A moist three tier layer cake that is colorful inside and out, topped off with a three tone vanilla buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles to match.

Disney Frozen inspired watercolor layer cake! Perfect for a Frozen party! recipe from @bakedbyrachel

I’m not much of a cake person. I sure to love to eat it, but I’ll be the first to admit they can be intimidating to make. Which is why most of the time I stick to cupcakes, or cookies… or cheesecakes! But, for some people making beautiful and inspiring cakes is easy, like Amanda of I Am Baker. Have you seen her site? If not, you definitely need to check it out. She makes knock your socks of amazingly beautiful cakes that I can’t always quite wrap my head around. My brain just doesn’t work like hers, from the inside out. But she sure has a knack for it.

Which is why she’s queen of surprise cakes. Not just any surprise cakes, but surprise INSIDE cakes. Beautiful creations hidden within.

Disney Frozen inspired watercolor layer cake! Perfect for a Frozen party! recipe from @bakedbyrachel

When I had the chance to flip through the pages of her new book, Surprise-Inside Cakes, I was blown away. Not only does she walk you through how to create every cake, with photos! But it’s inspiration to create your own fun cakes.

Like many of you, I’m sure Frozen may be on repeat in your house. Songs stuck in your head. You even know the motions to the songs and exactly when a character might do or say something specific. So the colors of Frozen were stuck in my head. I took the general idea from Amanada’s sunset cake, and created this. It sure was fun and delicious! Moist and full of color, inside and out! I even created a fun custom sprinkle mix for the occasion… sprinkles just make everything better. Plus… they sure are an easy way to hide any imperfections. ;)

Have a Frozen birthday party coming up? This would be a fantastic addition to your plans!

Disney Frozen inspired watercolor layer cake! Perfect for a Frozen party! recipe from @bakedbyrachel


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Surprise Watercolor Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 day
Yield: 6 plus
A moist 3 tier layer cake that is colorful inside and out, topped off with 3 tone vanilla buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 box favorite vanilla cake mix

Crumb coat:

  • 1/4 C vegetable shortening
  • 1/4 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp water

Frosting:

  • 1/2 C vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 C powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • Blue and purple gel food coloring
  • Sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Prepare 3: 6-inch round cake pans by greasing and dusting well with flour. Discard excess flour.
  • Prepare batter according to box directions. Divide batter into three equal portions, into clean bowls, roughly 1 2/3 cup per each. Tint one bowl light blue, another light purple and the other stays white. Transfer to prepare pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until centers are set. Cool in pan until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully slice off domed tops from cakes.
  • Prepare frosting for crumb coating. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Place blue cake on a clean work surface covered with wax paper strips or a cake board, if desired. Add a thin coat of frosting to the blue cake, top off with purple cake. Repeat frosting layer and top off with white cake. Carefully coat entire top and sides of cake with a thin layer of frosting, sealing in any crumbs. Transfer to the refrigerator to harden for at least several hours or overnight.
  • Prepare larger frosting batch. Cream together shortening and butter, followed by 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. Finally, add water and continue mixing until frosting is smooth. Divide into three equal portions, transferring to three clean bowls. Cover white frosting immediately with plastic wrap. Tint a second bowl light blue, to match the cake. Cover well with plastic wrap and repeat process with remaining frosting, tinting purple to match the second cake layer.
  • Remove cake from refrigerator. Starting from the bottom of the cake, using a small offset spatula, spread a small amount of blue frosting along the bottom tier. It doesn't have to be perfect. Clean spatula. Add purple to the center of the sides of the cake. Clean spatula again, add white to the top and top portion of the sides. Clean and warm spatula as needed to smooth sides and top.
  • Carefully transfer cake to desired serving plate or cake stand. Touch up edges as needed. Top off with sprinkles.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to several days.

Notes

Recipe serves 6-12, yields 1: 3 tier, 6-inch cake
An original recipe from Baked by Rachel. Inspired by Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke of I Am Baker
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cake

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