Follow my easy step by step tutorial to make these adorable St. Patrick’s Day Mini Ombre Cakes!
This post contains affiliate links.
Do you go all out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? I have to admit that I don’t.
You won’t find me decorating (although I’ll never say never), I usually forget to wear green, it’s pretty much the last day you’ll see me in a bar. Let’s just say, I’m not exactly going around pinching people.
BUT, after making these Mini Ombre Cakes for Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t help but think about other holidays they’d be perfect for … like St. Patty’s Day.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the holiday, I actually have a little Irish blood in me. So I thought, why not make St. Patrick’s Day Cake?
St. Patrick’s Day Cake
I’m so glad I did, because these green cakes turned out sooo cute! And they’re pretty delicious, too.
Just like those petite cakes I made for Valentine’s Day, this St. Patrick’s Day Mini Ombre Cakes recipe is super simple to make.
If you can put together a cake mix, you can make these layered ombre green cakes … I have confidence in you!
How to Make St. Patrick’s Day Cakes
This St. Patrick’s dessert recipe starts with a simple white cake mix. Be sure to use white, otherwise the cake’s color will affect the shade of your layers.
You’ll prepare the cake mix, then divide it into three equal portions (measure it for accuracy) and color each with green food coloring. I used my fave Wilton gel coloring.
Start with the dark green batter first, and add a little color at a time, until you get the shade you like (I wish I had added a little more). Then, do the lightest layer … you’ll probably only need a touch of color. Finally, do the middle green last.
That way, you can be sure it’s right between the other two colors.
Transfer the batter to 9-inch cake pans, then bake.
The batter will be pretty thin, so it should only take about 10 minutes.
After baking the cake, you’ll use a 2.5-inch circle cookie cutter to cut 7 circles from each layer.
Then, you’ll add a generous amount of frosting between the layers.
When you’re finished, use the flat edge of a knife to remove any excess frosting. That’s the trick to making the cakes look perfect!
I had planned to add chocolate shamrocks to the top of these St. Patrick’s Day Mini Ombre Cakes, similar to the Valentine’s Day cakes I made. Unfortunately, I ran into a bit of bad luck … maybe I need to pinch someone after all!
The temp was in the eighties today (let’s just say Texas winters aren’t that cold!). My apartment was too warm, and my shamrocks melted on me!
Check out my V-day post for instructions if you’re curious, because the chocolate cake toppers really make an easy and cute finishing touch. And if you’d like to see a video of how these cakes are made, make sure to visit my Red, White, and Blue Mini Cakes post.
Whether you add the shamrocks or not though, these St. Patrick’s Day Mini Ombre Cakes are the perfect addition to your holiday festivities!
St. Patrick’s Day Mini Ombre Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix
- green food coloring
- 3 (10-ounce) containers cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray or butter, then lightly coat with flour. Set aside.
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
- Measure batter, then divide it into 3 equal portions in 3 separate bowls.
- Add varying amounts of green food coloring to each bowl to create light, medium, and dark colored green batter.
- Transfer batter to cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove cake pans from oven. Let cool slightly, then remove cake layers from pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, use the 2.5-inch cutter to cut each cake layer into 7 circles.
- Cover a dark colored circle generously with frosting, then add a medium colored circle, and add more frosting. Finish with a light colored layer, topping with more frosting.
- Use the flat edge of a knife to remove excess frosting from the sides of the cake.
- Serve cakes immediately or store in a cool place. Enjoy!
St. Patrick’s Day Menu
Aren’t these Mini Ombre Cakes cute?
I think these green cakes are the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, whether you’re a huge fan of the holiday or not! And of course, you could customize the colors for any occasion.
Pair this adorable St. Patrick’s dessert with my Green Pizza and a kale salad for a fun holiday meal idea!
What is your favorite way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
They are super cute and look super yummy! I’d love to make them too!
Thank you so much, Carolann! They are so fun to make … hope you give it a try! 🙂
Adorable enough that I may have to get in the St. Patty’s spirit too! I bet my kids would love making these mini ombre cakes. Added to my Pinterest queue.
Thanks, Stephanie! I bet your kids would have so much fun making them!