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+ servings
hagrid pink cake

Harry Potter's Eleventh Birthday Cake

The Starving Chef
The iconic birthday cake from Harry Potter's eleventh birthday is brought to life in this magical recipe.
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Freezing Time 4 hours
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Course Fictional Feasts
Cuisine Harry Potter Inspired
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

FOR CAKE:

FOR ICING:

  • 1 ½ cups butter room temperature
  • 7 cups powdered sugar + more as needed to thicken
  • ¼ cup heavy cream + more as needed thin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pink & green gel food coloring
  • 2 cups chocolate frosting for filling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare two 9x9 round cake tins by rubbing butter on all edges and on the bottom. Cut parchment to fit in the bottom of each cake pan and a long strip of parchment that will go around the inside of each - each pan will need two strips of parchment to go all the way around without creasing. The parchment should stick to the butter on the sides of the pan and peek over the top of the pan about a half inch. After the pan is lined with parchment, lightly spray the parchment with cooking oil. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Slowly add the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk, oil, vanilla and rum extracts. Carefully pour in the hot coffee. Stir until the dry ingredients are mixed in then add the white vinegar. The mix may fizz a bit as the vinegar reacts. Continue to stir - the batter will be thin.
  • Pour the batter into each cake pan so that it is about halfway full. Place the pans diagonally side-by-side in the oven. Bake for 35-40 for minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Place the cooked cakes on a cooling rack for at least one hour - the cakes should be room temperature before attempting to remove from the pans.
  • Prepare a baking sheet or flat plate with parchment paper (big enough for both cakes or one cake per plate). Flip the cooled cakes out of their pans onto their parchement prepared surfaces so that they are upside down, flat bottom side up. Peel off the parchment from the cake layers. Wrap lightly in plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.
  • The next day, make the buttercream icing by using a hand mixer to combine the room temperature butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Slowly add the heavy cream until a thick and creamy buttercream. The icing should hold stiff peaks when it is ready - add more powdered sugar as needed to thicken the icing; or thin the icing with additional heavy cream.
  • Remove one cup of frosting to a separate, smaller bowl. Mix in the pink food coloring to the main bowl until it reaches the desired color. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as you mix. Repeat with the green food coloring and the smaller bowl of icing. Leave at room temperature while you work.
  • Open the chocolate frosting and put all but a few tablespoons into a piping bag. Set aside. Secure one of the cakes to the cardboard base with a dab of frosting. Then secure the cake board to the rotating cake stand with another dab of frosting.
  • Pipe the chocolate frosting from the center all the way to the edges of the cake, so that is it about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Place the second cake layer on top and fill in the edges. Use the icing scraper to smooth the edge. Freeze 20-30 minutes.
  • Do a crumb coat with one cup of pink frosting in a piping bag. Do a very thin layer of icing all over the cake sides and top, using the rotating base and icing scraper to get the frosting even. It's okay if crumbs are picked up in this layer. Freeze for one hour or until the crumb coat is no longer sticky to the touch.
  • Spoon the remaining pink frosting into a piping bag and pipe in hortizontal lines around the edges of the cake. Use the icing scraper to lightly flatten and smooth the outer layer (it doesn't have to be perfect if you are going for a "Hagrid-made" effect - I even made the 'squish line' down the center of the cake so it was imperfect). Repeat working from the center to the edge with the icing on the top of the cake. The icing should be about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick on top and sides. Freeze until no longer sticky, about one hour.
  • Using the green icing and a small piping tip for writing, write out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY" on the cake. I recommend waiting to write the wording until last to ensure the colors don't start to bleed. Chill until ready to serve - or leave out at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to serving. This will help thaw the center of the cake.
  • Enjoy while revealing to a child they are the Chosen One. "YER A WIZARD 'ARRY!"
Keyword cake, frosting, Harry Potter, icing
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