WATERMELON CAKE ("ONE IN A MELON" Watermelon Cake)

"One in a Melon" Watermelon Cake

Not only is this Watermelon Cake dazzling to look at, but it tastes divine!  Light and fluffy white cake is infused with dazzling watermelon colors and a hint of Watermelon Simple Syrup, and then topped with a silky Buttercream Frosting - it is a watermelon dream come true - ONE IN A MELON!

Watermelon Cake with Watermelon Buttercream Frosting

LET'S START WITH THE PERFECT ALL-OCCASION & CELEBRATION WHITE CAKE:

My family LOVES cake - but mostly buttery yellow cake or moist chocolate cake!  But there are just times that you need a white vanilla cake.  This is my go-to recipe for the most perfect White Cake - taste-tested, family approved and perfect every time!  With sweet vanilla flavor and a touch of pure almond extract, it will remind you of your favorite birthday cake or wedding cake. 

For a truly white cake, this recipe uses only egg whites in the batter, and none of the yolks that would give it a more yellow color.  This is also one of the rare recipes where I use clear vanilla extract rather than pure vanilla extract - just to keep this as white as possible!

For perfect crumb and soft texture, I recommend cake flour for this recipe.  You can substitute all purpose flour, but your cake will be a bit denser, and not have that beautiful height you want for celebration cakes.  I also recommend using light color aluminum baking pans for the best results. This will keep the bottom and edges of the cake from getting too brown during baking.

For ombre cakes, this is the best cake base to start with!  The pure white color is the perfect base for adding color, and absolutely PERFECT for my "One in a Melon" Watermelon Cake!

"ONE IN A MELON" WATERMELON CAKE SECRETS:

• Watermelon Food Coloring:  For consistent and superior results, the only food coloring I use for my cakes, cookies, frostings and meringues are AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Colors.  For this recipe I used Watermelon, Electric Red or Super Red, Electric Green and Leaf Green.

 

• Watermelon Extract:  While these cupcakes are simply perfect with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting, you can shake things up by adding a half teaspoon of watermelon extract.  Favorite brands are Amoretti Watermelon Extract , Suckered Up Watermelon Extract, and Lorann Watermelon Super Strength Flavor – all are available from Amazon.

 

• Watermelon Seeds:  For this colorful layer cake, mini-chocolate chips are perfect for the watermelon seeds between each layer. For decorating, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds look EXACTLY like watermelon seeds, but can be hard to find.  I buy mine in bulk from https://nuts.com.  

"One in a Melon" Watermelon Cake

Watermelon Cake with Buttercream Frosting

WATERMELON CAKE with WATERMELON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Not only is this Watermelon Cake dazzling to look at, but it tastes divine!  Light and fluffy white cake is infused with dazzling watermelon colors and a hint of Watermelon Simple Syrup, and then topped with a silky Buttercream Frosting - it is a watermelon dream come true!
​

Watermelon Cake with Watermelon Buttercream

INGREDIENTS:
WATERMELON CAKE:
3 cups (360g) cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1-3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
6 egg whites (room temperature)
1-1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups whole milk (room temperature)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
 
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Colors: 
       Watermelon, Electric Red or Super Red, Electric Green, Leaf Green
7 to 8-inch long wooden dowel or large plastic straw (to stabilize layer cake)
Watermelon Seeds:  Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds
 
WATERMELON SIMPLE SYRUP
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
½ teaspoon watermelon extract
 
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon watermelon extract (optional)
2-3 Tablespoons half & half or whole milk
 
HOW I MAKE THIS:

1. Remove butter, eggs and whole milk from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare four 6x3-inch round cake pans, line bottom of each with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the sides of each pan.
3. PREPARE CAKE:  Sift cake flour into a medium bowl, add baking powder and salt and whisk until well blended; set aside.
4. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until well blended; increase speed to medium high and continue beating until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). 
5. Add the egg whites one at a time and mix until combined after each addition.  Add in vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour mixture on low in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between and mix just until combined.  Be careful not to overmix!
7. Divide batter evenly between four bowls.  Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl until you have three gradually darker shades of pink or red; add a few drops of leaf green food coloring to the remaining bowl.  Stir each just until evenly colored and blended.
8. Pour each batter into individually prepared cake pans (each pan will be filled about half-way), smoothing the tops so that they are even.
9. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 20-22 minutes or until the tops are golden and spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean (test each cake individually before removing it from the oven).
10. PREPARE SIMPLE SYRUP:  While cakes are baking, prepare simple syrup.  Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar granules completely dissolve.  Remove from heat, stir in watermelon extract and cool to room temperature. 
11. Remove cakes from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes; the top edge of each cake should start to pull away from the tops of the pans, but if not, run a sharp knife along the edges of the cakes and invert onto a wire rack to cool. 
12. Cool cakes completely before continuing.
13. LEVEL CAKE:  Use a cake leveler or sharp knife to cut the dome off of each cake and level so that they are each the same height. (I usually pop the cakes in the freezer for 10 minutes before doing this – they will slice better if you do!) 
14. After leveling each cake, use a pastry brush to spread simple syrup on top of each layer.
15. Cover each cake with plastic wrap or invert cake pans on top and let them sit while you are preparing frosting. 
16. PREPARE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:  In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and optional watermelon extract. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and milk 1 tablespoon at a time and whip on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
17. Place ¼ frosting in a small bowl, and ¼ frosting in another small bowl.  Add a few drops of bright green (I use AmeriColor Electric Green) to one bowl, and a few drops of leaf green (I use AmeriColor Leaf Green) to other bowl; blend until color is evenly distributed in each.  Add red or pink food coloring (I use AmeriColor Watermelon or Electric Red) to remaining half of frosting and blend until color is evenly distributed. 
18. DECORATE CAKE:  Place green cake layer in platter – frost top lightly and sprinkle with 1/3 mini chocolate chips; place second layer on top – frost top and sprinkle with 1/3 mini chocolate chips; place third layer – frost top and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 mini chocolate chips; top with fourth layer. Even though this 6-inch cake is smaller than a typical 9 or 10 inch layer cake, I recommend placing a 7 to 8-inch long wooden dowel or large straw into the center of the cake to stabilize it (size depends on the total height of your cake!)
19. Lightly frost the sides and top of the entire cake as a crumb coat and place entire cake in freezer or fridge for 10 minutes, or until frosting is set.
20. Remove from freezer and frost and smooth outside edge of cake, and finally frost the cake top.  Pipe additional frosting around the bottom of cake and the top edge of cake.  Cover and refrigerate after frosting.
21. Remove cake from fridge 10 minutes before you want to serve.  The cake will slice up much cleaner this way. 
22. Store covered in a cool location.

 
YIELD:  8-10 servings

RECIPE NOTES: 

• Watermelon Food Coloring:  For consistent and superior results, the only food coloring I use for my cakes, cookies, frostings and meringues are AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Colors.  For this recipe I used Watermelon, Electric Red or Super Red, Electric Green and Leaf Green.
• Watermelon Extract:  While these cupcakes are simply perfect with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting, you can shake things up by adding a half teaspoon of watermelon extract.  Favorite brands are Amoretti Watermelon Extract , Suckered Up Watermelon Extract, and Lorann Watermelon Super Strength Flavor – all are available from Amazon.
• Watermelon Seeds:  For this colorful layer cake, mini-chocolate chips are perfect for the watermelon seeds between each layer.  For decorating, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds look EXACTLY like watermelon seeds, but can be hard to find.  I buy mine in bulk from https://nuts.com. 

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FOR MORE WATERMELON FAVORITES...

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Watermelon Cupcakes with Watermelon Buttercream

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