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How to Make a Fun DIY Taco Cake for Parties

A cake that looks like a taco

Fold a round cake in half and you’ve got a taco cake—fun, unexpected, and simple to make. We love cake hacks like the pop tart and cereal bowl cakes, and with National Taco Day on October 4th (though really, any day works) this taco cake felt like a perfect idea. Ready to try it?

A cake that looks like a tacoA cake that looks like a taco

A cake that looks like a taco

DIY Taco Cake

Servings:

1
Taco Cake

Ingredients

  • For the Cake
  • One 8-inch round cake
  • Batch of your favorite buttercream
  • 6- inch chocolate cake or crushed Oreos (for “meat”)
  • Food coloring (yellow, brown, green, red/orange)
  • For the Cheese and Tomatoes:
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

  • Cut the 8-inch round cake in half to create two semicircles.
  • Spread about 1/3 cup of buttercream over one semicircle, then place the other semicircle on top so the edges align. You will have a thicker, two-layer half circle.
  • Spread a thin layer of buttercream along the flat edge; this acts as glue to secure the cake to the board or plate.
  • Flip the half circle so the flat edge is down on your cake board or plate. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • Frost the entire cake in yellow buttercream to resemble a taco shell.
  • Reserve a 1/2-inch yellow border along the curved edge for the shell. For the “meat,” pipe small even sections of brown buttercream on either side along the curve and press crumbled chocolate cake or crushed Oreos into the brown buttercream.
  • Use green buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a large leaf tip (such as Wilton 366) to create lettuce ruffles along the curved edge.
  • To make the royal icing “cheese” and “tomatoes,” combine the meringue powder, powdered sugar, and warm water in a stand mixer and beat on medium-high for 7–10 minutes until glossy and thick.
  • Divide the royal icing into two bowls. Tint one yellow-orange for cheese and the other red for tomatoes. Pipe small red squares (about 1/2 inch) and long thin yellow lines onto parchment. Let them harden, then gently peel off and break the yellow lines into short pieces resembling shredded cheese. Scatter these decorations over the top of the cake.

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Taco cake and plates Taco cake Taco cake on a plate

Photos by Jeff Mindell | Recipe by Theresa Rountree

Anything else you’d like to see turned into a cake? Tell us below!

p.s. DIY Taco Piñata!