Birthday TIME! Sun & Moon Cake
Yes, it’s that time of year for my baby girl to choose another difficultly shaped cake for me to attempt for her birthday 😩😅. This year she chose the “Sun and Moon” cake. I love to create and always attempt to make all of my children’s cake request at the best of my ability. I personally feel as though it came out great (considering I’m no where near a professional baker). For those looking to attempt this cake there’s all sorts of instructional son YouTube for the shaping of the cake.@Lemon8 Food
For the cake I used a vanilla cake recipe.
Ingredients:
4 ounces milk to be mixed with the oil
3 ounces canola oil
6 ounces milk to be mixed with the eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod
3 large eggs room temperature
13 ounces cake flour
13 ounces granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter softened to room temperature
Preparation:
* Heat oven to 335º F/168º C . Prepare three 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
* Place the 4 oz of milk in a separate measuring cup. Add the oil to the milk and set it aside.
* To the remaining 6 oz of milk, add the vanilla and room temperature eggs. Whisk gently to combine. Set aside.
* Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
* Turn the mixer onto the slowest speed. Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until it is all added then let everything mix until it looks like coarse sand.
* Add your milk/oil mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and mix on medium (speed 4 on kitchenaid) for 2 full minutes. Set a timer!
* After 2 minutes, scrape the bowl. This is to make sure everything is mixed properly.
* Slowly add in the milk/egg mixture while mixing on low, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Mix until just combined. Your batter should be thick and not too runny.
* Divide the batter into your greased cake pans and fill ¾ of the way full.
* Bake for 20-30 minutes and check your cakes. Do the "done test". Insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. Oven temperatures vary so if it's not done yet, bake for a few more minutes (2-3) and check again until it passes the "done" test.
* Remove the cakes from the oven. Let them cool on a cooling rack until they are completely cool.
Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
16 ounces powdered sugar
4 ounces pasteurized egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces unsalted butter softened to room temperature but not melted
¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
* Place egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk, combine ingredients on low and then whip on high for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt.
* Add in your softened butter in chunks and whip with the whisk attachment to combine. It will look curdled at first. This is normal. It will also look pretty yellow. Keep whipping.
* Whip on high for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. If you don't whip it enough, it could end up tasting buttery.
Side note:
I use a food scale to weigh out ingredients that are in ounces. When baking it is very important to use the correct measurements. Happy baking ❤️.
Baking a uniquely shaped cake like the Sun & Moon design is a delightful challenge that can truly make a birthday celebration memorable. From my experience, patience and proper preparation are key to successfully creating such intricate cakes. The shape can seem daunting at first, but with the help of step-by-step video tutorials on YouTube, anyone can master the technique of carving and assembling the cake layers. When preparing the vanilla cake batter, using a food scale to measure ingredients precisely, as mentioned, ensures consistency and better texture every time. The mixing process is also critical: beating the butter with dry ingredients until coarse sand-like helps develop structure, and incorporating liquids gradually maintains the batter's right consistency for a moist yet stable cake. For the buttercream frosting, take your time whipping the mixture until it transforms from a curdled yellow to fluffy, glossy white—the patience pays off in a smooth, light texture that won't overpower the cake's flavor. Chilling the cake layers before carving can also help reduce crumbs and keep edges clean when shaping the sun and moon elements. A tip I've found useful is to do a crumb coat first: a thin layer of frosting to seal in crumbs before applying the final frosting. It makes decorating easier and your cake neater. Also, ensuring your cake pans are well-prepared with cake goop or your preferred non-stick release makes removing the layers easier and prevents breakage. This Sun & Moon cake not only tastes delicious with classic vanilla and buttercream flavors, but it also becomes a centerpiece artwork that kids—and adults—love. Whether you're a novice baker or just looking to expand your cake decorating skills, attempting such themed cakes adds fun and satisfaction to baking projects, making birthdays even more special.
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