Blue and Yellow Nutella Confetti Cake

Here is another confetti cake I completed a few days ago! (I made one a few months ago, which you can view here!) This time it was for both a boy and girl’s birthday, so I had to choose colours that would be appropriate for both genders. I decided to go with blue vanilla buttercream around the outside, and melted yellow melting chips for on top. I piped striped-blue meringues for a garnish on top, and also added little flags representing both the girl and the boy’s birthday! (Happy Birthday Michelle and Sean!!!) I added confetti sprinkles to trim the bottom of the cake, as well.

As for the inside of the cake, I stacked 4 layers of chocolate and vanilla cake with Nutella buttercream in between each layer (and yes, I lick the spoon after 😉 ). Recipe for the Nutella buttercream and meringues is posted down below.

This cake is always so fun to make, but also so tricky because those melting chips melt SO FAST once you put it on the cake, so you have to work really quickly!!

Nutella Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3½ – 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• ½ cup Nutella
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half, heavy cream or whole milk

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and shortening at the same time. Add the icing sugar one cup at a time.
2. Add the Nutella.
3. Add half-and-half, one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream has reached a consistency where it will hold it’s shape. Whip on high for another 30 seconds.
4. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to three days. To use once refrigerated, slowly allow to reach room temperature and then beat on low speed until the buttercream is smooth before using.

Meringues

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 304g of sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions

1. With a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, begin whipping your egg whites. Start out slowly and then when big bubbles start to foam and it gets almost ‘soapy’ looking, increase the speed to medium-high.
2. When it has gone really white, and the bubbles are much smaller – test it by lifting the bowl upside down and if nothing falls out then you’re ready to move onto the next step.
3. Put it back on high speed. Add sugar in a spoonful at a time. Make sure to keep the mixer on while you’re doing this.
4. Leave it mixing for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the mixer and check it by popping some of the meringue mixture onto your finger and rub it between your fingers, and if you feel any grains of sugar, mix it for a couple more minutes. The goal is to not feel any sugar when rubbing it between your fingers.
6. Once it’s glossy and sugar-less, add the vanilla. Mix for a couple of minutes.
7. To prepare the piping bag, open it up and fold down the sides. With a paintbrush and your food colouring, begin by painting stripes inside your piping bag, making sure the bag doesn’t cave in. Eventually you will have about 6 painted stripes on the inside of your piping bag.
8. Fill your piping bag with your meringue mixture.
9. Start piping your meringues onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Once complete, bake your meringues at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the meringues can be easily lifted from the baking sheet.