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Mouse Face Cake

Mouse Face Cake

This mouse face cake combines three vanilla layers, white chocolate buttercream, a chocolate fondant face, big fondant ears, licorice whiskers, and a curled fondant tail. You bake the layers at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, cool them completely, frost the cake with a rustic finish, and add the playful mouse details. Make this mouse face cake for a birthday party when you want a homemade-looking centerpiece that makes kids smile.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 12
Course: cake
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Cake
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g. Spoon and level the flour.
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300 g.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder.
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.
  • 1 cup butter softened, 2 sticks or 225 g. Use softened butter, not melted butter.
  • 4 large eggs room temperature. Room-temperature eggs beat up fluffier.
  • 1 cup whole milk 240 ml.
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Vanilla White Chocolate Buttercream
  • 1 3/4 cups butter softened, 400 g.
  • 5 cups powdered sugar 600 g. Sift the sugar if desired.
  • 3.5 ounces white chocolate melted and cooled, 100 g. Warm chocolate melts the butter, so let it cool first.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • 3 tablespoons milk.
Chocolate Border
  • 7 tablespoons butter softened, 100 g.
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 150 g.
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 30 g.
  • 1 tablespoon milk.
Mouse Decorations
  • 10 1/2 ounces chocolate-brown fondant 300 g. Buy chocolate fondant, or color white fondant with brown gel.
  • 2 ounces white fondant 60 g, for the eyes.
  • 1 1/2 ounces beige fondant 40 g, for the inside of the ears.
  • 1 ounce black fondant 30 g, for the pupils, eyebrows, and paws.
  • 3/4 ounce coral fondant 20 g, for the nose.
  • 4 black licorice laces for the whiskers.
  • 2 ounces white chocolate melted, 50 g, for drawing swirls on top.
  • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts or hazelnuts. They add crunch and a cheesy-looking crumb.

Equipment

  • Three 7-inch round cake pans
  • Electric mixer
  • Offset spatula or butter knife
  • Piping bag with a star tip:

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Oven and Cake Pans
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), or 325°F (165°C) if using a convection oven. Grease and flour three 7-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper to help the cakes release easily after baking.
  2. Cream the Butter and Sugar
    In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
  3. Add the Dry Ingredients and Milk
    In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Mix gently after each addition, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stop mixing as soon as the batter is combined to keep the cake tender. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops.
  4. Bake the Cake Layers
    Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow the layers to cool completely, about 1 hour, before decorating. Warm cake can melt the buttercream and make the layers difficult to frost neatly.
  5. Make the White Chocolate Buttercream
    In a large bowl, beat the butter for about 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well between additions. Pour in the cooled melted white chocolate, then add the vanilla extract and milk. Beat until the buttercream is smooth, creamy, and easy to spread. Make sure the white chocolate has cooled before adding it so it doesn't melt the butter.
  6. Stack the Cake and Apply the Crumb Coat
    If the cake layers have domed tops, carefully trim them with a serrated knife to create flat, even surfaces. Place the first layer on a cake board or serving plate and spread an even layer of white chocolate buttercream over the top. Add the second layer and another layer of frosting, then position the third layer on top.
    Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake, covering the top and sides. This crumb coat seals in loose crumbs and creates a base for the final frosting. Refrigerate until the coating is firm.
  7. Finish Frosting the Cake
    Cover the chilled cake with the remaining white chocolate buttercream, smoothing it over the top and sides with an offset spatula. For a rustic finish, leave gentle spatula marks in the frosting rather than trying to make the surface perfectly smooth.
  8. Prepare the Chocolate Border Frosting
    In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency with a small amount of milk if needed so the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape when piped. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe tight rosettes around the base of the cake to create a decorative border.
  9. Shape the Mouse Face and Ears
    Roll the brown fondant to approximately ⅙ inch thick on a lightly dusted work surface. Cut one 4-inch circle for the mouse's face and two 3-inch circles for the ears. Roll out the beige fondant and cut two 2-inch circles, pressing one onto each ear to create the inner-ear details. Set the ears aside to dry and firm up, ideally overnight, so they are sturdy enough to stand upright when attached to the cake.
  10. Make the Facial Features
    Roll two small balls of white fondant and flatten them slightly to form the eyes. Add small black fondant pupils, then cut two thick eyebrows from the black fondant.
  11. Shape a small ball of coral fondant into the nose.
    Attach the brown fondant face to the side of the cake using a small dab of water. Add the eyes, eyebrows, and nose, pressing gently so each piece adheres securely.
    Cut the black licorice lace into six pieces and arrange them as whiskers on either side of the nose. Add two small black fondant paws near the bottom of the cake to complete the design.
  12. Shape and Attach the Tail
    Roll the remaining brown fondant into a rope approximately 12 inches long, tapering one end to make it thinner. Place the tail on the cake board and gently curl it toward the cake so it appears to extend from behind the mouse. Adjust the curve to create a natural-looking tail.
  13. Decorate the Top of the Cake
    Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of the cake in decorative swirls and curved lines. Sprinkle with crushed nuts while the chocolate is still soft so they adhere. Carefully position the dried fondant ears on top of the cake. Use wooden skewers or pieces of dry spaghetti to help support them upright, inserting them gently into the cake and ears as needed. Check that all the decorations are secure before serving.