Mardi Gras Cake
Like with most of my seasonal/Holiday posts, if you want to make this cake, you have like, a day. So get busy! Mardi Gras is tomorrow!
I wanted to make something fun for Mardi Gras, but most of my ideas included variations of King Cake that have already been done before. So I went back to what I originally started this blog for–cake!
This cake is also inspired by Mardi Gras beads. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.
I used a boxed white cake mix for this cake, mainly because I wasn’t sure if the idea I had was going to work out. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just really can’t stand the thought of wasting sticks of butter, cups of flour and sugar, and multiple eggs. Some of that stuff still goes to waste with a box mix if it doesn’t turn out, but it just felt better somehow.
But back to the point of this cake.
I used classic Mardi Gras colors and sugar sprinkles to decorate this cake on the outside…
And on the inside!
This method is slightly time consuming, which doesn’t really help when you only have one day to make it. Like I said before, I wasn’t even sure it was going to turn out the way I was picturing it, so I’m glad the colors didn’t mix together or turn brown.
It looks a little bit like Mardi Gras-themed camouflage, but hey. I’m marking this one as a success.
ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients on box (or your favorite white cake mix)
- Yellow food coloring (I used gel food coloring)
- Green food coloring
- Purple food coloring
- 3 squeeze bottles or piping bags
- 1 cup butter, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
instructions
- Line 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Divide the batter between three bowls. Add one-two teaspoons of yellow food coloring to one bowl, green to another, and purple to another.
- Transfer cake batter to squeeze bottles or piping bags with a tiny hole snipped off the end. Pipe lines of batter across the bottom of one pan. Once the bottom layer has been piped, pipe a second layer on top of that with alternating colors. Repeat with the second cake pan.
- Hold the cake pans, one at a time, about half an inch from a hard surface, such as your counter, and drop. Repeat a couple times to release air bubbles and make the surface of the batter flat.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool on a wire rack.
- Repeat with the third and fourth layers.
- Cream butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla, milk, and half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until mostly combined. Mix on medium speed until completely incorporated.
- Repeat with the second half of the powdered sugar.
- Frosting cooled cake and enjoy!
Recipe from bethcakes. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Get to baking!
WOW!! This cake is stunning!! Love everything about it. From the sprinkles on the outside that perfectly say Mardi Gras to the checkered inside. Such amazing layering skills. I need to learn from you how you do this. My niece would love this for her birthday.
Thanks, Zainab! The whole layering thing is super easy, just a little time consuming, haha. 🙂
I am so in love with this cake!! It is beyond amazing 🙂 I also wanted to make a King Cake inspired treat, but this goes above and beyond what I was going to try.
Thanks so much, Megan! 🙂
This is so cool! I love the camouflage! Definitely a success 🙂
Thanks, Mimi! I’m glad you like the camouflage, haha. 🙂
Geez! This is fabulous lady.. I love all the layers and bright colors.. makes me wish I was in the mix on Bourbon ST. drinking hand grenades right now.. LOL
Haha, thanks Erika! I’ve never been to New Orleans and I can’t even imagine what it must be like during Mardi Gras, haha. 🙂
Beth this cake is so cool! What a neat idea! I can imagine this idea would work well for other holidays as well. I can just see beautiful easter pastels. 🙂 Sometimes boxed mixes are just what you need, no shame there!
Thanks, Katy! I have no shame when it comes to box mixes! Sometimes they’re the best thing when you’re in a pinch. I love your idea for an Easter version of this cake. 🙂
What a fun cake! I could see using this idea for so many other holidays and celebrations in addition to Mardi Gras. I’m so glad it worked out and you were able to share it with us!
VERY creative and a beautiful cake! I heard it tasted delicious too!
This is so awesome Beth! And what a fun idea – it totally looks like Mardi Gras beads! Definitely a success 🙂 Also I’m so with you on the box mix – it’s the worst to throw away all the ingredients from a scratch cake that went wrong. And I never feel that bad if it was a box mix I had to throw away.
Wow! I loved this cake in the first picture, and then I scrolled down and saw how gorgeous the inside is!! This is awesome – such a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras! Pinning!
Ugh I hate when you have baking fails and you used ALL THE BUTTER in them because you totally thought it was going to work. >_< But this, this cake is absolutely stunning, Beth! I can't even imagine how gorgeous it is in person because on my screen it is ahmazing! You've certainly outdone yourself. 😀
This is such a fun idea, i love it! Pinning even though Mardi Gras is basically over!
Beth, this cake is GORGEOUS. Looove all the colors, it looks so cool and now I totally need to try this technique. It’s seriously awesome. Pinned!
what a lovely cake!
Wow! This is going on my ‘Amazing cooks and bakes’ Pinterest board, because that’s what it is … an amazing bake! I think this could be a St. Patrick’s day cake, too, with all that wonderful green in it!
Oh my gosh, how freakin’ fun! This looks awesome girl! Now would you like to send me a piece? : )
Hello gorgeous cake! This belongs on the cover of a gourmet magazine!!
So fun and festive! I’m glad it turned out!