Cookie Monster Cake

Last year I made an Elmo cake for Ethan’s second birthday. It seemed pretty logical that this year should be Cookie Monster’s turn. As if the full house of Sesame Street characters and the constantly playing of TV shows are NOT ENOUGH. I don’t know how to explain that except MOTHERS ARE DUMB.

This time, though, also celebrated Maya’s first birthday. For sure she recognized the character on the cake because I had been telling her since weeks ago that I was making her a Cookie Monster cake. And look! How much it looks DIFFERENT from Cookie Monster. Imagine if I wasn’t reminding her everyday.

Ingredients (8-inch 2-layer cake):
Chocolate Devil’s Food Layer Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 drops of blue food colouring paste
Decoration
1/4 cup Nutella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the boiling water, chocolate and cocoa powder until smooth.
Beat butter and sugar together on medium speed in a bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract.
Reduce the speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining chocolate mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.
Divide the batter and pour into the prepared pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Place the cakes (in the pans) on a wire rack to cool. Then invert the cakes onto a greased rack. Cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the buttercream, put egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water. Use an electric hand mixer to beat constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Remove from heat.
With whisk attachment, continue whipping the mixture in a standing mixer until thick, glossy, and cool.
Switch over to paddle attachment. While mixing on medium speed, continuously add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture. If curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth. Add vanilla and salt, mix well.
Reserve 3 cups of the buttercream. Set aside. Add the food colouring in the remaining buttercream and beat for another 10 seconds, or until the colour are evenly distributed.
To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with 1/3 of the white buttercream. Place another cake layer on top, and gently press down a little bit. Spread with another 1/3 of the white buttercream. Smear the remaining 1/3 of the white buttercream on the sides of the cake.
Outline the eyes and mouth with a toothpick, and fill with Nutella. Pipe blue buttercream on the face.
Cover and refrigerate the cake. Leave out in room temperature for at least an hour prior to serving.

23 comments

  1. Cookie Monster was always my favorite. I hate that he is now technically vegetable monster or something like that. This cake captures the true cookie monster! hah!

  2. This is so cute! Cookie Monster is one of my son’s favorites….he would love this cake for his birthday. Beautiful work!

  3. Looking at this cake makes me feel like I was robbed of something in my childhood. The best I ever got was store-bought cakes. Oh well, looks like the same fate awaits my kids too since I can’t bake either.

  4. Cookie monster is my favorite of all the muppets! You did an amazing job on this cake. I like that you used nutella for the eyes and mouth. Also the cookie in his mouth is a great touch. Well done.

  5. This cake is so cute! My youngest is a cookie monster fan I will have to remember this for his birthday next year. :)

  6. This could not be any cuter! I just took a cake decorating class and learned how to do character cakes like that, but I haven’t tried to make any characters yet. Thanks for sharing this adorable cake!

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