Yes, you can turn a watermelon into a cake with real frosting. No, the frosting is not going to slide off because, as it turns out, watermelon when patted dry is the perfect foundation for cake icing. Watermelon Cake is all the rage on line these days but I have to admit, I was not a believer that you could frost a real watermelon and decorate it like an actual cake. But you can, and if you follow my instructions, it’ll turn out perfectly! There are lots of new watermelon varieties on the market these days-like the Sugar Baby (aka the icebox watermelon), the Extazy (found in Arizona and California) and the Stars “n” Stripes (named for its green stripes streaking across the rind). But I would suggest heading right for the produce manager and ask for the sweetest and most firm watermelon in the store. Then, grab your icing and make a Masterpiece!
Watermelon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized watermelon
- Fruit for garnish: May include: 1 pint blueberries, 1 pint strawberries, 6-7 Kiwis, 2 cups grapes, 1 large orange or any fruit of your choice.
- 2 pints whipping cream (or more for larger watermelon)
- 1 small (3oz) package Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding
- 2-3 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
Preparation
- Cut rind (both green and white) off entire watermelon.
- Make a slice through the bottom to make a base so it will remain steady on a plate.
- Cut watermelon the size and shape you want your cake. (A flat top cake is easier to garnish with fruit.)
- Pack paper towels around the entire watermelon to soak up watermelon juice. (The dryer the watermelon, the easier it will be to frost.)
- Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting (below)
- For each cup of whipped cream used, add 1 tablespoon of instant vanilla pudding and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. For sweeter frosting, add more powdered sugar.
- Whip together until stiff peaks form.
- Frost entire cake with spatula or place frosting in piping bag with large star tip. (I use a 14 or 16-inch piping bag.)
- Decorate with additional fruit.
- Keep watermelon cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Serve in wedges.
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