Quick and easy tutorial on how to make homemade birthday sushi cake with fondant, pound cake, icing, candies. Great for April Fool's Day dessert.
I am not particularly fond of sushi but this dessert is something I get on board with. It looks just like the real thing but tastes nothing like it. It's just as fun to make as these other Birthday Cake Ideas or this Bumblebee Cake (Spring Cake).
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How to make sushi cake from scratch?
- Bake cake- And allow it to cool completely.
- Cut circle slices- Using a circle cutter.
- Ice cake- In chocolate frosting.
- Cut strip of green fondant- And stick it around the cake.
- Add toppings- This includes shredded coconut and crushed candies.
- Enjoy- Serve on a tray with chopsticks.
Variations for fondant sushi birthday cake
Use black fondant- I chose to make the outer strip of fondant dark green to look like seaweed but you can also choose to make it black too. I have seen both versions in real life.
Use other candies- Instead of candy corns, use other orange and yellow candies.
Make a large cake- Use the same tutorial to make a single 8 or 9 inch cake instead of mini cakes.
Try other cake flavors- Such as Chocolate Pound Cake (With Cake Mix) or Lemon Pound Cake (With Cake Mix) or Buttermilk Pound Cake (From Scratch) or Sour Cream Pound Cake.
Consider other frosting flavors- Such as Peanut Butter Frosting or Easy Maple Frosting.
Tips and Techniques
Cake must be firm- Whatever cake recipe you choose, make sure it has a firm texture to hold the weight of the fondant decorations and to also maintain its round shape. I highly recommend sticking to pound cakes.
Don't decorate warm cakes- Because the icing and decorations will melt into a sticky mess.
Use a metal cutter instead of plastic cutters- Because they create the sharpest cleanest circle slices.
Homemade fondant vs. Marshmallow fondant- Either can be used. I prefer homemade fondant because it tastes really good and also smells amazing. Also, you can buy pre-colored fondant, which means less work for you.
Storage
Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However the fondant decorations will become slightly sticky and tacky from the moisture in the fridge.
Freeze- Unfrosted cakes can be stored in a sealed container for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy it, let it 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 at room temperature until you are ready to serve.
More Decorated Cakes
- Watermelon Cake
- Butterfly Cake
- Tie Dye Shirt Cake
- Fondant Flower Cake
- Peacock Cake
- Crying Baby Cake
- Modern Abstract Cake
Recipe
Easy Birthday Sushi Cake
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Ingredients
- Cream cheese pound cake
- Chocolate buttercream frosting
- 2 cups Marshmallow fondant Dark green or black
- ½ cup Shredded coconut Sweetened
- ¼ cup Candy corn Roughly chopped
Instructions
- Allow it to cool completely. It's better to chill in fridge overnight to really make it firm.
- Cut it in half lengthwise.
- Use a small 2 inch circle cutter to out circle cake pieces.
- Ice the sides of these mini cakes with chocolate buttercream, using a spatula.
- Roll out green fondant (or black fondant) and cut strips using a pizza cutter. The width of these strips should be the same as the height of the mini cakes.
- Wrap these fondant strips around your circular cakes and cut off excess along the sides.
- Tip:I have seen some sushi cakes that use green fruit roll up strips instead of fondant. I think that’s very smart. It would save you the hassle of rolling fondant and cutting strips.
- Cover the top of your cakes with icing.
- Sprinkle shredded coconut on top.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes in the center.
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.
Eftychia
I love sushi, but I can understand your dislike to shushi as well... Japanese cuisine is the type of food that you will either love it or hate it. Very nice try! I think I will copy your technique to impress family and friends...
Sawsan
These look amazing!
I just love your tutorials..they make things look do-able!
Jill
These are just incredible! You are brilliant. Yes, they do look like sushi - even better than the real thing
Junia
wow that's sooo creative!!!! i LOVE it. i seriously thought they were real!!!
Adora
How clever is that?! So pretty.
Paula
When I saw the photo in my reader I thought, *I don't like sushi but the picture is fantastic*, so imagine my surprise when I opened the full post to find out that it's not real sushi.
You did a great job on these cakes and I love the idea of them. Like that you used fondant to wrap them as personally, I feel the fruit roll ups would be too sweet.
Love, love, love that first photograph!
Raven
Very cute idea! I will eat all the sushi that you don't eat! hehe
They certainly look very real. I wonder if you could find like gummy candies that are sugar coated and use those for different colors like reds and greens. Then you could make a California roll! haha
Sandra
Wowww...I love this! Phenomenal idea and very well done!!!
Mary
Love it. Like the candy corn garnishing - it looks just right!
Liz
SO darn cute! Great job with these gems!
Hester Casey
Oh wow! You really are a Cakewhiz! These look amazing and so creative. Bring these along to the sushi restaurant next time and kid your friends that you have been won over!
Lauren
What a cleaver idea. So cute.
yummychunklet
These look so great! Perfect way to eat sushi!
Belinda
I love sushi...and THESE are incredible!! You never cease to amaze me.
theresa
I love sushi...but I think I love your sushi cakes too -- so cute!
Joy
Those are adorable. I love how you did them.