Fun and festive pizza cake

Fool your family with this sweet treat!

The first time I made this cake it was for my son’s birthday and when I brought it to the table, he was really confused. It was fun to pull a little prank and I know I was forgiven when he tasted it and found it to be just as delicious as every other birthday cake I’d ever served. The cake recipe below is scaled down to fit a standard pizza pan (if you like this cake, note that it makes 10 cupcakes). You can also use a boxed cake mix; if the mix makes two layers or 24 cupcakes, simply measure out half of the mix and use half the recommended water, eggs, etc. Be sure to seal up the remaining mix and put a note to yourself in the box so you remember it’s been halved the next time you open it.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) white sugar
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk

For the frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) icing (powdered) sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon (2. 5 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30 mL) milk
• Few drops red food colouring

For decorating:

• Assorted candies, trimmed and/or thinly sliced to look like pizza toppings
• Grated white chocolate (melt and chill white chocolate chips to form a block to grate)

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper (overlapping pieces if needed and having paper drape over the sides of the pan) and set aside.
• Prepare cake batter by combining flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar for one minute. Add the vanilla and melted butter and beat until well combined.
• Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add the milk, and beat until just combined. Add the remaining flour and beat until evenly blended then pour batter into prepared pan.
• Alternatively, prepare cake mix per package directions and pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 12 – 14 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you press a clean fingertip lightly into the top. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, prepare frosting by beating icing sugar, cocoa and butter together  in a medium bowl until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk plus the food colouring.
• Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 – 3 minutes). If the frosting appears too thick to spread easily, add additional milk as needed, one teaspoon at a time.
• When cake is cooled, carefully lift it off the baking pan and remove the parchment paper. Trim the outside edge as needed so it is even. Place the cake back on the pizza pan and spread frosting on top, leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border around the edge, to resemble the pizza crust.
• Add candy toppings and sprinkle grated white chocolate on top.

Makes 1 pizza cake.