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!
Equipment
- 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: 1sliceCalories: 688kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 6gFat: 33g
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