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close up of realistic cake that looks like a stack of pancakes on a white board
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Realistic Pancake Cake

Make a realistic cake that looks like a stack of pancakes complete with syrup, a pat of butter, and blueberries! Just like the realistic cakes you see on Netflix and social media.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
decorating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 24 servings
Calories 523kcal
Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix I prefer duncan hines
  • 5 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 7 ounces sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 9 ounces sour cream
  • 4 ounces melted butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon maple flavoring

Maple Buttercream

  • 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites
  • 12 ounces powdered sugar
  • 12 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract

Syrup

  • 4 ounces maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon cold water

Decorations

  • 24 ounces fondant
  • 4 ounce modeling chocolate
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pancake Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Grease three 8" cake pans with cake goop.
  • Combine all your ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Divide into three 8" pans. Layers will be a little shorter than normal so you have more "crunch" from the browning against the pan and adds to the flavor of the pancakes. You can also use two 8" pans if you want taller layers. 
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool fully then wrap in plastic wrap and place into the freezer while you prepare your buttercream and decorations.

Buttercream

  • Place your egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached and mix on low until combined.
  • Increase the speed to high and whip for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
  • Reduce the speed to medium and slowly add in your butter in small pieces until it has all been added.
  • Add in the salt and maple extract.
  • Mix everything on high until smooth and creamy and no longer tastes like butter. This can take 10-15 minutes.

Decorations

  • Color a 1 ounce of your modeling chocolate with a little of the yellow food coloring. Shape into a small 1"x1" square.
  • Color the rest of your modeling chocolate with some of the royal blue food coloring and some violet food coloring until you hava a nice dark purple blue color.
  • Roll the modeling chocolate into small balls.
  • Use a pair of small scissors to cut a little X in the top and pull back the tips with your finger.

Decorating The Cake

  • Stack and fill the cake with buttercream and cover it in a crumb coat of buttercream on top of a large plate or cake platter (see video for more details). Place it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Color your fondant with some ivory food coloring.
  • Dissolve a drop of ivory food coloring in 2 Tablespoons of alcohol like vodka.
  • Roll the fondant out into long thick snakes about 24" long.
  • Use a pizza cutter to cut each snake in half length-wise.
  • Apply the fondant around the cake with the flat side against the cake.
  • Brush a thin layer of the ivory solution onto the top of the strip, not on the sides to mimic the browning of a pancake.
  • Continue this process until the sides of the cake are covered.
  • Roll out a piece of ivory fondant into a 9" circle and place it on top of the cake.
  • Brush the top of the cake with some of the ivory solution.
  • Use a toothpick or modeling tool to poke some small holes in the sides of the fondant strips to mimic the look the popped bubbles from cooking.
  • Place the cake in the fridge for 20 mnutes.
  • Make the syrup.

Syrup

  • Add the gelatin to the water and allow it to absorb for 5 minutes.
  • Microwave the gelatin mixture for 15 seconds to melt the gelatin.
  • Add the warm gelatin mixture to the syrup and stir to combine.
  • Pour the syrup over your chilled cake and add your pat of butter and blueberry decorations.

Notes

It's easiest to make this cake by baking and preparing your buttercream and decorations on day one and then decorating the cake on day two. You can leave your wrapped cake layers in the freezer to seal in moisture and then let them defrost the next day before frosting your cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 607IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1mg