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Stranger Things Cake Recipe

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3.8 from 7 reviews

This Stranger Things Cake recipe is a show-stopping layered dessert inspired by the hit TV series, featuring vibrant red, white, and chocolate layers. The cake is rich and moist with a luscious homemade frosting, decorated with black icing to mimic the show’s iconic alphabet wall lights and topped with colorful Peanut M&M’s and mini Eggo waffles for a nostalgic touch. Perfect for fans and themed parties, this cake combines classic flavors with creative presentation.

Ingredients

Cake Layers

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 2 Tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 large egg whites
  • Red food coloring (to desired shade)
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (melted)
  • 1 Tbs cocoa powder

Frosting

  • 1 1/3 cup butter (softened)
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 7–8 cups powdered sugar

Decorations

  • Wilton black decorating icing (small round tip)
  • Peanut M&M’s
  • Mini Eggos

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the cakes.
  2. Prepare Pans: Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray them with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the white cake mix, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt until evenly mixed.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Add water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, sour cream, and egg whites to the dry mixture. Beat with a mixer until fully combined and smooth.
  5. Divide Batter: Evenly divide the batter into three separate bowls.
  6. Color Batters: Leave one bowl with the original white batter. Add red food coloring to the second bowl until you achieve your desired shade of red. To the third bowl, add cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips and stir well to create the chocolate layer.
  7. Pour into Pans: Pour each batter into the prepared cake pans accordingly.
  8. Bake Cakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool Cakes: Remove cakes from the oven and set aside to cool completely before frosting.
  10. Make Frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and continue beating.
  11. Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating between each addition until the frosting reaches your desired consistency and sweetness.
  12. Assemble Cake Layers: Place the chocolate cake layer on a turntable or cake stand. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting evenly, leaving about 1/2 inch from the edges.
  13. Add Middle Layer: Top with the red cake layer and repeat frosting application with the same technique.
  14. Finish Layering: Place the white cake layer on top.
  15. Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to seal in crumbs.
  16. Chill Cake: Refrigerate the crumb-coated cake for about 20 minutes to let the frosting set and harden slightly.
  17. Final Frosting: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and continue decorating with the remaining frosting, reserving about 1 cup for piping on top.
  18. Prepare Piping Bag: Transfer the reserved frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and set aside.
  19. Mark Decoration Lines: About 1 inch down from the top of the cake, mark 13 small lines roughly 2 inches apart around the cake edge.
  20. Pipe Black Icing for Lights: Using black decorating icing fitted with a small round tip, pipe lines above the marks about 1/2 inch from the top, creating a string of holiday light effect by moving the bag slightly up and down.
  21. Attach M&M’s: Place Peanut M&M’s where you made the lines, then pipe the letters A through M underneath each M&M.
  22. Repeat Decoration: About 1 inch below the letters, mark 13 lines again offset from the first set. Repeat piping black icing, placing M&M’s, and piping letters N through Z under the M&M’s.
  23. Top Swirls and Mini Eggos: Pipe large swirls around the top edge of the cake using the star tip and gently press mini Eggos onto every other swirl.
  24. Refrigerate to Set: Chill the cake before serving if desired, to ensure decorations and frosting are firm.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing and texture results.
  • Adjust red food coloring gradually to reach the desired bold red shade without overpowering the batter.
  • Make sure cakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
  • The crumb coat helps seal in crumbs for a smooth final frosting layer.
  • Refrigerate after crumb coating for easier decorating and cleaner lines.
  • You can substitute mini Eggos with small waffle cookies if unavailable.
  • This cake serves 16 people, perfect for parties and gatherings.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/stranger-things-cake-recipe/