Welcome back everyone from the long 4th of July weekend. I love cake. It is definitely one of those things that I love to bake because it can be so challenging. Thankfully, this seashell cake is one of the easier cakes to make. This recipe is great for someone that is just starting out in baking or is possibly experienced but is in the mood to make something easy.
Why do I love this cake??
I think my favorite part about this cake is that you can make the entire thing in a day and it has such a wow factor! Even though it is not a layered cake, it is covered in fondant and molded to look like a seashell. It is definitely a crowd-pleaser without requiring a whole week process. I chose to not make fondant for this recipe but you definitely can if that is what you prefer. I had fondant on hand that I like to use. I find that no matter how hard I try, store-bought fondant always adds a better quality to my cakes that I cannot replicate with something homemade. If you have a bomb fondant recipe that you think I should try out, make sure to leave it in the comments!
The pictures above are showing how the cake should look after dusting it with cocoa powder. Gives the cake a nice dark effect to layer with food coloring.
However, this cake is so fun in a way that you can really bring it to life! You can really make it your own by adding edible glitter dust, different colors, as well as texture in the form of pearls and chunky sugar accents. The limits are endless! If you have been wanting to dip your toes in the field of cake making, try out this recipe first. Make sure to let me know how it goes either in the comments on this post, on Instagram or on Facebook!
Sea Shell Cake
Equipment
- shell shaped cake pan
- fondant
- Round paint brush
- Round tooth picks
- Brown and copper food coloring
- Large cake round
- Kitchenaid mixer and paddle attachment
- Glass bowls
- Whisk attachment for Kitchenaid
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Organic Vegetable Shortening
- 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Tsp. Salt
- 4 Tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 Cup Milk
- 4 Egg whites
Decorating Supplies
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
American Buttercream
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1/4 Tsp. Salt
- 2 Tsp. Vanilla
- 2 Lbs. Confectioners Sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Start by gathering all of your supplies that you will need to make the cake and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prep cake pan by greasing and coating with flour. It is best to be organized while making any type of cake. It will make your life easier, trust me. Start making your white cake by placing your vegetable shortening in a mixing bowl and blend with the sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Sift AP flour and leaveners together and measure out milk. Alternately add each to your shortening mixture until both are fully incorporated. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form and begin folding them into your batter. Pour batter into your prepared shell cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until completely cooked through. Flip out onto a wire wrack and allow to completely cool before decorating.
For the American Buttercream
- The thing about American Buttercream is that it is super easy to make! Place your butter in the mixer and beat until fluffy. Start adding your sifted powdered sugar ( do not skip this step as it will lend to lumpy frosting ) and alternate that with milk. Blend until smooth.
Building The Cake
- Place a small amount of buttercream on cake board to act as glue to make sure your cake does not slide around during build. Place your cake on the board and cover in american buttercream. Place in fridge to chill while your roll out your fondant.
- Roll out fondant that is large enough to cover your cake. You will want it to be around a 1/4 of an inch thick to allow the fondant to show the curves and indentations of the sea shell. Remove your cake from the fridge and place fondant on top and begin molding it into a sea shell.
- Once satisfied with the look of the sea shell, dust the entire cake with cocoa powder and begin painting the cake with the copper and brown food coloring. Allow your creativity to go wild at this point or try to copy a picture. I created alternating lines of color and feathered out the lines to make the shell look more realistic. To finish, mix one cup of brown and white sugar together to create the "sand" and pour around edges of cake. Serve immediately.
Have fun baking!
Would you like to learn how I make my very own Vanilla extract?? Click here to check out that post! Want to check out some of my other cakes? You can check them out here!
*Affiliate links are present in this post. Should you be interested in using one of my links on my site I may receive a small commission if you decide to make a purchase. As always, any support is always appreciated and goes directly towards supporting My Daily Knead.
My favorite fondant ⤵️⤵️
Happy baking! – Lizzy
