Snowman Cake

Why I Love This Snowman Cake

Frosty the Snowman, but make it delicious! This festive snowman cake tutorial is one of my easiest cake-decorating ideas. I had the idea for this cake in my head for ages, and it was so much fun bringing it to life! No magic hats needed. In fact, you can make a frosty snowman cake with just a handful of decorations and your favorite cake recipe. Here’s what makes this Christmas cake idea so great:

• It’s beginner-friendly. There’s nothing complicated about this snowman cake tutorial, from stacking the cake layers to putting together the snowman cake pops. It’s super approachable and perfect for beginner cake decorators. I even use a boxed cake mix for extra convenience!
• Fun and festive. How cute are these sugar-dusted donut-hole snowmen?! I had as much fun assembling these as I remember having when building real snowmen in the front yard. This is a great cake-decorating activity to get the kids involved in, too.
• Make it your own. You can adapt this snowman cake with any store-bought cake mix, homemade cake, or frosting you’d like. I use a boxed cake mix with my favorite chocolate buttercream, but you can use vanilla cake, vanilla frosting, whatever suits!

p.s. If you love this snowman cake, check out these fun and easy snowman cookies covered with coconut, next!

What You’ll Need

Here are some notes on what you’ll need for this easy snowman cake tutorial. Scroll to the end of the post for the printable recipe card with the full quantities and details.

• Cake Layers – You can use a chocolate cake mix from the store or a homemade chocolate layer cake. Feel free to switch it up with any cake flavor you prefer.
• Frosting – I use my chocolate buttercream frosting for this tutorial since it stands out under the powdered sugar “snow”. You can also frost the cake with vanilla buttercream if you’d like.
• Donut Holes – Powdered sugar-coated donut holes or mini donuts make perfect little snowman bodies. You’ll need three donuts per snowman.
• Cake Pop Sticks – You’ll find cake pop sticks in craft and baking stores. You could also use wooden skewers, just watch out for the pointy tips! Consider snipping them off before you assemble the snowmen.
• Chocolate Chips – Mini chocolate chips are the perfect size for our snowmen eyes and buttons.
• Orange Candy – For the carrot nose. I use orange candy-coated sunflower seeds from Trader Joe’s. You could also use orange mini M&Ms or candy corn.
• Fruit Leather – Either Fruit by the Foot or Fruit Roll-Ups, to make a snug little scarf. I went with Red Fruit by the Foot and cut it into thin strips.

How to Make a Snowman Cake

Before we can assemble the snowmen for this cake, we need to bake the cake layers. I almost always use a box of chocolate cake mix as a shortcut, so I can get to the fun part: decorating! Follow the steps below, and you’ll have a fun and festive snowman cake ready for your next occasion. You’ll find the printable instructions in the recipe card below.

Bake the Cake Layers

You can bake the cake layers in 8” or 9” cake pans. I make this as a double-layer cake, but you can also make a three-layer 6” cake if you’d like.

• Mix the cake batter. Prepare the cake batter according to the cake mix directions, or your preferred homemade recipe.
• Bake. Divide the batter into two greased round cake pans, and bake the cakes following the recipe instructions. Afterward, let the cake layers cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

Assemble the Cake

Next, you’ll whip up a batch of chocolate buttercream frosting (or the frosting of your choosing) and then stack and frost your cake layers:

• Start with the first layer. Place the first cake onto a plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting over the cake with an offset spatula or a knife.
• Add the second layer. Now, place the second cake layer over the first. I like to invert the cake so that the domed top is facing downward. It creates a nice, flat top for frosting.
• Frost the cake. Lastly, use what’s left of the buttercream to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Decorate!

Gather your cake pop sticks, mini donuts, and the rest of your decorations. Let’s assemble our Frosties for topping the cake.

Decorating Tips

• Powder your own donuts. The first time I made this snowman cake, my supermarket didn’t actually have powdered sugar donut holes! So, I improvised with plain mini donuts and added them to a freezer bag with powdered sugar. I gave them a shake, and tada! DIY powdered sugar donuts. Feel free to use this hack if you also can’t find powdered donuts where you are.
• If you don’t have powdered sugar to dust over the decorated cake, you can use shredded coconut for the “snow” instead.
• If the cake pop sticks are too long, carefully trim the ends so that the snowmen sit flush when you press them into the cake.
• Make it extra festive. You can make this snowman cake as Christmassy and festive as your heart desires. Add red and green sprinkles, and silver balls, or get creative with piping frosting to make your own unique design. 

How to Store

• To store. Keep the decorated snowman cake covered under plastic wrap (it’s a bit tall for a cake carrier!). It’ll last at room temperature for 1-2 days, otherwise, you can store the covered cake in the fridge. I recommend serving at room temperature.
• Freeze. I recommend freezing the individual cake layers before frosting and decorating. Allow the baked cakes to cool to room temperature and then double-wrap them in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw the cakes at room temperature before you frost them.

More Christmas Dessert Ideas

• M&Ms Wreath Cake
• Red Velvet Cake 
• Eggnog Butter Cake
• Grinch Brownies
• Christmas Wreath Cookies