This sweet butterfly cake is covered in pink buttercream and decorated with a flurry of edible wafer paper butterflies. Picture perfect for a special celebration.
This month is shaping up to be filled with inspiration and pink frosting here at Sprinkle Bakes. I’ve been digging through some old cake decorating magazines and jotting down all the things that catch my eye. My notebook is already getting quite full!
I was most inspired by an image of a cake covered with butterflies. A few years ago there was a big trend in wedding cake decorating where wafer paper butterflies were arranged to ascend cake tiers in rainbow colors. I still think the effect is pretty, but perhaps dated. So I decided to seek out edible paper butterflies in all sizes and colors for a different kind of butterfly cake.
Fluttery décors.
Find the butterfly wafer decors on Etsy for purchase. The butterflies come pre-cut, stacked and vacuum sealed for freshness.
Another part of the inspiration for this cake came from the framed butterflies on my living room wall. I have many different butterfly genus framed. Which admittedly, might seem a little strange to have something expired as room décor (chalk it up to eccentricity). This ornate frame chocolate mold that perfectly fit my butterfly gallery idea. I made some white chocolate frames and dry brushed them with old gold confectionery dust.
Pastel confetti sprinkles.
Butterfly confetti quins create pastel speckled cake layers. Although they lose their butterfly shape during baking, I sort of love knowing the interior is also filled with butterflies.
Taking flight.
Prop two of the gilded white chocolate frames against each other on top of the cake and arrange the butterflies on wire. They look as if they are flying out of their frames! It’s almost a message. I’ll let you interpret that however you wish.
Attach the butterflies to cloth-covered stem wire and inserted into the top of the cake. This creates the effect of ascent. Attach the butterflies to the wire with corn syrup, but they’ll need lots of time to dry to stay put. If you’re in a hurry, and you don’t plan to eat the butterflies, then a tiny piece of cellophane tape will hold them to the wire securely.
Frame them up!
Place the chocolate frames around the bottom edge of the cake where the cake stand can help support their weight. I really like how the cake turned out overall. The frames at the bottom almost give this cake a two-tier look.
The butterflies couldn’t be easier to attach to the sides of the cake. You’ll bend them slightly at the center so they have dimension, then stick them on the icing. It’s that easy!
The confetti sponge is white cake flavored with vanilla extract, and I opted for lemon buttercream for the filling and frosting. I’ve been calling this Pink Lemonade Confetti Cake, but its flavor could be endlessly varied to your liking with clear extracts (orange, coconut, almond, etc.).
I really enjoyed making this cake, and the decorating is easy enough for novices! I hope you’ll give it a try.
Edit: I almost forgot to mention that I created some super cute, super approachable summer Olympics-themed treats for Food Network – you can check them out here!
Butterfly Gallery Cake (Pink Lemonade Confetti Cake)
Ingredients
Confetti Cake
- 3 1/2 cups 420g cake flour (such as Swan’s down, do not substitute homemade cake flour)
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 large egg whites room temp
- 1 1/2 cups 12 oz. whole milk, room temp
- 1 cup 226g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups 300g sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ounces pastel confetti quins
Lemon buttercream and décor
- 2 cups/450g unsalted butter softened
- 5-6 cups/640 to 770g confectioners’ sugar
- 3 teaspoons lemon extract
- Milk or heavy cream optional
- Pink food color
- 8 white chocolate frames see headnote
- 20 wafer paper butterflies of varying size and color
- Cellophane tape or light corn syrup
- Cloth-covered stem wire
- Plastic wrap
Instructions
- Make the confetti cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 6×3-inch springform pans and line with parchment, or spray with flour-based baking spray.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Whisk together egg whites and milk in a separate bowl; set aside.
- Beat butter using the paddle attachment until soft and creamy. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
- Add flour mixture alternately with the egg white/milk mixture. Begin and end with flour mixture and beat until smooth on medium-low speed after each addition. Fold in the confetti quins.
- Divide batter between pans. Bake 6-inch cake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the centers. Let cool slightly in pan, then turn out and cool completely. Level the cakes using a cake leveler or large serrated knife.
- Make the lemon buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Add lemon extract and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency.
- Fill the cake layers with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup each of white lemon buttercream, and stack them on a cake stand. Add pink food color to the remaining buttercream and whip until a pastel pink color is achieved. Frost the exterior of the cake with a crumb coat of pink buttercream; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Generously frost the chilled cake with the remaining buttercream. Use an offset spatula warmed in hot water and wiped free of moisture to perfectly smooth the outer coating of buttercream.
- Decorate! While the frosting is still tacky, place the chocolate frames onto the buttercream, evenly spaced along the bottom edge of the cake stand. Place a large wafer paper butterfly in the centers of each frame. Place two frames propped against each other on top of the cake. Attach butterflies to cloth stem wire using a small amount of cellophane tape on their backs, or use a dot of corn syrup to attach them tp the wire(extended drying time is needed for the corn syrup method; consider making the butterfly stems a day ahead of time). Wrap the stems with a small amount of plastic wrap and then insert them into the cake upright, so that the butterflies appear to be flying out of the chocolate frames.
- Randomly place the remaining wafer paper butterflies on the cake by folding them in half gently and gently pushing them into the buttercream.
- Store the cake loosely covered in plastic wrap at room temperature.
- Important! Moisture is the enemy of wafer paper. It will break down if refrigerated.
Wow! Such a creative cake, it looks stunning! I bet it tastes delicious too 🙂
Emma xo // http://www.thewallflowerwardrobe.co.uk/
The frames definitely give it a tier effect. In fact, when you said that, I had to scroll back up to check the picture because I already thought it was two-tiered! This is a truly lovely cake.
Love!
It looks beautiful, thanks for sharing your lovely creativity. Happy weekend with love Janice
The cake is gorgeous inside, beautiful.
Love from Spain
Marialuisa
This cake is really a work of art. So beautiful! I love the chocolate frames.
I was so happy to see this, I've used your cakes as inspiration for my older daughters first two birthdays and was just looking for something special for my seconds first birthday. This is perfect. You do such beautiful work. I love your blog so much!
Looks so delicious and creative! Loved the butterflies over those frames 🙂
Hi Heather! How long would the baking time be for two 9" cakes? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! I'd check them at 25 minutes. Shake the pan and if it wobbles in the center add more time. If it doesn't wobble then check it with a toothpick (which should come out clean when done). The batter will be spread a little thinner in the pans, and I think they might bake more quickly. You may have to add a little more time, but better to check it early than have an over-cooked cake.