the candy cake

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not much of a cake baker. I’m really not into making “fancy” cakes of any kind. Too putsy and time consuming, when all I want to do is eat! Not to mention that I always seem to have trouble coming up with great kids birthday cake ideas.

Enter the candy cake. I saw this cake last summer (it’s worth a look since they do look slightly different) and knew that I absolutely had to make it! It’s super easy and looks pretty cool, too. My girls couldn’t wait to dig in!

I made the cake while visiting my parents in Wisconsin, so I had to make some slight alterations since my mom didn’t have two regular sized cake pans. She did have some really cool large round cake pans though, plus some tiny heart shaped ones. I ended up making enough batter for two cakes, using a small amount for the hearts and putting the rest in one large round pan. As you can see, we put the hearts on top to elevate the figures (one daughter likes power rangers and the other princesses ;). It was fun to make, fun to see their faces light up, and definitely fun to eat!

All you need to do is make your favorite cake and frost it (but don’t worry about getting it perfect since it will be covered up). Place kit-kats around the outside, then pour m&m’s on the top. I used mini m&m’s for the top, and regular-sized for the sides. Use a toothpick to add just a smidge of frosting to the regular-sized m&m’s, then adhere to the bottoms of the kit-kats. Add a pretty bow, and voila! A fun cake that’s a fraction of the cost of something you’d pay for at a cake store!

If you like this kids birthday cake idea and end up making it for your own kids (or just for you!), please make sure to send me a pic so I can post it. It’s fun to see the different variations people come up with!

Update, September 2014: Michelle R., a really nice reader who took the time to email me to tell me that she made this cake for her grandson, sent this photo! Didn’t she do an amazing job?? I love the alternating Kit Kat colors and the decorations she used on top. Thanks so much for sharing this, Michelle, and Happy Birthday to your grandson!

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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