This giant donut cake is an ode to Homer’s iconic pink glazed donut with sprinkles. It’s a fun and festive cake perfect for birthdays!
Growing up, The Simpsons was one of my favorite shows. I may have not understood all the jokes and references back then, but I still found the show entertaining and funny.
My husband is a big fan of the show. I made him this giant donut cake in honor of his 30th birthday.
It’s a giant version of Homer’s favorite pink glazed sprinkle topped donut!
(For my 30th birthday, I made myself this Funfetti Doughnut Cake!)
Obviously with almost three decades of content, some seasons are far superior than others, some episode are more memorable and stand the test of time.
But, is there anything more iconic than Homer and his love for donuts? I don’t think so.
Simpson’s Giant Donut Cake
This slice of cake photographed above is an ode to Homer’s “forbidden donut.”
In the episode The Devil and Homer Simpson (from Treehouse of Horror IV), Homer sells his soul to the devil for a doughnut.
According to the contract, once Homer finishes eating the donut, his soul will be transferred over.
To keep his soul, Homer doesn’t finish the donut. He saves the last bite in the fridge with a ton of warning notes.
However, Homer eventually sleepwalks into the kitchen one night and devours that last piece. You’ll have to watch the episode to find out what happens to Homer’s soul :)
My favorite cake donuts are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. This cake has a little more cinnamon than nutmeg. If you’re not a fan, simply stick to vanilla.
How to assemble donut cake:
I used this Williams Sonoma Giant Cake Donut Pan (which unfortunately has been discontinued). The set contains two 8-inch ring pans. There are a few options available on Amazon- like this one and this one.
There is a thin layer of boysenberry jam between the standard American vanilla buttercream filling.
I used 4 drops of ivory gel paste food coloring mixed with 1 drop of chocolate brown gel paste food coloring to get that lightly golden tan color for the buttercream frosting that coats the outside of the cake.
I used the “hot spatula” technique from The Cake Blog to smooth out the exterior of the cake. And finally, I used a regular old powdered sugar glaze dyed with a couple drops of electric pink gel paste food coloring to make the iconic pink glaze.
This giant donut cake is perfect for The Simpsons fans and donut lovers! It’s a really fun cake to bring out to a party. And it’s really great to snack on while you binge watch The Simpsons during the summer!
Check out these recipe posts for more donut cake fun:
- Funfetti doughnut cake features a layered funfetti cake frosted with coffee buttercream and decorated with baked mini doughnuts.
- Pink Valentine Cake Doughnuts dipped in sweet glaze and topped with sprinkles.
- Glazed Letter Donuts is a popular way to celebrate birthdays, make announcements, or surprise loved ones!
Giant Donut Cake
Ingredients
Donut Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup whole milk, room temp
Filling and Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 4 drops ivory gel paste food color*
- 1 drop chocolate brown gel paste food color*
- ¼ cup boysenberry jam, or jam of choice
Glaze:
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- pinch fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk , or more if needed
- a couple drops of electric pink gel paste food color*
- sprinkles, as needed
Instructions
Donut Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake ring pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- With the mixing running on low speed, add eggs one a time. Make sure egg is incorporated before adding the next egg. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.
- Continuing to mix on low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined and there are no longer any dry streaks of flour in batter.
- Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes. Invert pans to unmold cakes. Allow cakes to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once cakes are cool, level the bottom of the cake by slicing off any excess cake.
Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment(or using a hand mixer), cream butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Scrape down bowl as needed. Add salt, vanilla, and milk. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Glaze:
- Combine powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk. Stir until smooth. Add food coloring as needed.
Assembly:
- Place one half of cake on a cake stand or serving plater. Spread jam over cake. Top with a thin layer of buttercream. Place top half of cake over buttercream.
- Dye the remaining buttercream with food coloring.
- Use a spoon or mini offset spatula to crumb coat the cake. Place frosted cake in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow buttercream to set up. Frost cake with another coat of buttercream. Return to fridge for another 15 minutes to set up.
- Use a warmed up off set spatula to smooth out the chilled buttercream. Warm metal spatula by dipping it hot warm and wiping off moisture. Return cake to fridge for another 5-10 minutes to set up. Meanwhile, prepare glaze.
- Remove chilled cake from the fridge and pour glaze over cake. Immediately top glaze with sprinkles. Glaze will harden on it’s own. To speed up the process, return cake to fridge. Keep cake chilled until ready to serve. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The set of two 8-inch cake ring molds I used are from Williams-Sonoma have been discontinued. I have linked some options from Amazon in the post above.
- I used these AmeriColor gel paste food colors: ivory, chocolate brown, electric pink
- Cake recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
- Buttercream smoothing technique from The Cake Blog
this looks so cool!! i’ve had the lard lad donut from universal studios, and while it looks cool, this sounds much tastier with cake and jam and buttercream.
So cute! I want to make something like this for my husband’s birthday.
Oh my gosh this cake is so adorable! Also love the link with the Simpons :)
What a fun idea for a cake! While neither of us are big Simpsons fans, I immediately recognized what this cake was a nod to. :)
AHHHH THIS IS THE CUTEST CAKE EVER! I LOVE donuts so I am demanding this for my bday cake this year!
This is so beyond epic!!! My daughter is obsessed with all things donut and this may need to make a cameo at her birthday party!
This is so cool! Pinning for my son’s next birthday party.
This reminds me of the Homer Simpson donuts we buy down the street, except yours is a GIANT CAKE and I am obsessed with this!!
What a creative idea! I know a boy who would LOVE this for his next birthday !
That is such a cute idea!!! LOVE this!
This is so much fun, and I just love this idea!
This looks amazing! I’ve always wanted to make my own donuts!
This is the absolute best cake I’ve seen in…I don’t even know how long! I love donuts (especially the pink kind with sprinkles!) and love how you’ve added a layer of jam and buttercream in the center. It’s beautiful!
Ok, yes, yes, and…yes! How could you not find joy and happiness in two of my two favorite things in the world – donuts and cake. This is absolutely adorable and without the icing on top, it could be a bagel cake!
THIS IS ADORABLE!!! Thank you for this. I want to try to make this. It would be perfect for a baby shower cake. ::)
This cake looks like every kid’s dream. What a great idea!
Omg my hubby would so love this! Not sure if I am good enough of a baker to make this though!
Lauren
This looks fun fun and delicious! I would love to try it!
Ok I love donuts and I love cake — this is just perfection!
Okay this cake is basically what dreams are made of! haha
I need this cake in my life! How cute!!
this is so amazing!! I’d love to make this cake one day. So cute, such a great design
Love cake, love donuts, love this donut cake mix!! Looks super fun to make and delicious to taste.
Thank you!
Could I sub full fat coconut milk for the whole milk?
Yes, full fat coconut milk will work.
Is there a way to convert this to a regular 8 in cake pan and cut the holes in the middle?
Yes, you can bake the batter in two standard 8-inch round cake pan. Adjust baking time.
Hi! I love this idea! Is there any way I could make it a chocolate cake instead of vanilla?
I have no tested this recipe as a chocolate version. You can use your favorite chocolate bundt cake recipe in place.
Hi – Does this taste like cake or like a donut?