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Circus Animal Cookie Cake: A Whimsical Celebration of Childhood in Every Bite

This Circus Animal Cookie Cake is a playful and colorful layer cake with swirled pink and vanilla cake layers, filled with crushed circus cookies and topped with a pink ganache drip and festive sprinkles—perfect for parties and celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 package vanilla cake mix
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Pink gel food dye
  • 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Circus Animal Cookies, crushed and divided
  • 5 ounces (about 1 cup) white chocolate chips
  • 4–5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • Pink gel food dye (for ganache)
  • Sprinkles (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until well combined.
  3. Divide a third of the batter and tint it pink with gel food dye. Alternate spooning vanilla and pink batter into the pans, swirling with a knife.
  4. Bake for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
  5. For the frosting: Beat softened butter until light. Gradually add powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and almond extract, beating until fluffy. Tint a portion of the frosting pink for filling and decoration.
  6. Level cake layers. Place bottom layer on cake plate, pipe pink frosting, and spread evenly. Add 2/3 of the crushed cookies over the frosting, then pipe a little more pink frosting on top and spread again.
  7. Add second cake layer inverted. Apply a crumb coat with white frosting. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
  8. Spread more frosting on top and sides of cake. Use a spatula or smoother to create a clean surface. Add dots of pink frosting if desired for an ombré effect. Press remaining crushed cookies into the bottom edge of the cake.
  9. For the ganache: Melt white chocolate chips with 3 tbsp of cream in the microwave at 50% power. Stir until smooth. Add 1–2 tbsp more cream if needed for a drippable consistency. Add pink gel dye and whisk until combined.
  10. Drizzle ganache around the cake edge with a piping bag. Fill the top with ganache and smooth with an offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles. Let the ganache set before serving.

Notes

  • Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without altering batter consistency.
  • Ensure cakes are completely cooled before frosting to avoid melting.
  • Refrigerating the crumb coat helps create a smooth final layer of frosting.
  • Crushing cookies smaller than a dime makes them easier to distribute in the filling and around the cake edge.
  • The ganache drip works best when the cake is chilled.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://fiteatshub.com/circus-animal-cookie-cake-a-whimsical-celebration-of-childhood-in-every-bite/