Best Shark Cake Recipes

OMBRE WAVE SHARK CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat five 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cake mixes and salt. Whisk on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream, eggs and 2 cups water. Mix on medium speed until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the vanilla extract. Mix again until no streaks of the dry ingredients remain.
• Divide 1 cup of batter between two small bowls (1/2 cup in each); tint one bowl of batter with the blue food color and tint the other with the teal food color. Stir to combine. Add the food color a little at a time until a bright hue is achieved.
• Divide the remaining white cake batter among the prepared pans. Spoon a little blue and teal batter into each pan and swirl the colors together with a skewer or butter knife. Bake the cakes until they are lightly browned and a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely. Level each cake layer using a serrated knife or a wire cake leveler.
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream: Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk together the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer filled with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium high and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled, about 5 minutes (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
• Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk to the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on medium low and add the butter a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition. Add the vanilla extract. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
• Remove about 1/2 cup of the frosting to each of 6 bowls. Tint one bowl navy blue using the navy blue food color, tint another bowl dark blue with the blue food color, tint another bowl dark teal using the teal food color, tint another bowl light teal using the teal food color and tint the fifth bowl light blue using the blue food color. The last bowl should remain untinted. Transfer each of the colors to separate piping bags, each fitted with a #104 decorator piping tip.
• For the marshmallow fondant shark fins: Place the marshmallows and 1 tablespoon water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute at 100% power, or until the marshmallows puff out of shape. Stir the mixture until the marshmallows deflate.
• Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, kneading the mixture well with your hands (kitchen gloves make this job less messy). Keep adding the powdered sugar until the mixture is thick, smooth and pliable. You may not have to use all of the powdered sugar.
• Add a drop of black food color and a drop of blue food color to the fondant and knead until a dark blue-grey color is achieved.
• Roll the fondant flat on a work surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Stamp two 3.5-inch circles from the fondant using a pastry ring or cookie cutter. Cut each circle into quarters. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to trim away 1/8 inch from a flat side of each piece, creating a shark fin shape. Transfer the shark fins to a baking sheet and let dry until firm and rigid and the fins can stand upright, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the frosting and assembling: Use the remaining untinted frosting to fill the cake layers. Apply a thin even layer of buttercream to the cake's exterior and insert a 9-inch dowel through the top center of the cake to anchor the layers together. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Use the back of a butter knife to score lines around the cake to divide it into 6 sections (2 1/2- to 3-inch sections). Begin piping frosting at the bottom of the cake using the navy blue buttercream. Hold the piping bag so that the smaller end of the decorator tip is positioned away from the cake. Pipe lines of buttercream close together, traveling towards the top of the cake to the first score line. Repeat the process using the remaining colors in this order: dark blue, dark teal, light teal, light blue, white (untinted).
• Using the leftover navy buttercream in the piping bag, pipe enough frosting on top of the cake to cover it; use an offset spatula to create swirls resembling choppy ocean water. Place the set fondant shark fins around the top edge of the cake in a circle. Sprinkle on white nonpareil "bubbles" and place white sugar pearls at random on top of the cake and around the fins. Serve tall slices of cake at room temperature on large plates.

BABY SHARK CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. , Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until edges begin to brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt baking chips with cream until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in heatproof bowl of stand mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, 8-10 minutes., Remove from heat. With whisk attachment of stand mixer, beat mixture on high speed until cooled to 90°, about 7 minutes. Gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth. Beat in cooled baking chip mixture until blended. , Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Tint remaining frosting desired shades of blue; spread blue frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Tint 1/2 ounce fondant red. Divide remaining fondant in half. Tint 1 portion blue. Leave other half white. On a work surface dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out blue fondant to 1/8-in. thickness. Using a 3-in. round cutter, cut out 1 circle; repeat with white fondant. Using a sharp knife, cut mouth opening, teeth and body shape on lower portion of white circle. Place white fondant cutout onto blue circle. Roll red fondant to 1/8-in. thickness; cut a small triangle and place in mouth opening, under white fondant and on top of blue fondant. If needed, brush fondant lightly with water to help layers adhere. With remaining rolled blue fondant, cut a crescent moon shape for tail and a triangle for fin. Secure fin and tail to shark body, brushing edges lightly with water, if needed, to help pieces adhere. Secure candy eyes to shark body with small amount of reserved frosting. Place fondant shark on side of cake by pressing gently into frosting. Tint remaining reserved frosting green. Using a leaf tip, pipe seaweed on sides of cake. If desired, decorate cake with sea creature candies and graham cracker crumbs for sand. Refrigerate until serving. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

SHARK CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a football cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and put on a baking sheet.
• Prepare one of the cake mixes according to the package instructions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then remove from the pan to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second cake mix to make another football cake layer.
• Level each cake: Using a serrated knife, slice the uneven top of each cake to create a smooth, flat, even surface. Leave one cake trimmed-side up and flip the other cake over so the domed football shape/side is facing up.
• For the mouth: The mouth should be oriented 2 inches from the tip of the cake. On the cake half with the domed football shape facing up, measure about 2 1/2 inches from the pointed end of the football down toward the center. This point will be the top of the mouth. From that point, using a paring knife, carefully outline a half oval or crescent shape to form a mouth. The mouth opening should be roughly 6 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches from top to bottom. The edge points of the mouth should be about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake. Once you have created an outline, go back and cut into the outline about halfway down into the cake. Carefully remove the cut-out piece to form the mouth. Scoop out some of the cake with a spoon if needed to make the mouth deeper.
• To assemble, frost and decorate: Transfer 1 3/4 cans of white frosting to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue-grey frosting (shark back): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the black gel food coloring and 5 drops of the blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the red frosting (shark jaw): Combine 1/4 can of frosting with 10 to 15 drops of red gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• For the blue frosting (water): Mix together 1 can of frosting with the remaining 5 drops of blue gel food coloring. Mix until uniform in color. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or cut off the tip of the bag to create about a 1/2-inch opening).
• Pipe a layer of white frosting on the flat top of the football cake layer (the layer without the mouth cut out) and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Place the other cake layer with the mouth cut out flat-side down on top to form a football-shaped cake. Slice off 4 inches from the tip of the bottom of the cake to create a flat bottom. Pipe some frosting in the center of a 12-inch cardboard cake round. Carefully stand the cake upright, flat-bottom down, onto the frosting on the cardboard cake round.
• Apply a thin crumb coat of white frosting over the entire cake except in the cut-out mouth. Smooth out the frosting with an offset spatula. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden the frosting.
• Pipe the white frosting on the bottom/belly of the shark around the mouth and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Pipe the blue grey frosting on the top/back of the shark and smooth out with an offset spatula. Pipe the red frosting around the perimeter of the mouth to create jaws.
• Insert the pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds in rows into the red frosting to form the teeth. Press the chocolate-covered mint candies on either side of the shark into the grey frosting to form the eyes. Dab a little white frosting on each eye to create a reflection. Towards the top of the shark head/nose, press the end of a chopstick into the white frosting to make 2 nostril holes.
• Pipe blue and white frosting around the base of the shark cake to create water and white-tipped waves around the shark. Sprinkle the white sugar pearls onto the white frosting to mimic little bubbles.