Hippo Cake

5 from 2 ratings

This adorable hippo cake looks just like a baby hippo peeking up out of the water! It's made with moist, vanilla buttermilk cake layers and homemade buttercream frosting.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Additional Time20

Total Time1 5

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16

Calories: 572kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 276 grams
2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6 grams
1/2 tsp fine salt 3 grams
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 150 grams - 1 and 1/3 sticks
2/3 cup large egg whites, room temperature or about 5 egg whites (155 grams)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 228 grams
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28 grams
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 grams
purple gel food coloring if desired

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 339 grams
5 cups powdered sugar 625 grams
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature or whipping cream (30 grams)
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 grams
1/4 tsp fine salt 2 grams
purple and blue gel food coloring if desired

Hippo Facial Features

Suggested Tools / Equipment

Instructions

Vanilla Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch domed cake pan and 3, 4-inch round pans with homemade cake release or non-stick baking spray and parchment rounds. Grease a heating core and place at the bottom of the domed pan to help it bake more evenly and quickly. Set aside.
Mix together 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer to mix on a low speed until combined.
Mix in 2/3 cup (1 & 1/3 stick) unsalted butter slowly into the dry mix, on a medium-low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
Pour in 2/3 cup or about 5 egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated and the batter looks wet.
Mix in 1 cup of buttermilk on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Add in 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix at a medium-low speed until fully incorporated.
If desired, add in purple gel food coloring and stir by hand with a rubber spatula until the batter is evenly colored.
Fill the 4-inch cake pans about 1-inch high with batter, then use the remaining batter to fill the domed cake pan.
Bake the 4-inch cake layers for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Bake the domed cake pan for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the pans to cool for 20 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan and flip the layers onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Gently remove the heating core from the domed cake layer.
Use a sharp knife to cut out a semi-circle from the side of the domed cake layer that is roughly the same size as the 4-inch cake layers (see pictures above & video).
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the 4-inch cake layers and cut the domed cake layer into 3 layers. Set aside.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting.
Beat 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
Slowly mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed, 1 cup at a time. Halfway through, add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix.
Scrape the sides and bottom of of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Once the frosting is fully mixed and smooth, add in 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on the lowest speed for a couple minutes to help make the frosting silky smooth.
If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). If you're unsure how thick your frosting should be, you can learn what consistency you're looking for in my frosting consistency post.
Wait to color the buttercream until the cake is crumb coated.

To Assemble The Cake:

Stack and frost cake layers on a 10-inch greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a small offset spatula.
Add a thin coat of frosting around the the cake to fully cover the cake layers.
Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
While the cake chills, color about 1 cup of the uncolored buttercream blue with gel food coloring. Cover and set aside.
Color the remaining buttercream purple with gel food coloring.
Add a second, thicker layer of purple frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper.
Use the black, purple, and white fondant to make the hippos ears, eyes, nostril and tusks.
Gently press them onto the cake, then cover your cake board with blue buttercream to look like waves.

Video

Notes

Tips for Making The Best Hippo Cake

Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.

Use gel food coloring to create brightly colored frosting without throwing off the consistency of the frosting or giving it a bitter taste.
Ingredients at room temp mix together better, so be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it easier to stack and frost.
Make this hippo cake vegan or dairy free if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the buttermilk and heavy cream, and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the eggs I recommend using an egg replacer like this.
Use an acetate sheet to help you get your final coat of frosting super smooth.
If you want to make a standard / non-sculpted hippo layer cake, you can bake 3, 6-inch cake layers and add the same fondant features.

Making this Cake in Advance

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition