Layers of brown sugar cake, sea salt caramel frosting, and a sandy graham cracker exterior make this cake a beach lover’s dream!
I’ve been meaning to share this cake I made for Food Network for a while now, and I guess I’d better get to it because time’s a wastin’! I can’t believe we’re already in the last full month of summer.
If you’re like me and didn’t make it to the beach this year, this cake is a nice consolation. I admit – I’ve had many slices of this cake and it is delicious! I may even dedicate a whole blog post to its sea salt caramel frosting (it’s that good!). And! It’s so fun to build. Yes – it’s a little involved and has a few steps, but its general construction involves ice cream cones, sugar cubes, and lots of graham cracker crumbs.
There are many steps to take before a cake like this comes to life, and I usually begin with a sketch. This was my plan for executing the cake, and I thought it might be fun to share it with you. It really does help to have a guide, even if the end result looks a little different (but this one was very close!).
The cake starts with two tiers of brown sugar cake (yum!), one 8-inch and 6-inch. The sea salt caramel buttercream firms well in the refrigerator and when chilled, it has just enough tackiness for the graham crackers to stick to the sides.
The towers/spires are made with frosted cake cones and sugar cones – which is nothing new to the world of cake decorating. But using them is easy, so cute, and really makes the cake look more convincing as a castle.
A couple more spires on top!
One of my original ideas for the cake was to use brown sugar cubes around the top edges to make the crenelations. This is such an easy way to achieve the effect symmetrically all the way around the top edges of the cake.
A few molded candy starfish and seashells were finishing touches. Here I’m applying a little cocoa powder to the shells with a dry brush, which makes them a little more 3 dimensional in appearance.
Add to this a few chocolate pieces for windows and doors, and the all-important spire flags, and you’ve got yourself a sandcastle that the tide won’t wash away! (Although it still may disappear quickly.)
You can find the recipe on FoodNetwork.com at link. You can also view the video on their website, or on the Food Network Facebook page.
Happy Summer, everyone! I hope it’s been more sweet than salty (wink).
