Circus Animal Cookie Cake is a fun whimsical layered cake that is bound to be the life of the party.
When I was younger I loved Circus Animal Cookies. I remember always begging my mom for them while we were in the store. Not too long ago I was shopping with my daughter and she saw them sitting on the shelf. She wanted to try them. I bought them for her, and then a light bulb went off in my head. How fun would it be to turn them into a cake?
This Circus Cookies cake is a three layer Funfetti cake mix topped with a creamy vanilla pink frosting, and Funfetti Sprinkles and whole Circus Cookies on top of the cake for decoration. This cake is perfect for any day that you want to bring a little fun to your dessert table. It’s also great for birthday parties. A zoo themed party would fit perfectly with this cake. No matter when you make this beautiful cake you are bound to get rave reviews.
What is the difference between Circus Cookies and Animal Crackers?
Animal Crackers are a crunchy less sweet cookie/cracker that is shaped in animal type shapes. Usually animals that you could find in a zoo. Circus cookies are a little more sweet and close to a graham cracker however they are frosted in usual bright pink or white frosting and topped with crunchy sprinkles.
Do I need any special equipment to make this cake?
To make this cake you need three nine inch cake pans. I used a piping bag with a star tip. However, if you don’t have a piping bag you could use a plastic storage or freezer bag with a tip cut off to help you achieve the same effect.
Cake boards are very helpful when you are making layered cakes like this. However, if you do not have cake boards you could use a flat pan or plate. However, pay close attention to make sure that whatever you use doesn’t have deep sides.
I also used a cake leveler to make the layers flat. All cakes bake with the dome shaped top. To make sure your layered cake stays flat you will want to level your layers to take off the dome. U used the cake leveler for that. Cake levelers are not pricey however if you don’t want to invest in one, you could just use a serrated knife instead. I just encourage you to go slowly and make sure to keep your knife flat.
What are Funfetti Sprinkles?
Funfetti Sprinkles are rainbow colored sprinkles. I want to encourage you not to use nonpareils. Nonpareils are tiny round balls made out of sugar and starch. The round balls tend to stay hard instead of softening to allow your color to soak in. I usually use the rainbow jimmies type.
Do I have to level the cake layers?
Yes! It is very important to level the cake layers. If you don’t not level the cake then you will not be able to stack the cake to make the layered look. You need a flat surface to be able to stack your cake.
You may be interested in these other cake recipes:
Amazing Strawberry Chocolate Cake
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Circus Animal Cookie Cake
Equipment
- Three 9 inch cake pans
- cake leveler or knife
- piping bag with star tip or storage bag with tip cut off.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes of funfetti cake mix
- 6 large egg
- 2 C water
- 1 C Canola oil
- Pam baking spray
- Vanilla frosting
- 2 C unsalted butter softened
- 5 C powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-6 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- Pink food coloring
- 2 C funfetti sprinkles
- 1 Bag of frosted animal cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the 3 cake pans with pam baking spray
- Combine all cake ingredients into a standing mixer or large mixing
- bowl and beat until combined
- Divide the batter between the 3 pans and bake in the oven for 28-32
- minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Allow to cool completely before moving onto the cake board
- Using a cake leveler, remove the dome from the cakes to make even
- Using a standing mixer, beat together the butter, powdered sugar,
- vanilla, and heavy whipping cream until combined, smooth and stiff with peaks
- Scoop 2 1/2 C of frosting into one bowl and mix in a few drops of pink
- gel food coloring until combined
- Scoop ½ C of frosting into the piping bag
- Building the cake directions
- Using 1 cake layer on the cake board, scoop 1 C of pink frosting onto
- the top of the cake and spread evenly
- Place the second layer of cake on top of the first layer of frosting.
- Scoop another 1 C of pink frosting onto the second layer of cake and spread evenly
- Place the last layer of cake on top
- Frost entire cake with the remaining white frosting
- Take the angled spatula and blot dollops of pink frosting around the cake
- Carefully smooth evenly to allow the pink frosting to blend into the while frosting
- Scoop a handful of funfetti sprinkles onto the bottom of the cake
- Pipe dollops of white frosting around the top
- Sprinkle some sprinkles around the edge of the cake
- Place animal cookies into the frosting
- Cut and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
