Grinch Cake for Christmas

Have you seen those cakes with the cute little cake shape inside them? I think they are adorable. The first one I ever saw was this Peekaboo pumpkin pound cake by Sheknows. I knew I had to try and make one. Then, time got away from me and I forgot about it. Well, when I was talking to a friend the other day, I blurted out “Grinch Cake!” She said, “What?” Then I explained and she loved the idea.

Simple Grinch Cake for Christmas by www.thebearfootbaker.com

Grinch Cake for Christmas

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 2 Boxes of Pound Cake Mix Whatever the ingredients the box calls for
  • Heart Cookie Cutter
  • Red and Green Food Gel Color
  • Loaf Pan
  • Green and Yellow Frosting Pillsbury Blue and Green Funfetti Frosting
  • Red Heart Sprinkles - Optional

Instructions

  • Mix on box of pound cake mix following the directions on the box. 
Add a few drops of red food coloring at a time until you get the red color you like.
  • I use Wilton "No-Taste Red" because it doesn't taste like red food coloring. It doesn't taste at all so it is perfect for this cake.
  • Once the cake is baked, let it cool and then cut the cake into even slices.
  • Then, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as it takes to lay them face to face from one end of the pan to the other end. Make sure it is a snug fit but, leave room at each end for the green cake mix.
  • Mix the second cake and add some green food coloring.
  • Pour the green batter around the heart cutouts.
  • Tap the pan on the counter so the batter will fall down the sides of the hearts.
  • Bake it according to the package directions.
  • Next, frost the cake with green frosting and add some heart sprinkles.

 

I came home and made one right away, but it didn’t turn out as I wanted. You see, I followed the recipe from one of those famous Food Network people but it didn’t work. It was sad. The cake tasted great but for some reason, it just didn’t look right.

Grinch Cake for Christmas with thebearfootbaker.com

So I went to the store and bought two boxes of pound cake mix and got to work. I am glad I did because it was the way to go. Yep. The box cake mix made things super easy.

If you are looking for a dessert for Christmas and don’t want to spend a lot of time on it, this is the cake for you. You don’t have to be a Grinch to make or eat a Grinch cake. Just grab a spoon and start mixing.

Supplies for Grinch Cake for Christmas:

2 Boxes of Pound Cake Mix (Whatever the ingredients the box is calling for)
Heart Cookie Cutter
Red and Green Food Gel Color
Loaf Pan
Green and Yellow Frosting (Pillsbury Blue and Green Funfetti Frosting)
Red Heart Sprinkles – Optional

Grinch Easy Cake for Christmas with www.thebearfootbaker.com

This is a picture of the first cake I made along with the first cookie cutter I used. Well, it didn’t work. So I bought the pound cake mix and tried it again and guess what? It worked! I don’t know what I did wrong the first time, but the second time around worked!!

Easy Grinch Cake for Christmas with www.thebearfootbaker.com

The first thing you need to do is mix the ingredients for one of the pound cakes and add a little red food coloring to the batter. I used the Wilton “No-Taste Red” because, well, it doesn’t taste like red food coloring. It doesn’t taste at all so it is perfect for this cake.

Once the cake is baked, let it cool and then cut the cake into slices. Then, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many hearts as it takes to lay them face to face from one end of the pan to the other end. Make sure it is a snug fit but leave a little room at each end for the green cake mix.

Now mix the second cake and add some green food coloring. While the cake is baking, cut the rest of the red pound cake hearts so you will have them to bake with later. I froze mine so they will be ready for some early Valentine’s cakes. I also used the food processor to chop up the remaining scraps to use on the base of some cakes and sprinkles on some cupcake icing. Fun right? I don’t waste anything!

Grinch Cake for Christmas by thebearfootbaker.com

Place the green batter around the heart cutouts. Tap the pan on the counter so the batter will fall down the sides of the heart shapes.

Grinch Cake for Christmas by www.thebearfootbaker.com

Bake it according to the package directions.

Grinch Cake for Christmas with www.thebearfootbaker.com.

The next time I make this cake, I will add those amazing Bake-Even Strips around the pan while it is in the oven to help the cake bake evenly. See how brown the sides are? I am sure it is the food coloring, but the Bake-Even Strips will help control the heat so the sides won’t brown as much.

Anyway, for the frosting, I know that yellow and blue make green because my 2nd-grade teacher told me and I would never forget something that important. I will forget where I parked my car at the grocery store, but I will never forget how to make colors.

Grinch Cake for Christmas via thebearfootbaker.com

I mixed blue and yellow to make the green frosting. You may want to use more yellow than blue for a more “Grinch-like” green.
Next, frost the cake and add some heart sprinkles.

Grinch Cake for Christmas via www.thebearfootbaker.com

Time to cut that cake and see how much the Grinch’s heart grew. I want to make these in small loaf pans and wrap them in pretty little food-safe cellophane and give them as individual gifts. I just wish I would have thought of this idea sooner. If you want to make Grinch Cookies here’s a recipe for you.

Merry Christmas,

Lisa