Use this step by step tutorial to make an easy beach cake that's perfect for Summer. It's decorated with homemade chocolate seashells and brown sugar sand.
It’s been such a gloomy and rainy Summer but this cake is sure to brighten your spirits! This is one of those easy cakes that even non-cake decorators or beginners can make, just like this Bumblebee Cake (Spring Cake) or this Watermelon Cake.
This is a tall double barrel cake, covered in blue frosting that represents the sea. Then, it's topped off with homemade chocolate seashells and brown sugar to represent the sand. Finally, some edible pearls were tossed all over the cake, just to jazz it up a little.
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How to make easy beach cake from scratch?
- Bake cakes- And allow them to cool completely.
- Make icing- And color it blue.
- Assemble– Place one cake on cake stand, ice the top, then place the other cake on top. Continue doing this until all the cakes are stacked and then, ice the whole cake.
- Make spiral pattern- With a spatula.
- Add edible pearls- Stick them around the cake.
- Add brown sugar sand– On top of the cake and base of the cake.
- Make chocolate seashells- And give them a shine by spraying with gold and silver color mist.
- Do final decorations- By placing the sea shells on top of the cake and sprinkling some more brown sugar.
Variations for beach theme cake (ocean theme cake)
Make a larger tiered cake- This is already a tall cake but you can add a 10 inch wider tier tier at the bottom. That would make a great wedding cake.
Try other cake flavors– Such as Lemon Cake or Pineapple Cake.
Color cake batter blue- This will match the color of the icing and fit the ocean theme very well.
Pair with other frosting flavors- Such as Mango Frosting or Lemon Frosting.
Tips and Techniques beach birthday cake
Chocolate seashells- I made them with a chocolate mold but you can also buy them from some chocolate stores although they might not always be available and can be expensive.
Don’t frost or decorate warm cakes- Because the warmth will cause the icing and chocolate decorations to melt and make a sticky mess.
Fondant vs. chocolate for making seashells- I highly recommend using chocolate because it dries quicker than fondant.
Use gel colors- For coloring the icing because it's thicker and doesn't alter the consistency of the frosting.
Where to find seashell mold? They are available online on Amazon as well as the cake decorating aisles in Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
Spraying seashells with color mist is optional- It just adds a subtle shine.
Where to find gold and silver color mist? It's the Wilton brand and can be bought online from their site or from Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
Storage for Summer cake
Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze- Unfrosted cake and frosting can be stored separately in sealed containers for up to 1 month. When you are ready to make this dessert, let the frosting and cakes thaw in the fridge overnight and then, decorate as per instructions below.
Make ahead instructions- This cake can be baked and decorated 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Brown sugar substitute- This is used to create the illusion of sand. Check out this post on How to Make Brown Sugar. You can also use fine graham cracker crumbs.
More Cake Decorating Ideas
- Butterfly Cake
- Tie Dye Shirt Cake
- Fondant Flower Cake
- Peacock Cake
- Crying Baby Cake
- Mini Sushi Cake
- Modern Abstract Cake
- How to Make Easy Fondant Roses (Ribbon Roses)
Recipe
Easy Beach Cake
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Ingredients
- 4 Orange cake Double the recipe to make 4 round cakes, Dimensions: 8x2 each
- 6 cups Cream cheese frosting Double the recipe to make 6 cups of frosting, Colored blue
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon White edible pearls
- 4 cups White chocolate chips Melted
Instructions
- Bake the cakes and allow them to cool completely to room temperature.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Trim the domes of all the cakes (if any).
- Place one cake on a cake stand. Spread icing on top. Place the second cake on top. Spread icing on top again. Place the third cake on top. Spread icing on top again. Place the fourth cake on top. Then, ice the entire cake smoothly with a spatula and at the end, use it to create a spiral design along the sides of the cake as well as the top of the cake.
- You can push a wooden dowel through the top center of the cake for additional support (optional).
- Toss some brown sugar on top of the cake as well as the base of the cake.
- Also, stick some edible pearls randomly around the sides of the cake. Keep aside.
- Prepare the chocolate seashells. Pour melted chocolate chocolate into the cavities of the seashell mold/tray. Place this tray in the freezer for 15 minutes or until the chocolate hardens. Then, turn the mold gently onto a tray lined with wax paper and the chocolate shells will just pop out.Spray the chocolate shells with golden and silver color mist.Allow the color to dry for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.
- Place the chocolate shells on top of the cake and you are done. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Beth
My husband reacts the exact same way when I tell him I've come up with a new idea. Your cake is so fun and I'm glad you finally got to go to the beach. We are finally getting 5 days in a row of sunshine. It's been so gloomy here too, so I'm taking advantage of the nice days.
Abeer Rizvi
Thanks Beth! My favorite thing about making this cake was my 3 year old could help out...YAY! Sometimes, it's so hard to get him involved in my cake projects coz they are so delicate and fragile...hehe.
We have had sunshine for a few days now too... thank god! Planning another beach trip this weekend!
SaraLily
Oh WOW! This is amazing! You have a wonderful talent - love seeing all your cakes from other posts too!
Meena
Love this cake. Thanks for the post.
Abeer Rizvi
Glad you like it
Kathy
Beautiful cake. I was looking for a cake to make for a bridal shower for a bride who will be married on the beach. This was perfect. I made a chocolate version and filled it with raspberry and a white version and filled it with pineapple filling. Your icing was perfect. The cake was easy to make and decorate and looked so professional when done. Everyone was suitably impressed. Thank you!
Abeer Rizvi
Awwww Kathy! You just made my day! I am sooooooooo happy to hear that. Feel free to share pics when you get a chance!
ROSALIE D SNIDER
How do you get the design on the side of the cake?
Abeer Rizvi
I just used a tweezer to stick edible white pearls randomly around the cake and then, I sprinkled brown sugar around the base of the cake.
Karen K
OMG...loved this idea. I made a rectangular 9x13 cake for my daughter’s baby shower. She and her hubby have a cabin on Whidbey Island and love going to the beach there. I had some metal seashells that looked to be the right size. So I used them instead of making chocolate ones. I made a carrot cake and cream cheese frosting. Had to improvise a bit compared to the full coverage of the round cake. Everybody thought it was spectacular. And I’m not the artsy cake decorating type...thanks so much for this clever idea!
Abeer Rizvi
So glad you like this idea and tried it!
Hi
Wow that's good
Abigail Wenderson
Wow, this cake looks delicious.
Ralph
Whoa, well done! You're super talented.