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Grinch Cake

This Grinch cake is a fun and festive addition to any Christmas party!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 33 minutes
Servings 10
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake layers

  • 1 15.25-ounce box white cake mix
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract use clear if you have it

Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract use clear if you have it
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • green gel food coloring

Assembly

Instructions

Cake layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Be sure your pans are at least 2 inches tall, because the cake layers rise quite a bit. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper, then spray the paper with more cooking spray. Set pans aside.
  2. Combine the cake mix, flour, sugar, sour cream, water, vegetable oil, egg whites, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes—batter should be very smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape up from the bottom and get everything totally mixed together.
  4. Divide cake batter between the prepared pans and bake cake layers 43 to 48 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  5. Cool cake layers for 20 minutes in pans, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling your cake.

Frosting

  1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until very smooth, about 1 minute. With mixer set to low, gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of the milk and the vanilla and salt.
  2. Turn mixer to medium speed and beat until frosting is very smooth. If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar; it it’s too thick add additional milk. Add green gel food coloring and mix to combine.

Assembly

  1. Use a long serrated to trim your cooled cake layers if they’ve domed.
  2. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and spread with a thick layer of frosting. Top with a second layer and frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
  3. Use a rolling pin to roll the fondant into a even, thin layer (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick). Dust the fondant with a little powdered sugar if necessary to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.
  4. Use a sharp heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts. Carefully transfer the hearts to the cake and gently press them into the side of the cake.
  5. Top the cake with sprinkles, if desired, and serve.

Recipe Notes

Tips for working with fondant

  • After you cut out each heart, remove the fondant from around the heart rather than attempting to lift the heart out from inside the fondant.  
  • If you can’t lift the hearts off your  work surface without stretching them, leave the cookie cutter around the heart and work a small offset spatula under the fondant, then lift both the fondant and the cookie cutter up.  Gently remove the cookie cutter and your heart should stay the right shape.