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Frosted Circus Animal Cookie Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 83 reviews

This Frosted Circus Animal Cookie Cake is a whimsical and flavorful dessert featuring colorful vanilla cake layers baked to perfection and filled with a creamy frosted animal cookie filling. Topped with a luscious white chocolate buttercream and finished with a vibrant pink chocolate ganache and sprinkles, this cake is a playful treat perfect for celebrations and cookie lovers alike.

Ingredients

Scale

Vanilla Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (337g) sugar
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
  • Pink gel icing color (amount as needed)
  • Ivory gel icing color (amount as needed)

Frosted Animal Cookie Filling

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups (317g) frosted animal cookie crumbs
  • 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
  • 7–8 tbsp milk or water
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 15 frosted animal cookies, crumbled

White Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 12 oz white chocolate chips, melted
  • 6 cups (690g) powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5–6 tbsp (60-75ml) heavy whipping cream

Sprinkles

  • As needed for decorating

Pink Chocolate Ganache

  • 6 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Pink gel icing color (amount as needed)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans and Preheat Oven: Prepare two 8 inch cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper circles and greasing the sides. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream Butter, Sugar, and Oil: In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter, sugar, and vegetable oil together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, around 3-4 minutes. Proper creaming is essential for the cake’s texture.
  4. Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed to ensure even mixing.
  5. Add Dry Ingredients in Portions: Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
  6. Incorporate Vanilla and Milk: Add the vanilla extract and milk, mixing until well combined. The batter may look a bit curdled, which is normal.
  7. Add Remaining Dry Ingredients: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl sides to ensure even mixing; avoid overmixing.
  8. Color and Divide Batter: Split the batter into two equal parts. Color one half with pink gel icing color and the other half with ivory gel icing color. Pour each into the prepared cake pans, spreading evenly.
  9. Bake Cakes: Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool Cakes: Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
  11. Prepare Frosted Animal Cookie Filling: Beat the butter until smooth, then add the frosted animal cookie crumbs and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of milk or water, beating until smooth. Add vanilla extract, salt, and more liquid as needed. Fold in the crumbled frosted animal cookies.
  12. Assemble Cake Layers: Torte each cake layer into two thinner layers, making four layers total. On a serving plate or cake board, place the first pink layer, then spread about 3/4 cup of the filling evenly on top. Repeat alternating with white cake layers and filling, finishing with the second white cake layer on top.
  13. Smooth Cake Edges: Smooth out any frosting peeking from the edges and set the cake aside.
  14. Make White Chocolate Buttercream: Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually mix in the melted white chocolate chips in three batches to prevent lumps. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Mix in salt and 3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream, then add remaining powdered sugar and mix well. Adjust consistency with additional cream if needed.
  15. Frost Cake: Apply the white chocolate buttercream evenly to the outside of the cake. Use sprinkles around the sides to decorate.
  16. Prepare Pink Chocolate Ganache: Place white chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat heavy cream until just boiling and pour over chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth, microwaving in 10-second intervals if needed. Stir in pink gel icing color to desired shade.
  17. Decorate with Ganache and Buttercream Swirls: Drizzle the pink ganache around the edges of the cake and fill the center. Pipe buttercream swirls along the top edge and finish by garnishing with additional frosted animal cookies.

Notes

  • Do not skimp on creaming the butter and sugar; it creates a lighter texture in the cake.
  • The batter might appear curdled after adding milk, but this is normal and won’t affect the final cake.
  • Tort the cake layers gently to ensure even layering.
  • Adjust the milk or water in the cookie filling to achieve the right consistency for spreading.
  • When melting white chocolate, add it in batches to avoid lumps in the buttercream.
  • Use gel colors sparingly to prevent affecting batter or frosting consistency.
  • Allow cakes to cool fully before assembling and frosting to avoid melting or sliding layers.

Keywords: circus animal cookie cake, frosted animal cookie cake, vanilla cake, white chocolate buttercream, pink chocolate ganache, fun party cake, colorful cake, dessert, celebration cake

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/frosted-circus-animal-cookie-cake-recipe/