Breast Cancer Awareness Cake
Friends don't let friends fight breast cancer alone. Show up in support with a Breast Cancer Awareness Cake!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 755kcal
Equipment
- Baker's floured cooking spray (optional, but I prefer this to parchment rounds)
- Small letter fondant cutters (or letter stencil, or pre-made edible letters. I also found a ruler or Wilton’s Cake Marker helpful in keeping my lettering on the same level.)
- large piping bag + star tip (I used a Jumbo 1B)
- Small new or food-safe paintbrush (optional; I used this to add a bit of edible glitter)
Ingredients
Pink Cake layers
- 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, room temperature)
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10 drops pink gel food coloring (Save and add later; I used Americolor Electric Pink)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks; softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
- 3 drops pink gel food coloring (Save and add later; I used Americolor Electric Pink)
- ½ cup black cocoa powder (Save and add later)
- 3 drops Black gel food coloring (Save and add later; I used Americolor Black)
Decorations
- 2-3 ounces White fondant (purchase or make your own!)
- 1/2 teaspoon Edible glitter (FancySprinkles Prism Powders are my current favorite)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Sprinkle mix of your choice (I used Sweetapolita’s ‘Stardust’ mix)
Instructions
Pink 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 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 eggs and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk on a 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 three bowls (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height. Color each bowl of batter a progressively darker shade of pink. I used about 1 drop for the top layer, 3 for the second layer, and 6 for the base layer. Transfer into the three 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.
- Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any 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 apart. (This is a great time to make your frosting and/or decorations!)
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.
- Divide frosting in half, and color one half pink. Beat ½ cup of black cocoa powder and black food gel into the remaining half. Set aside.
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your darkest pink cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with pink frosting.
- Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers, adding the lightest layer on top.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat – again, use pink frosting. 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.
- Spread a layer of pink frosting the middle of your cake, covering the crumb coat. This is where you’ll put the lettering. I chose the phrase ‘Friends don’t let friends fight alone,’ but what you’d like to write is up to you! (It doesn't hurt to use a strip of parchment paper or a measuring tape to make sure it will fit around the cake.)
- Cut out and transfer lettering into the frosting, making sure they’re pressed in to about an even amount to make smoothing your next layer easier.
Okay! Steps and tips for creating your ‘fault line!’
- I've found it easiest to smooth the bottom layer before adding the upper layer (as suggested but @sheri.wilson on Instagram). Spread frosting around the cake base, covering about the bottom fourth of the cake (Your frosting will spread some as you smooth it, so don’t put it on *too* thick right at first!) Smooth with a cake scraper in several gentle swipes - be careful not to take too much off. If your cake scraper is bumping into your letters, either add a bit more frosting or press lettering a bit further into the frosting.
- Repeat the process around the top of the cake, adding on a similar layer of frosting around the top fourth of the cake and covering the top. Smooth with your cake scraper.
Now to finish decorating!
- (Optional) With your paintbrush, outline the edges of the ‘fault line’ you just created with a bit of edible glitter.
- Transfer your remaining pink frosting to a large piping bag. Pipe swirls around the top of the cake, and add some sprinkles (optional but recommended)! If you’d like, you can flick a paintbrush with some edible glitter across the top of the cake to add a bit more sparkle!
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1/16th cake) | Calories: 755kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g