Watermelon Cake Recipe
This fun, summery watermelon cake is soft, colorful, and bursting with playful flavor. With its red-pink sponge, chocolate chip "seeds," and buttercream rind, it’s a party show-stopper every time!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (glass or stainless steel)
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9-inch round cake pans (2)
- Rubber Spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Cake turntable (optional)
- Offset spatula (for frosting)
- Piping bags or ziplock bags (optional)
Ingredients
Watermelon Cake:
- nonstick baking spray
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons watermelon-flavored gelatin mix such as Jell-O®
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- red food coloring gel
- green food coloring gel
- miniature semisweet chocolate chips for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray cake pans with nonstick spray.
- Whisk flour, gelatin, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one by one.
- Mix in buttermilk, vanilla, red gel food coloring, and dry ingredients.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips and divide batter evenly into pans.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool, then frost with buttercream tinted red and green.
- Decorate with mini chocolate chips to mimic watermelon seeds.
