Triple Stack Donut Cake

Three butter cake layers make up this triple stack donut cake, complete with colorful glaze and rainbow sprinkles. It’s sure to bring smiles at any party!

This past week has been filled with the deliberate business of comparing flooring samples, cabinet colors and counter tops for the kitchen remodel. The whole thing feels foreign to me; too serious, too adult. To balance out all of that grown-up stuff, I decided to create a cake that would bring genuine childlike joy to my face – extra sprinkles, please!

Behold the Triple Stack Donut Cake. It’s big on fun and it’s too easy to make! It’s basically three giant butter cake donuts with the usual donut glaze and rainbow sprinkles. I’ve been mulling over the idea of a giant donut cake ever since I purchased a Savarin pan. I’ve yet to use the pan for its intended purpose, but I’ll get around to it eventually.

Sprinkle-licious!

Let’s just take a minute to let all those sprinkles sink in to our psyche. It makes me feel happy, and I hope it makes you feel happy too! And how about that adorable sprinkles scoop?! Brooke of Sucre Shop sent a couple to me and when I opened the box I let out a little squeal that made both pugs do a full head tilt.

The perfect blank canvas.

The butter cake recipe is from the Sprinkle Bakes book.  It’s such a good basic butter cake that yields three 9-inch cake layers. Like the book says, it’s the perfect blank canvas for whatever flavors or colors you’d like to add to it. Sometimes I simply soak it with vanilla syrup.

Slicing and serving this cake is so much fun! The three colorful layers look pretty on a plate. Confession: I didn’t need a fork to eat a slice. I ate it layer by layer with my fingers, accompanied by a tall glass of milk.

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need a Savarin pan to make this donut cake, and you can find the one I used here. If you’re more inclined to purchase one locally, check nearby kitchen specialty shops. It’s a great little pan to have and multipurpose, too! I’ve used it to bake all kinds of breads and cakes (remember this porcupine-esque genoise?).

Stay happy, friends! Here’s to a sprinkle-filled week and beyond. ♡

Triple Stack Donut Cake

Heather Baird

Three butter cake layers make up this donut-inspired confection, complete with colorful glaze and rainbow sprinkles. It's sure to bring smiles at any party!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

• 9 3/4-inch (32 ounce capacity) Savarin pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cake

• 3/4 pound 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour I like White Lily flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature

Glaze

• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract or other clear extract
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
• Lime green blue and pink food gel color
• Rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a Savarin cake pan (or 3, if you have them – I only used one).
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk; begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth and thoroughly combined. Fill the savarin pan(s) a little over halfway full of batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake(s) to wire cooling racks and let them cool completely before frosting
• Make the glazes: Place two cups of confectioners’ sugar in three separate bowls. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to each bowl. Whisk heavy cream into each bowl 1 tablespoon at a time until a thick, runny glaze forms. Tint one bowl of glaze lime green; tint a second bowl with blue and the last bowl with pink food color. Mix until each color is consistent.
• Place a donut cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Using a spoon, glaze the first cake with lime green glaze; toss on sprinkles. Top the first donut with a second cake layer; cover with blue glaze and sprinkles. Add the final donut cake layer and cover with pink glaze; add sprinkles. Let the cake stand uncovered until the glaze firms, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately or store covered loosely in plastic wrap (or in an air-tight cake-keeper).

Notes

If you only use one pan like I did, then you’ll l need wash, re-grease and flour the pan between baking. Also, while the first and second cakes bake, cover the unused batter bowl with a damp kitchen towel.

Keyword butter cake, confectioners’ glaze, savarin pan

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