Description
This Candy Corn Cake is a festive, colorful vanilla layer cake featuring vibrant yellow, orange, and white layers that mimic candy corn colors. It is filled and frosted with a luscious marshmallow buttercream, decorated with sanding sugars for a sparkling finish, making it perfect for Halloween or fall celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Cake
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (276 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6 grams)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3 grams)
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (150 grams – 1 and 1/3 sticks)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4 grams)
- 2/3 cup large egg whites, room temperature or about 5 egg whites (155 grams)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (228 grams)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil (14 grams)
- Yellow and orange gel food coloring
Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (434 grams)
- 7 cups powdered sugar (907 grams)
- 1 small jar marshmallow fluff (7.5 oz or 213 grams)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3 grams)
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (80 grams)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12 grams)
- Yellow and orange gel food coloring
Additional Decorations
- Large piping bags
- Wilton 1M frosting tip
- Orange, yellow, and white sanding sugar (optional)
- 2 6-inch greaseproof cake boards
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds and grease them with non-stick cooking spray to ensure easy cake removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated to create a uniform dry mixture.
- Add Butter: Slowly add chunks of room-temperature unsalted butter to the dry mix on low speed. Continue mixing until the mixture becomes crumbly with no large chunks of butter remaining.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Pour in the egg whites and mix on low speed until just combined. Then, add the sour cream and mix gently on a low setting. Add vanilla extract and vegetable oil, mixing again at low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl sides and beat the batter on medium speed for about 30 seconds for a smooth texture.
- Divide and Color Batter: Evenly divide the batter into three bowls. Color one batch yellow, one batch orange using gel food coloring, and leave the third uncolored for the white layer.
- Bake Cake Layers: Pour each colored batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 32 to 34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pans cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges to loosen the cakes.
- Cool Cake Layers: Place cake pans in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up cooling. Once cooled, carefully invert pans to remove cakes. Use a serrated knife to level the tops for even stacking.
- Make Marshmallow Buttercream: Using a whisk attachment, beat unsalted butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with small splashes of heavy cream. Once all sugar is incorporated, mix in marshmallow fluff, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency with additional cream or powdered sugar as needed.
- Color Frosting: Tint 1 1/2 cups of frosting yellow and place in a piping bag without a tip. Tint 1 cup orange and place into a separate piping bag, and fill another piping bag with 1 cup of uncolored (white) frosting.
- Assemble the Cake: On a 6-inch greaseproof cake board, adhere the first cake layer with a dab of frosting. Add an even layer of marshmallow buttercream between each of the three layers. Apply a thin crumb coat around the entire cake, smooth with a bench scraper, then chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or freezer for 5 minutes until firm.
- Final Frosting Layer and Decoration: Apply a thicker, final layer of frosting. Cover the bottom third of the cake with yellow frosting, pipe orange frosting around the middle third, and use white frosting on the top third without adding frosting on the very top. Smooth the sides with a bench scraper.
- Add Sanding Sugar: Place the second greaseproof cake board atop the cake. Pour sanding sugar colors into a baking pan in corresponding color sections to frosting bands. Carefully roll the cake sideways in the sanding sugar to coat the sides. Return cake to the stand, remove the top board, and cover the top surface with white sanding sugar.
- Pipe Buttercream Swirls: Fit Wilton 1M tips onto each frosting bag using a coupler. Pipe buttercream swirls on top of the cake for a finished decorative touch.
Notes
- One batch of cake batter weighs roughly 1200 grams; for three 6-inch pans, divide into approximately 400 grams per pan.
- Trim any caramelized edges from cooled cake layers with a serrated knife for a cleaner appearance.
- These cake layers can be made ahead of time and properly wrapped for freshness. Refer to guidance on cake layer storage for best results.
- Mix buttercream on lowest speed toward the end to reduce air bubbles, ensuring smoother frosting application.
- Alternatively, stir buttercream gently with a rubber spatula to push out trapped air and aid in achieving smooth cake sides.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 120g)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 40g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
