Mexican Pink Cake Recipe
This Mexican Pink Cake recipe creates a light, buttery vanilla cake topped with a sweet pink almond icing and cheerful rainbow sprinkles.Buttermilk keeps the crumb soft and moist, while cake flour gives it a delicate texture that stays tender for days. The smooth icing gently soaks into the surface, adding just the right amount of sweetness without making the cake heavy.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking pan,
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling rack
- Offset spatula or butter knife
- Wire whisk
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⅓ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Butter or nonstick cooking spray for greasing the baking pan
For the Pink Icing
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 3½ tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 5 drops pink gel food coloring
- Rainbow nonpareils sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Step 1
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Lightly dust with flour if desired to prevent sticking.
Step 2:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until everything is evenly combined.
Step 3
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3–5 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, light, and fluffy.
Step 4
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until fully blended.
Step 5
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
Step 6
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top evenly. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk, almond extract, and pink gel food coloring until smooth and pourable. Add a little more milk if needed for a spreadable consistency.
Step 8
- Spread the pink icing evenly over the cooled cake using an offset spatula. Immediately sprinkle rainbow nonpareils over the icing before it sets. Let the icing firm up for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.