made this cake a day ahead for my mom’s party, and stored it in the fridge overnight. Once it came to room temperature, the change in temperature caused a bit of condensation that made the M&M colors turn a little bit whitish and less bright. You may want to add the M&Ms to the top of the cake right before serving if you make this one ahead!
What if I've never added a drip to a cake before?
Don't stress! It's easier than you probably think it is! 🙂
My biggest tips - make sure you measure your chocolate and heavy cream accurately. Too much/little of either may affect your drip consistency.
Make sure you try a test drip first! Don't pour the ganache over your whole cake until you're confident in the consistency of your ganache.
I loved this YouTube tutorial by Sugar&Sparrow when I was new to cake drips!
Do I have to make the cake / frosting from scratch?
Obviously - as the poster of the recipe - I'd recommend it. Nothing beats scratch recipes for taste!
That said though - I've tried baking from cake mixes and it can be done well! So no, absolutely not if you don't want to!
You can substitute 2 of your favorite chocolate cake mixes plus the ingredients the mix calls for; keep the baking pans the same!
Store bought frosting is usually a little thinner than my recipe; add a 1/4 cup of extra powdered sugar at a time until you reach a consistency that spreads and stays in place on the cake well.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)
Don't forget to pin for later!

Print Recipe

Candy-filled M&M Drip Cake

A surprise M&M-filled cake; this Candy-filled M&M Drip Cake is filled and topped with chocolate frosting, chocolate ganache, and tons of M&Ms!

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Decorating time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: M&M cake, M&Ms cake, M&Ms candy-filled cake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 795kcal

Author: Sarah H

Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans
Baker's floured cooking spray (optional; I like to use this in place of parchment rounds)
1 10 inch cardboard cake circle (or an 8-inch circle; I find larger circles easier to use)
Cake leveler (optional)
1 medium biscuit cutter (optional; to remove centers from 2 cake layers)
large offset spatula
Cake turntable
cake scraper or pastry cutter
large piping bag + star tip (linked is a set that contains both)
1 long wood skewer (or cake dowel or straw) (to hold M&Ms box up on top of cake)
Squeeze bottle (to add ganache drip; you can also use a piping bag or a spoon)

Ingredients
Chocolate cake layers
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350g)
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100g)
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks/250g, softened)
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups 350mL buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (one package, softened)
1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
5 ½ -6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
4-6 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Chocolate ganache drip
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
6 oz heavy whipping cream (3/4 cup)
Decorations
1 box of M&Ms candy (available in most grocery stores in the US and on Amazon)
1 large bag M&Ms candy (I bought the ‘shareable’ zip-top size bag)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
Chocolate Cake layers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured spray (or line pans with parchment paper).
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in bits of softened butter until it’s no longer visible in the dry ingredients and the mixture looks crumbly.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.
Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before leveling and frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
If you want to fill the center of your cake with M&Ms and chocolate chips, use a glass or medium-sized biscuit cutter to remove center from two of the three cake layers. (It works best to do this once your cake layers have cooled; they’re much more likely to crumble if you cut them when they’re warm.)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar and cocoa powder alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well combined.
Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers - if you've cut centers out of two of your cake layers, those will be your bottom two layers. Fill the empty centers of your cakes with M&Ms and chocolate chips. Add a layer of frosting over the second cake layer, and put the final layer on top.
Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like - a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge or freezer to set the frosting.
Chocolate ganache drip
Meanwhile, make your ganache. Place ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals on 50% power, stirring in between until smooth.
Slowly drizzle the ganache around the upper edge of the cake, pausing every inch or so to let drips of ganache run down the side of the cake. Return cake to the fridge to set the drips.
Decorating
To add the finishing touches to your cake, put the remainder of your chocolate frosting into a piping bag, and pipe swirls of frosting around the upper rim of the cake – I alternated large with small swirls for a little more texture/variety. Place an M&M on top of each frosting swirl.
Now the fun part – the M&M box! I cut one of the small tabs from the side of the box I wanted angled closest to the cake, so that I could easily slip a wood skewer into the box. Press the skewer down into the cake until your box is at the desired height- I left mine about an inch off the top of the cake. (If you skewer shows at all, you can either cut it a little shorter or cover it with some frosting).
Add M&Ms to the top of the cake – I went a little crazy at this part since I had frosting swirls around the rim to hold everything in place! Add small bits of frosting and more M&Ms and chocolate chips around the base of the cake if you’d like, or you can leave them off for a more simple finish.
And that's it - you're done! Find someone to give you a high-five 😉 and enjoy!

Video

Notes
Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.

Nutrition
Serving: 1slice (1/16th cake) | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g
Did you make this candy filled M&M Drip Cake?
Let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
You can also add a comment or a recipe rating at the bottom of the page! 🙂

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August 30, 2018