Cinco de Mayo Piñata (Printable Version)

A festive cake with colorful layers and a surprise candy center, perfect for lively celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Layers

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1¼ cups whole milk, room temperature
10 - Gel food coloring in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple

→ Piñata Filling

11 - 1½ cups assorted small candies such as mini M&Ms, rainbow sprinkles, and gummy bears

→ Frosting

12 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
13 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - ¼ cup whole milk
15 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt
17 - Gel food coloring for decorating, optional

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly into six bowls. Tint each portion with a different gel food color to create red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple batters.
07 - Pour each colored batter into prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using only three pans, bake in batches.
08 - Allow layers to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Once cooled, use a 3-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the center of four of the six layers. Leave the top and bottom layers whole.
10 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy.
11 - Place the purple whole layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin frosting layer. Stack the first cut-out layer and frost lightly. Repeat with remaining cut-out layers.
12 - Pour assorted candies into the center cavity created by the stacked cut-out layers.
13 - Place the final whole cake layer on top of the candy-filled cavity to seal the piñata.
14 - Frost the outside and top of the cake generously with remaining frosting. Decorate with colored frosting, sprinkles, or festive decorations as desired.
15 - Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing. Slice to reveal the candy piñata inside.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The surprise factor never gets old, no matter your age or how many times you've seen it done.
  • It's actually easier than it looks, which means you'll actually make it instead of just pinning it.
  • Your guests will remember this cake long after the last crumb disappears.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are not a suggestion—cold ingredients won't blend smoothly into the batter and you'll end up with a gritty, uneven texture that no amount of baking can fix.
  • The center cavity must go through at least four layers to create a proper surprise chamber; if you only carve holes in two layers, your candies will fall out when you slice.
  • Gel food coloring is absolutely non-negotiable here—liquid coloring will make your batter too wet and your colors will look washed out and muddy instead of vibrant and gorgeous.
03 -
  • If your gel coloring is concentrated, start with less than you think you need—you can always add more, but you can't take it back once you've tinted the batter muddy.
  • Place a rimmed baking sheet under each cake pan while it bakes to ensure even heat distribution and prevent the bottoms from browning too quickly.
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