One of our most-loved costumes was the cereal bowl, likely because cereal holds such a warm, nostalgic place in many hearts. Since we love breakfast for dessert (and dessert for breakfast), we decided to turn that idea into a DIY cereal bowl cake. Yes — it’s an actual cake that looks like a bowl of cereal, and you don’t need special equipment beyond any oven-safe bowl.
The best part: the cake actually tastes like cereal. Delicious!
For the cake:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed Froot Loops
For the frosting:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Instructions:
1. Butter and flour a small oven-safe bowl—about the size of a real cereal bowl works well.
2. Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, and vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the crushed Froot Loops.
5. Fill the prepared oven-safe bowl about three-quarters full with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–50 minutes (time varies by bowl size) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake rest for 15 minutes, then remove it from the bowl and let it cool flat side down.
6. Once cool, turn the cake over. Using a small sharp knife, cut a shallow well from about 1/4 inch in from the edge; cut about 1/2 inch deep to create a space for the cereal. If the cake crumbles, chill it in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before cutting to firm it up.
7. For the frosting, cream together the shortening and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined, then stir in the vanilla and milk.
8. Frost the outside of the bowl cake, smoothing the sides with a small offset spatula. Fill the well with Froot Loops and finish with a spoon for presentation.
Photos by Jeff Mindell | Recipe by Theresa Rountree
You can fill the cake with any cereal you like—Lucky Charms for St. Patrick’s Day, colorful loops for a party, or your personal favorite. For us, Froot Loops felt like the perfect choice. What’s your favorite cereal?
p.s. There’s also a playful cereal bowl costume idea if you want to keep the theme going.