Learn exactly how to make an incredibly moist and flavorful butter layer cake complete with fudge frosting and filled with candies inside. It’s a piñata cake, everyone!
Picture overload today! I hope you’re ready for this. I don’t even know if I’m ready for this but it’s happening. And it’s still gracing the corner of my kitchen counter staring back at me. “Eat meeeee,” it says. Am I the only one taunted by talking leftover cake?
Oh. Ok. The cheese stands alone.
If you are looking for the most epic cake in the entire world, look no further. This here cake, my dear readers, is the tallest most buttery tower of indulgence. To make it even better, this layer cake is topped and filled with rich fudge frosting. But the crème de la crème of this entire dessert masterpiece is the hidden treasure inside.
SURPRISE CANDIES! I simply cannot type that without all caps.
Video Tutorial
I made today’s party perfect cake for several reasons: first, Cinco de Mayo is around the corner. And if that’s not enough excuse for a piñata, I don’t know what is. Second, it’s my birthday next month so a plethora of sprinkles on any given day between now and then is required. And finally, I teamed up with BHLDN, Anthropologie’s wedding brand, to bring you this recipe.
BHLDN asked me to create a homemade alternative to a wedding cake. Something fun, exciting, celebration worthy, and with even more sprinkles than my confetti cake. So I delivered.
Let me teach you exactly how to make this piñata cake. I promise this is totally something you can handle. As you know, I like to keep my layer cakes (like this raspberry chocolate chip layer cake, for example), on the simpler side when it comes to decorating. Today’s recipe is just like baking a regular layer cake, but with a couple extra assembly steps. Start with my homemade cake batter. You want a flavorful cake with a tight crumb to hold its shape, but also one that is still tender and enjoyable to eat.
Today’s piñata cake is a cross between a vanilla cake, a butter cake, and a yellow cake. Its ingredients are standard: creamed butter and sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, buttermilk. The KEY is in the eggs. This is a giant four layer cake—you will need 3 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks. That is a lot, I know. But again, this cake is enormous. All those egg yolks (and the buttermilk) are what make this piñata cake so rich, so moist, and soooo tender. Oh my gosh, this has to be my favorite cake recipe.
Begin the assembly! Bake the four layers in 9-inch round cake pans. Allow to cool completely. Frost one layer. This will be the bottom of the cake. More on this silky smooth fudge frosting in just a sec.
Bottom layer:
Then, cut a circle in the center of two of the cakes. You know what I used? A large, wide cup. You can also use a 3 – 4 inch round cookie cutter or a cut circular piece of parchment paper to use for tracing with a sharp knife. Just make sure those two cakes have the same size hole. These two holed cakes will be the two middle layers of the piñata cake.
Place one holed cake layer on top of the bottom frosted layer. Frost the holed layer and inside the cavity. Like so:
Top with the 2nd holed layer (which is the third layer of the piñata cake) and frost that too. Then, grab some candies. I used springtime chocolate morsels that came in yellow and pink, M&Ms, Sno-Caps, and sprinkles. You can use absolutely anything you, your kids, your friends, and your lucky piñata cake eaters love: chopped candy bars, white chocolate chips, gummy bears, jelly beans, candy corns, etc.
Fill the hole with the candies.
Then, top the cake with another whole cake layer. Frost the entire cake and decorate as you please. Get crazy! Get festive! And most importantly, get hungry.
So, that fudge frosting. Woo-eee. Chocolate to the max! Smooth as silk, luscious, creamy, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth, “let me just eat the frosting with a spoon if ya don’t mind” fabulous. In one word, this fudgy frosting is legit.
Now, the best part… drum roll please.
Cut into the cake and listen to the ooo’s and ahh’s as your hungry party goers discover the candies hidden inside. OMG this is the coolest cake in the world.
SURPRISE CANDIES! ♥
PS: For a super fun surprise, use my piñata cake as a gender reveal cake and fill it with either pink or blue M&Ms for a baby shower or other gender reveal celebration!
Print
Piñata Cake
- Prep Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: serves 14-16
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cake serves a lot so, as expected, there are high amounts of each ingredient. You will need four 9-inch round cake pans as well as a 3 and 1/2 – 4 inch circle cookie cutter or you can carefully slice a hole in the center cakes with a sharp knife.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 and 3/4 cups (443g) sifted all-purpose flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks; 345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, room temperature*
Chocolate Frosting & Assembly
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (62g) natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- around 2 cups assorted candies*
- optional: additional sprinkles or candies for decorating the cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour 4 9-inch round cake pans*, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 5 full minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, add 1 whole egg at a time, beating well after each addition until all 3 whole eggs are mixed in. Then, repeat with each egg yolk until all 4 egg yolks are mixed in. Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick. Spoon/pour batter evenly into each cake pan.
- Bake for around 25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until pale, smooth, and creamy, about 2 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer or sieve, sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together. Add the sugar/cocoa mixture to the butter, then beat on low speed for 20 seconds. Stop the mixer, then add the milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an extra splash of milk.
- Assemble the cake: Grab a 3 and 1/2 – 4 inch circle cookie cutter (I use a large thin-edged cup) and cut a hole into two of the cake layers. Alternatively, you can cut a piece of parchment paper that size and use a sharp knife to trace/cut the holes. Place one of the whole cakes on a cake turntable, cake stand or serving plate. Use an offset spatula or knife to frost the top of the cake, then place one of the cut/holed cakes on top. Frost the top and inside the cavity. Place the other cut/holed cake on top and, once again, frost the top and inside the cavity. Fill the cavity with candies all the way up to the top. Place the last whole cake on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake. Decorate with frosting and additional candies however you’d like. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe frosting around the top.
- Slice, serve, enjoy! (Keep a spoon handy when serving. I like to pile additional candies that fall out of the center of the piñata cake onto each slice as I serve.)
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the piñata cake the next day when you are ready to serve. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months if you have room in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Honestly, it tastes much better fresh
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-Inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Fine Mesh Sieve | 3.5-Inch Round Cookie Cutter | Cake Turntable | Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Flour: Make sure you sift the flour before measuring. Sifting is KEY. Otherwise, your cake layers could taste much too dense. You can also use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Use 4 cups sifted cake flour.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY sour milk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Corn Syrup: This tiny bit of corn syrup makes the frosting uniquely glossy and shiny. You can leave it out if you’d like.
- Milk in Frosting: I recommend whole milk or even half-and-half in the frosting, but lower fat or nondairy milk works in a pinch.
- Candies for Filling Cake: Favorites include M&Ms, chocolate chips, sprinkles, gummy bears, jelly beans, candy corns, chopped candy bars, and mini Reese’s cups.
- Pans: You can also use 4 8-inch cake pans. The bake time will be slightly longer for thicker layers.
- Vanilla Frosting: Simply double my vanilla buttercream recipe and use it instead of the chocolate frosting.
- BONUS! With the center circular parts of the cake that were cut out, you can frost them with any leftover frosting to make adorable mini cakes or a small layer cake.
- Inspired by Betty Crocker.
Keywords: piñata cake, how to make a piñata cake
And guess what? We now have piñata cupcakes too!
Hi Sally,
I don’t enough 4 cake tins that size. Is it ok to divide the batter into 2 cake tins and then half the cake for the layers? The cooking time for the cakes would also increase?
Thank you. I’m look forward to making this for my daughter.
Hi Janani, what you could do is bake the first two layers (using half the batter), and leave the remaining batter covered with a clean towel at room temperature while those two layers bake. Then, once those have cooled and been removed from the pan, you can bake up the remaining batter. Hope the cake is a hit for you!
Hi Sally, I usually have the best of luck with your recipes but this one was a miss for me. Like others have said there wasn’t enough batter and the cakes were super thin. I measure everything by weight and used fresh baking powder and soda. Not sure how others had enough room to put candy in the middle. Very frustrating…
Hello Sally,
Will leaving the corn syrup out only effect the glossy frosting or does it effect the taste?
Hi Sylvia, the tiny bit of corn syrup makes the frosting shiny but does not impact the taste. You can omit it if you’d like.
Maybe this is a silly question…how far in advance can i assemble and fill the cake?? It’s for my sons party this coming weekend but I’d like to get the cake together and crumb coated by tonight if possible. Help! Please lol
Hi Stefanie, if the part is on Saturday, you should be okay to make the cake today and store in the refrigerator until then. If you can hold off until making and assembling tomorrow, that’s even better!
I guess i was just concerned with the sprinkles and candy inside getting funny. I put it together as I’m a little short on time between now and Saturday. Let’s hope for the best! Haha. Thank you!
I only used the chocolate frosting recipe from this post but it was delicious. We used heavy cream and dark corn syrup too. The only issue I had was the instructions for sifting the entire cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the bowl with the butter. The first time I followed directions like that I had cocoa powder all over my kitchen lol. So I sifted the powder with a cup of the sugar and then sifted the rest and stirred it. Then added it by spoonfuls to the mixer. I really liked this frosting and I’ll definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Hi! Sally
Love this recipe ❤ I do have a question, can I replace the vanilla extract with the almond extract or what do you recommend or do you have a recipe for an almond cake already? I wasn’t able to find it on your recipes
Thank You
~ Madelyn
Hi Madelyn! For an almond cake, we recommend following our favorite white cake recipe using 1.5 teaspoons almond extract and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract. Let us know if you give it a try!
I would like to use this recipe for a 6″ 5 layer pinata cake, but would like the layers to be white as i plan to separate and tint the cake batter different colors. So if I want to use egg whites only, what would be an appropriate conversion? Thank you!
Hi Sharon, using only egg whites would require additional recipe testing. If you try anything let us know how it goes! For a 5 layer 6-inch cake, you could try using our recipe for vanilla cupcakes (make 2 batches of batter and use any extra for cupcakes) or our 6-inch vanilla cake recipe (similarly, use any extra batter for cupcakes). Both of these recipes will yield lighter colored batters for tinting!
I went for the egg white only recipe, but used all purpose flour instead of cake flour to give the 5 layer 6” cake more stability. The cake was very tall! It came out perfect, thank you-wish I could share a photo.
Thanks so much for the response! Also just realized that I measured the flour then sifted, where it should have been the other way around!
Should all these cakes be baked on the same rack? My oven can’t fit all four pans (I think most standard homeovens don’t).
Thanks!
Hi Mona, correct, all the cakes should be baked on the same rack. If you don’t have room for them all at once, simply leave them on the counter lightly covered with a clean dish towel until they’re ready to go in the oven.
Hopefully my last question – am I able to make a strawberry creamcheese icing for this cake (using freeze dried strawberries) or will it be too soft for the cake? I was thinking of the strawberry buttercream icing, but my husband loves creamcheese icing.
Thanks Lexi!
Hi Mona, that should be fine! Strawberry cream cheese buttercream would be a delicious choice. Hope your husband enjoys his cake!
Hi Sally,
I plan on making this cake for my husband’s birthday, but since I am not a seasoned Baker, I thought I’d better test the recipe before the big day. The flavour is good, but I found it a bit on the dry side. I baked for the specified time, but I have a hunch it might have baked too long. Could that be one of the reasons? I followed your recipe to a T. Thanks in advance!
Hi Mona, your hunch is right — over baking is usually the culprit for dry cakes. For next time, check a few minutes earlier with a toothpick for doneness. Also be sure to properly measure your flour, as too much can easily dry out out a cake. We recommend using the spoon and level method or for even more accuracy, measuring by weight. We have a few more tips and tricks on how to prevent dry and dense cakes on the blog. Hopefully they are helpful for next time — good luck!
Made this cake a day ahead and assembled same day. It is a big cake and goes together perfectly. A lot of fun to watch the candies come out when cut.
However, I put my assembled cake in the fridge for about 4 hours to keep icing cool (used a chocolate Swiss meringue) and the cake was completely dry when I served it.
I am going to make this cake again because it was delicious (even dry) but do you have any tips? Would putting in the fridge in the morning, uncovered, have dried out the cake?
Thanks so much 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Megan, if your cake was a bit dry, there are a few possible culprits. It’s possible that your cake was simply baked too long or that the dry ingredients were over measured — both of which can result in dry cakes. Leaving it in the fridge while uncovered could have contributed if your fridge was especially cold, but usually if it is covered with frosting, it should be okay for a few hours until serving. We share more on how to prevent dry and dense cakes in this blog post, which may be helpful for next time. So glad to hear you enjoyed the cake otherwise!
Thanks for reliable recipes, I’m a big fan! Can we make the entire cake the day before, with the pinata treats in? Wondering if they might get damp and not ‘flow’ out when the cake is cut?
★★★★
I read the make ahead instructions but wasn’t clear if frosting and refrigerating with the treats will affect the cake. Thought I’ll clarify, thanks
Hi there! We don’t recommend making the whole cake ahead of time, instead you can make the cake layers ahead of time (as you noted is detailed in the recipe notes) and assemble the day of serving to prevent the piñata filling from getting too moist. Hope it’s a hit!
Can I scale up your chocolate cake for this? If so, how much? Also, I would like to make this with your chocolate cream cheese frosting and how much should I scale that up as well? Thank you so much this looks soooooooo good!!!
Hi Zana! We would 1.5x the chocolate cake recipe. Doubling would be too much. We recommend using our tuxedo cake batter which is almost the same as the triple chocolate cake, however, it uses some sour cream for extra sturdiness. You’ll need this for shaping the piñata cake. Our chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe make enough to frost a 3 layer cake, so we would make 1.5x the amount to have enough for a piñata cake. Would love to hear how it goes!
Oh. My. Godness. This was sooo amazing! I made the cake with the Tuxedo cake batter and substituted some of the cocoa powder for Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. I also used all the coffee suggestions, and could just barely taste it. There was a bit too much of the chocolate cream cheese frosting, but I didn’t put much in between the layers. For the candy in the middle, I put tons of chocolate chips and sprinkles and candy! The cake was very filling, and no one finished their gigantic piece I gave them, even though it was the best cake we’ve ever had! Thank you so much for telling me how much I should scale it up! Again, it was so so good!
★★★★★
Would have easily made 2 normal size 9 inch layers. Easier then to just split if you want 4 thin layers. Very dense cake. Had buttermilk and eggs I needed to use so it’s ok. Will definitely not make again. Frosting recipe was too skimpy and had to make some more. I have a magnolia bakery vanilla cake recipe in the oven right now. This is what 2 layers should be.
Very very worried. Am making this cake for my best friend’s 57th birthday! There does not appear to be NEARLY enough batter for four 9″ round pans. I have “spooned” the batter into all four pans, and it is maybe 1/4 of the way up the sides of each pan. I am not exaggerating. (I just measured.) I don’t care how much baking powder and baking soda you require; these can not possible rise up to normal cake heights… I am in trouble.
★★
Will this Piñata cake recipe (which looks delicious) work with gluten free flour? Would there be need for any adjustments to the ingredients.
I typically use GF Jules gf flour which is fine (almost like cornstarch)
Hi Lori, we haven’t tested this recipe using GF flour, but let us know if you give it a try!
Hi! I want to make you 6inch vanilla funfetti cake, but I want to make a pinata in the middle layer. Do you think this would work?
Hi Shelly! There will be less space to “stuff” the cake, but it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes for you!
Hi Sally, I see you recommended using a sieve for the sugar and cocoa powder when making the frosting. Can I use a sifter? Thanks!
Definitely. Happy baking, Kathleen!
Hi Sally I made your vanilla cake with your chocolate buttercream frosting from your piñata cake the recipe was simple and easy , it was the bomb . I searched so many recipes so glad I chose yours . It was moist and delicious.
I accidentally ordered low-fat butter milk! I didnt even know you could make buttermilk low fat. Would it be better to make my own buttermilk from whole milk I have or use the low-fat butter milk. Or do I just buy more regular butter milk ! Thank you!!!
Hi Jordyn, We actually use low fat buttermilk. Our grocery store doesn’t even sell the whole stuff!
Hi Sally!
If I were to make this the night before, how do you recommend storing it?
Thanks
Hi Emily, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day covered at room temperature. After that, I would definitely refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- We’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day
My 10 year old made this by herself this weekend and it was AHMAZING. Spectacular cake. We used Guittard cocoa powder for the chocolate frosting and whipped it extra long which resulted in a flavor between dark and milk chocolate – i.e., perfection.
★★★★★
Hi Sally – Looking to make this cake ahead of time for a birthday surprise. Don’t have time to do finishing touches the day of. Will freezing with sprinkles inside result in a wet, sticky mess?? Thanks!!
Hi Jody, The frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (which should produce less condensation and help prevent the sprinkles from getting sticky) and bring to room temperature before serving. But honestly, it tastes much better fresh. See the recipe notes for details.
Hi there, Sally – I’m looking to make your chocolate buttercream recipe. I wasn’t able to find the recipe ratio for a 3-4 layer cake…did I miss it?
Hi Kathrin! The frosting recipe is included with the cake above– just enough for pretty much any 4 layer cake!
Hey Sally, I would like to make a pinata cake for my sisters bithday, but she wants a rainbow cake… do you have an idea how to get more layers to make a rainbow? Could i divide the batter into more layers or would it work to make more batter so the cake gets taller? And which frosting would you recommend using – I need something white cause I want to make a penguin theme cake on the outside…
Thanks for this incredible recipe!
Hi Suchas, you can definitely use this batter to make more layers– the layers will simply be thinner and require a shorter bake time. Feel free to use this chocolate frosting. The vanilla buttercream from my vanilla cake would be great too!
I made this chocolate icing to go with your chocolate cake, and it came out AMAZING! The icing was creamy and delicious and went great with your moist chocolate cake! Thank you so much for the recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you would this work to fill with skittles? My grandson wants a skittle filled lemon cake. Thanks so much
Yes, any small size candy works.
Can you make this a lemon cake?
Hi Trish, If you are looking for a lemon cake I recommend my Lemon Layer Cake.
Hi Sally,
I’m looking to make a two layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I was going to halve the cake recipe, should I have the frosting recipe as well or make a full batch?
Thanks!
Hi Gabby, Yes you can cut the frosting in half also. Enjoy!
Hi Sally —
Could I mix sprinkles into this to make it a funfetti cake? I know you have a funfetti cake, but I love yellow cake!
Thank you!
Absolutely! I recommend about 2/3 – 3/4 cup of sprinkles.
Hi Sally. If we use your chocolate cake recipe for this do we double it or Just split it across 4 pans? Thank you!
Hi Amelia, I would 1.5x the chocolate cake recipe. Doubling would be too much. I recommend using my tuxedo cake batter which is almost the same as the triple chocolate cake, however, it uses some sour cream for extra sturdiness. You’ll need this for shaping the piñata cake.