Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow fluff
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Coating and Decoration
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 32 oz vanilla almond bark or candy coating
- Sprinkles
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 18x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. If you don't have this size, use two smaller pans.
- Make the Vanilla Cake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, canola oil, milk, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Use a hand mixer to mix everything together until smooth and well combined.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan. This ensures the cake firms up and is easier to work with.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the unsalted butter and marshmallow fluff until smooth. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, mixing until the frosting is fluffy and well blended.
- Cut Cake into Egg Shapes: Using an egg-shaped cookie cutter, cut approximately 16 egg shapes from the cooled cake.
- Assemble the Mini Cakes: Pipe or spread frosting on 8 of the cake eggs, leaving a small border around the edges to prevent frosting from spilling out. Top each frosted cake with another cake egg to form a sandwich.
- Chill the Cakes: Refrigerate or freeze the assembled cakes for 30-60 minutes. This step helps firm them up and makes coating easier.
- Melt Almond Bark Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the coconut oil and vanilla almond bark. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each until smooth. Reserve about 2/3 cup of the melted almond bark for decoration.
- Coat the Cakes: Using two forks, dip each mini cake into the melted almond bark, fully covering it. Allow excess coating to drip off, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
- Decorate: Color the reserved almond bark with gel food coloring if desired. Drizzle the colored almond bark over the coated cakes using a spoon or by piping through a small hole cut in a zip-top bag. Add sprinkles immediately before the coating sets.
Notes
- Freezing the mini cakes before coating helps to prevent breakage and makes dipping easier.
- You can substitute the white cake mix with a homemade vanilla cake recipe for a more homemade touch.
- If you don’t have almond extract, vanilla extract alone will work fine, but almond adds a nice depth of flavor.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning the almond bark coating during decoration.
- For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free butter and marshmallow fluff substitutes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
