DAD Cake

This cake is a fun way for everyone to show dad just how much they love him! Mastering this simple piping technique can be done in just moments!

This is a basic chocolate cake that I baked in a 9×13 pan. When the cake is cool, invert onto a flat surface where you can cover the cake with a rough crumb coat.

Make up a batch of buttercream and divide it into halves. One half will remain white and that is for the crumb coat and then the edges of the cake.

The other half will be divided into thirds and tinted blue, green, and brown. (You can also make up a batch of chocolate buttercream)

I used a #32 tip but you can basically use any tip size that has multiple prongs.

This Ateco tip is a great option.

After you have a crumb coat on the cake, use a toothpick to draw your design. I chose “DAD”.

I then put my blue, green, and brown frosting into pastry bags with the #32 tip.

Then start making the shell design on the cake. Here is a little video showing exactly how the technique is done!

Tips for Success:

Practice makes perfect. I would try a few shells on a piece of wax paper or parchment before starting on the cake.

You want your buttercream to be a nice creamy consistency. It is much easier to pipe out buttercream that is lighter and creamier rather than a buttercream that is a bit stiffer. If you need to add more liquid to your recipe to achieve this, start with a tablespoon at a time and test as you go.

It is easier to have multiple tips for this design (four is the perfect amount for this specific design), but if you only have one that will be ok. You will just need to wash it completely between each different color.

I really like when all the shells are going in the same direction so I tried my best to do that. It takes a little planning ahead of time to know how you are going to pipe out each letter.

Here is a fun chart from McCormick about mixing colors for frosting.

I am so thankful to have a wonderful, amazing, loving, and thoughtful father and I really hope he knows how loved he is this Father’s Day! I came across a few Father’s Day posts that really touched my heart. Get the kleenex handy!

How to Have What All Our Hurting Heart’s Want Most This Father’s Day

Steven Addis: A Father-Daughter Bond One Photo at a Time

Father’s Day Cookies (My favorite quote for dad EVER)

Happy Father’s Day from Rachel Cook’s

Happy Father’s Day from Beyond Frosting

A few people commented that the amount of frosting was way too much. As you can see, it’s virtually the same amount as any bakery style cake. If you want to try this cake and are worried about the amount of frosting, simply eliminate the crumb coat.