Mile high crunchy pretzels, covered in sweet chocolate, make this gasp-worthy Pink Pretzel Party Cake the star of your festivities.
Call me crunchy. I don't care...when it comes to this totally over-the-top cake! I took your typical salty snack and turned it into the ultimate cake decoration. Even beginning bakers can pull off this easy showpiece dessert.
Pretzel rods were made for dipping, that's what I say. So dip I did, in white chocolate. I didn't stop there, no sir, I went ahead and drizzled some razzle dazzle over those rods and covered a cake with them.
So some tips on making this showstopper. Pretzel rods are super tall, and even with a 4-layer cake they towered over everything. So to trim them use a sharp serrated knife and cut about 1 inch off one end. Saw gently so it cuts instead of breaks. You'll want to measure them side by side so they are all the same height when you finish.
I needed a super tall cake to match my super tall pretzels, so I used two cake mixes and baked them in 6-inch pans. I know that's not your standard-size pan, so if you don't want to get them here, then check out my Party Rainbow Cake post for a trick on using saucepans as cake pans! You may just have a 6-inch saucepan lying around just waiting to be used in the oven.
The recipe doesn't specifically call for this because I was keeping it simple, but I like to add a little apricot jam in between the cake layers along with the Fluffy Vanilla Frosting. See in the picture, the drips and drops of jam oozing out.
The pink coating curls on top are just a bonus. You don't have to make them, but they really take the cake to another level! Simple instructions are in the recipe. Feel free to drizzle those pretzels with any color too. No need to just stick with pink! Get creative. Share your cake creations with me on Instagram and Twitter by posting them with the hashtag #tarateaspoon! Happy baking.
- 2 boxes white cake mix batter prepared
- 1 recipe Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
- 32 large pretzel rods
- 2 1/2 cups white candy coating disks
- 1 1/2 cups pink candy coating disks
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Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 3 6-by-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Spread 2 cups cake batter in each pan (bake remaining batter as desired for another use). Bake until cakes spring back when touched, about 35 min. Cool completely.
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Trim the domed tops of cakes. Place one cake on a serving platter and top with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat for next two layers. Cover cake in plastic wrap and chill before frosting the entire outside.
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Measure pretzel rods against the side of the cake and trim them with a serrated knife to hit just above the top of the filled cake. Melt the white candy coating disks. Dip the cut ends of the pretzels in white candy and coat almost all the way up the rod. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
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Melt pink candy coating disks. Mix remaining white coating with half the pink coating to make some of it light pink. Drizzle both light and dark pinks over the dipped pretzels. Let set at room temperature or in the fridge.
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Frost the outside of the cake, smoothing the sides and top. Place pretzels around the outside.
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To make pink coating curls and shards, remelt any remaining pink coating. Spread in a thin layer, about 1/8 inch thick, on the back of a clean baking sheet. Chill in fridge until solid, about 5 min. Using the back of a flat metal spatula or bench scraper, make shards by scraping the coating. Top cake with the curls and shards.
An impressive centerpiece that will stop the show!
Recipe by Tara Bench (photo and food styling of process shot by Tara)
Photography: Johnny Miller
Food Styling: Christine Albano
Prop Styling: Elizabeth MacClennan
Recipe originally published in Ladies' Home Journal June 2014
Mary Bench says
This is spectacular! Gorgeous!
Brittany Smart says
This is gorgeous! Would be so fun for a birthday party
Linda says
The cake shows 6 layers but you said to bake 3 pans..??
Tara says
You can cut each layer in half for 6 layers. I do it both ways and like it.
Rhonda King says
What should I use to drizzle the pink I on the pretzels?
Tara says
I use a spoon dipped in the melted coating. You can also put the melted coating in a ziptop bag and snip off a tiny corner to make a piping bag. Either method works!