Making a crown cake isn’t what you think, its a simple vanilla almond cherry cake decorated with buttercream frosting; as a decorative addition a small 4″ golden  crown. Couldn’t be easier to create, for the cake starts with a box mix. A few added ingredients makes this cake super moist and quick to bake.

Easy Cake to Create

Whether you make a cake from a box mix or from scratch, an easier method is purchasing a baked and frosted round cake then decorate it yourself. Purchase candies that you love and a wedding crown to decorate the top of the cake.

However, if you want to bake your own cake, check out these instructions.  I used Duncan Hines white cake mix, vanilla instant pudding and pie mix, eggs, water, sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extract.  After mixing, line three 6″ round cake pans with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray. Pour cake batter in pans then bake at 350 for 22 minutes. After the cake has cooled,  wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for one hour. This will make the cake easier to frost.

Make your buttercream frosting, beating until smooth and creamy. Unwrap cake layers and spread melted cherry jam over the bottom and middle cake. Do not spread jam over the top the cake.  Add buttercream over the jam between layers of cake, stacking cake carefully.  Add last cake layer, then frost entire cake with buttercream. After assembling the cake, the cake is wrapped and chilled for 30 minutes to help gel the cake layers together. This is optional but it really does help with firming up the frosting and cake.

Frosting the cake with vanilla buttercream frosting has a smooth coat. Watch here to see how to make the cake smooth.   

Decorating Cake

No decorating this cake with piping tips, just add candies and crown.  I found the crown here at Tablecloths Factory.com.   

This really made the cake easy to decorate, inside the crown I created a cute arrangement of candy hearts and almond M & M’s. Since the theme was Hearts, it seemed right to use sugared hearts for the decor.  When serving the cake, remove the crown and slice into 1″ pieces.  Cake serves 6-8 servings.

Dessert for Celebration Crowning Cake

Table-scape for Crowning Hearts Table; tap on photo below or link.

Crowning Cake Recipe

Vanilla Almond Cherry Crown Cake

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Three 6″ cake layers of Vanilla Almond Cake with cherry jam and buttercream frosting. Decorated with Cherry gumdrop hearts and white almond M & M’s.

• Author: Liz Bushong
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 60 + frosting
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

1. Vanilla Almond Cake

• 1 box/ 16.25 oz. white cake mix- tested Duncan Hines
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1- package vanilla instant pudding and pie mix- dry
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 –1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 2 cups/452g of unsalted butter softened
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Milk or heavy cream optional

Cherry Jam- 1 cup for layers

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat 3- 6″ round cake pans with cooking spray, line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray those rounds with cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, add all ingredients to cake mix. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined.
3. Divide dough into thirds filling 1/3 of batter into each prepared cake pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until center of cake comes out clean with tested with a toothpick.
5. Remove from oven and turn out cakes on cooling rack. remove parchment paper rounds from cakes.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1. In mixing bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, whip softened butter until light and fluffy,
2. Add 2 cups of confectioners sugar, whip to incorporate with butter, keep adding sugar until all 8 cups is mixed.  Add extracts and heavy cream a teaspoon at a time until buttercream is creamy and smooth for spreading. Medium consistency.
3. Place  on tablespoon of frosting in center of  6″ cardboard cake base.  Add one cake layer with risen cake top facing you.  Brush with warmed cherry jam coating the top of cake only.
4. Using 1/2 cup frosting, coat top of cake spreading evenly but not down the sides of cake.  Add second cake on top of frosting, brush with cherry jam, 1/2 cup frosting and third cake layer.  Do not brush cake top with jam.
5. Place cake on a turn table to help frost the sides and top of three layer cake.  Add 1 -2 cups of frosting on the top of cake and spin the turn table while gradually edging the frosting down the sides of the cake. Using an off set spatula, and bench scraper to  smooth top and sides of cake with frosting.
6. Allow cake to chill before decorating and serving about 30 minutes.
7. Decorate cake with purchased 4″ gold crown, gumdrop hearts and  white almond M & M’s  if desired.

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