Pink and gold cake — a festive choice for a girl’s night, a baby shower, or any celebration that calls for something pretty and delicious. I made this exact cake for a friend’s baby shower: a strawberry-vanilla swirl inside with strawberry buttercream, a glossy pink drip, and playful pink-and-gold sprinkles on the outside. It looked beautiful and tasted even better.
Pink and Gold Cake
This cake combines classic vanilla with a bright strawberry accent. The inside is a strawberry-vanilla swirl made by dividing vanilla batter and tinting half with pink color and a touch of strawberry oil. The cake is finished with strawberry buttercream, a candy-melt drip, and a mix of pink and gold sprinkles for an elegant, party-ready look.
How to make a pink and gold cake
Overview: prepare a vanilla cake batter, divide and flavor half with strawberry oil and pink color, create layered swirls in your pans, bake and cool, then assemble with strawberry-vanilla buttercream and a candy melt drip.
- Start with a good vanilla cake batter (for best results use the Funfetti Birthday Cake method but omit sprinkles and use 1 tablespoon vanilla paste instead of extract).
- Divide the batter in half. Add a little pink food coloring gel and ½–1 teaspoon of strawberry oil to one half to create the strawberry portion.
- Layer the batters into prepared 6-inch pans using scoops, alternating vanilla and strawberry, then use a knife to gently swirl for a marbled effect.
- Bake, cool, level if needed, then assemble with strawberry-vanilla buttercream and chill between coats for easier smoothing.
I like Lorann’s flavoring oils for adding concentrated fruit notes; they are sold in small bottles in many grocery stores’ baking or cake-decorating aisles. A little goes a long way.
Drip cake technique
- Make the drip by combining candy melts and heavy cream (a mix of pink and some white candy melts helps control the shade).
- Microwave briefly (about 30 seconds) and stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool until it’s still pourable but not hot.
- Test a drip on a bowl edge to check consistency. If it runs too far, it’s too warm; if it won’t drip, it’s too cool.
- Apply drips around the cake edge using a squeeze bottle or spoon, then fill the center and smooth; the ganache should level slightly on its own.
- Add sprinkles to the wet drip so they stick, then chill the cake until the drip sets before piping any final decorations.
I confess I simply tossed sprinkles at the drip and they stuck well; you can press them gently if you prefer a neater placement.
Strawberry vanilla buttercream
- Make a double batch of a reliable vanilla buttercream and stir in ¼ teaspoon strawberry oil, tasting and adjusting to preference. Use a tiny dab of purple or eggplant food gel to neutralize yellow tones and make the buttercream appear bright white, if desired.
- Use the strawberry-flavored buttercream between layers, for the crumb coat, and for piped decorations. A plain vanilla batch may be used for the outer finish if you prefer, but fully strawberry-flavored buttercream also works well.
For assembly, stack cakes with a generous layer of buttercream between each layer, apply a thin crumb coat and chill briefly, then finish with a smooth final coat. One helpful tip for a smooth final finish is to place a cake board on top of the chilled crumb-coated cake and use it as a guide while scraping the sides smooth; slide a long knife between the board and cake to lift the board off cleanly.
I finished the cake with 1M piped swirls on top and scattered more sprinkles and medium pink candy balls for contrast. The result was elegant, playful, and perfect for a baby shower. I also made matching cupcakes with sprinkles pressed into the sides for a cohesive display.
Ingredients (summary)
- Vanilla cake batter (use your go-to recipe or the Funfetti method without sprinkles)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- Pink food coloring (gel or liquid)
- ½–1 teaspoon strawberry oil (Lorann’s recommended)
- Buttercream (two batches recommended if piping and coating)
- Pink and white candy melts and 2 tablespoons heavy cream for the drip
- Pink and gold sprinkles, medium pink candy balls
- 6-inch cake pans and boards, 1M piping tip, piping bag, cake scraper, squeeze bottle for the drip
Instructions (short)
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare pans.
- Make vanilla batter, add vanilla paste, divide in half, and flavor one half with strawberry oil and pink coloring.
- Spoon alternating scoops of each batter into pans and swirl lightly. Bake about 25 minutes or until set. Cool and chill if possible for easier handling.
- Prepare buttercream, add strawberry oil to one batch for flavor, and use a small amount of purple gel to brighten white if needed.
- Assemble cakes with frosting between layers, apply crumb coat and chill, then do a final smoothing coat.
- Make ganache drip (candy melts + cream), cool to pourable temperature, apply drips and fill top, then add sprinkles immediately. Chill to set.
- Pipe swirls with a 1M tip, add candies and extra sprinkles, and serve.
Notes
I mixed various pink and gold sprinkles in different shapes and sizes for texture; you can also use a premixed blend. I initially made one batch of vanilla and one of strawberry buttercream but found it is perfectly fine to make all the frosting strawberry-flavored for consistency. Nutrition estimates may vary depending on the specific recipes and ingredients you use.
Nutrition (per slice, estimate)
Calories: 156 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 2 g | Sugar: 17 g