Pokemon Cake: 4 Simple Hacks for Beginners

You can totally make that Pokemon Cake! We share 4 easy hacks to simplify the process and wow your little trainer. Read more.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings: 4 people

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Calories: 120

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk, room temperature
For the Buttercream: 1.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
For the Buttercream: 6 cups powdered sugar
For the Buttercream: 1/4 cup heavy cream
For the Buttercream: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For Decorating: Yellow, red, black, and brown gel food coloring
For Decorating: Round candy for eyes (or white chocolate discs)
For Decorating: Piping bags and assorted tips

Method

Step 1: The "Flat Bake" Hack for Perfect Layers
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Hack #1: Wrap the outside of your cake pans with damp baking strips (or damp paper towels wrapped in foil). This forces the cake to bake evenly without forming a dome, saving you from having to level the cakes later and wasting delicious sponge! Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 2: The "Crumb Coat Freezer" Hack
Once your cakes are completely cooled, stack them with a layer of white buttercream in between. Hack #2: Apply a very thin, translucent layer of frosting all over the cake (the crumb coat) and pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes. This locks all those pesky crumbs in place, ensuring your final red and white Pokeball frosting layers glide on flawlessly without any cake bits tearing through.
Step 3: The "Hot Spatula" Pokeball Frosting Hack
Divide your remaining buttercream in half. Dye one half vibrant red using gel coloring, and leave the other half white. Frost the top half of the cake red and the bottom half white. Hack #3: To get that seamless, bakery-smooth finish without professional tools, dip a metal icing spatula into boiling hot water, wipe it dry, and glide it gently over the frosting. The heat melts the butter slightly, creating a smooth, glass-like finish.
Step 4: The "Oreo Detail" Hack for Beginners
Forget spending hours cutting perfect black fondant strips for the Pokeball's center line. Hack #4: Use a piping bag fitted with a flat tip to pipe a black buttercream line around the equator of the cake. For the center button, simply press a regular Oreo cookie into the middle of the black line, and use a small dab of white buttercream to pipe the inner white circle. It’s a 3D effect that requires zero fondant sculpting!