This easy snowman cake transforms a fudgy chocolate layer cake into a charming winter scene. Mini powdered donut holes become adorable snowman cake pops; I’ll walk you through assembling them with cake pop sticks, mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons, a small orange candy for the carrot nose, and a fruit leather scarf. Finish by pressing the snowmen into the frosted cake and dusting everything with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
Why I Love This Snowman Cake
Frosty the Snowman — but delicious. This festive snowman cake is one of the simplest and most fun cake-decorating ideas. It takes a handful of supplies and any favorite cake recipe to create a playful centerpiece. It’s effortless enough for beginners and flexible enough to customize.
- Beginner-friendly. Stacking and frosting the layers and assembling the donut snowmen are easy steps anyone can follow. Using a boxed cake mix is a helpful shortcut if you want convenience.
- Fun and festive. Powdered-donut snowmen are whimsical and a great activity to involve kids. Assembling them feels a bit like building tiny, edible snowmen.
- Customizable. Use any cake flavor or frosting you prefer. I use a chocolate cake mix with chocolate buttercream here, but vanilla cake and frosting work beautifully too.
What You’ll Need
Below are the essentials for making this snowman cake. Quantities and printable recipe details are available in the recipe card included further down.
- Cake layers – store-bought chocolate cake mix or your favorite homemade chocolate layer cake. Any flavor works if you prefer something else.
- Frosting – chocolate buttercream makes a nice contrast beneath the powdered sugar “snow,” but vanilla buttercream is a good alternative.
- Donut holes – powdered sugar-coated donut holes or mini powdered donuts. You’ll use three per snowman.
- Cake pop sticks – available at baking or craft stores; wooden skewers can substitute if you trim the points.
- Chocolate chips – mini chips are ideal for the eyes and buttons.
- Orange candy – small orange candies (mini M&Ms, candy-coated seeds, or candy corn) work well for carrot noses.
- Fruit leather – Fruit by the Foot or Fruit Roll-Ups, cut into thin strips for scarves.
How to Make a Snowman Cake
Start by baking your cake layers. I often use a boxed chocolate mix for speed so I can focus on decorating. Follow the steps below; full printable instructions are included in the recipe card.
Bake the Cake Layers
Bake in 8″ or 9″ pans for a two-layer cake, or make a three-layer 6″ cake if you prefer.
- Mix the batter. Prepare according to the cake mix directions or your homemade recipe.
- Bake. Divide batter between greased pans and bake as directed. Cool layers completely before frosting.
Assemble the Cake
Make your frosting, then stack and frost the cake layers.
- First layer. Place the first cake on a plate or board and spread a generous layer of frosting.
- Second layer. Add the second layer; invert it if needed so the top is flat for easier frosting.
- Frost the cake. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides smoothly.
Decorate!
Gather your cake pop sticks, donut holes, chocolate chips, orange candies, and fruit leather. Then assemble the snowmen.
- Assemble the snowmen. Carefully thread three donut holes onto each cake pop stick, stopping before you puncture the top donut.
- Add features. Press mini chocolate chips into the donuts for eyes and buttons. A tiny dab of frosting on the back of each chip helps them adhere. Press a small orange candy into the center of the top donut for a carrot nose.
- Make scarves. Cut fruit leather into roughly 4″ strips and wrap them around the neck between the top and middle donut to form scarves.
- Place the snowmen. One at a time, press the ends of the cake pop sticks into the frosted cake so the donut snowmen stand upright. The bottom donut should sit flush with the frosting surface.
- Finish with snow. Lightly dust the entire cake with powdered sugar to create a snowy effect.
Decorating Tips
- Powder your own donuts. If powdered donut holes aren’t available, place plain mini donuts in a sealed bag with powdered sugar and shake gently to coat them.
- Alternate snow. If you don’t have powdered sugar for dusting, shredded coconut sprinkled over the cake creates a similar snowy look.
- Trim sticks if needed. If cake pop sticks are too long, trim them so the snowmen sit neatly on the cake without tipping.
- Add holiday flair. Sprinkle red and green nonpareils, silver dragees, or pipe extra frosting details to make the cake more festive.
How to Store
- To store. Cover the decorated cake loosely with plastic wrap; because of the snowmen it may be too tall for some carriers. At room temperature the cake will keep for 1–2 days; refrigerate if you need longer, and bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- To freeze. Freeze unfrosted layers for up to one month. Cool baked layers completely, double-wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze. Thaw completely at room temperature before frosting and decorating.
More Christmas Dessert Ideas
- M&Ms Wreath Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Eggnog Butter Cake
- Grinch Brownies
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
Snowman Cake
No reviews
- Author: Shelly
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This snowman cake turns a chocolate layer cake into a festive centerpiece topped with mini donut snowmen and simple candy details.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus the ingredients listed on the box)
- 1 recipe chocolate buttercream frosting
To Decorate
- 4 cake pop sticks
- 12 powdered sugar donut holes
- Mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons
- Orange candy-coated seeds or mini candies for noses
- Fruit leather for scarves
Instructions
To Make the Cake
- Grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
- Prepare the cake batter according to the box directions or your recipe.
- Divide batter between pans and bake as directed. Cool layers completely.
To Assemble
- Prepare chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Place the first cake layer on a board and spread a thick layer of frosting. Top with the second layer.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake smoothly with the remaining buttercream.
To Decorate
- Thread three donut holes onto each cake pop stick, taking care not to poke through the top donut.
- Press mini chocolate chips into the donuts for eyes and buttons, using a small dab of frosting to help them stick if needed.
- Add a small orange candy to each snowman for a carrot nose.
- Cut fruit leather into 4-inch strips and wrap each around the neck between the top and middle donut as a scarf.
- Press the cake pop sticks into the top of the frosted cake so the snowmen stand upright with the bottom donut flush with the frosting.
- Lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar to finish.
Notes
- You can substitute any favorite chocolate layer cake recipe for the boxed mix if you prefer.