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).
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz
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
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz
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.
Spicie Foodie
How adorable! I think they look really good. I love, love, sushi, too bad you don't. But I'll take the real and your sweet sushi cakes as my dinner
Wendy Irene
Wow! They are incredible!!! My little guy loves sushi. Being born in Vancouver he was surrounded by great, authentic sushi. He would adore this. I really wish you could make it for his next birthday, but I might have to give it my best shot. Out of curiosity, do you sell any of your creations? Have a beautiful day!
Abeer
Awww... If you were in chicago, i would have been more than happy to make a giant sushi cake for your son's birthday! Btw, if you do go ahead and make his cake, let me know... I would help out in any way i can through emails
As of now, i don't sell my cakes and other goodies but I love sharing them with my friends and family!
And i keep forgetting to ask you, did you and the kids ever get around to using those edible markers? I found a few other brands too and they have more colors... Totally cool! Lol
lisa
I like traditional sushi, and I think I'd like cake sushi a lot too! They look great. The fondant wrapping is perfect.
Sommer
Very cute!
Greg
Those are so cool. And I think I'd have better luck making these than actual sushi!
karla
These sushi cakes are amazing! They look so real. Fabulous job!
Sophia Lee
Aw, I adore sushi, esp if it's good-quality and with raw fish and brown rice. But I'd take these sushi cakes any day!! They look darling!
Caroline
No way, these are awesome! You definitely had me fooled--I thought these were real sushi rolls! So creative and I'm sure very delicious as well.
Erin
These are so cool!!!
Alana D
That is the most amazing thing ever,wow you have a great mind for cakes! I also am not a big fan of sushi.
julie
I am going to have to make these they are absolutely adorable.
kankana
u blow my mind every time! U are so creative.. do you have a professional business on this line ? cause if you don't you should... i am serious
paddle
Awesome! My Japanese-American husband would love these. I would love the coconut rice and candy corn fish!
Amy
How creative! These are awesome! What a wonderful Trome L'oeil! I love normal sushi, but these sound better !
Tiffany
Ah, heck yeah they look real! I love sushi (I worked in a sushi restaurant for two years!) ... BUT I also love CAKE! These look awesome!