Go Back
+ servings
slice of tie dye easter cake on spatula
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Pastel Tie Dye Cake Recipe

Learn how to make a tie dye Easter Cake! This easy cake recipe starts with a cake mix but no one will know it.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 440kcal
Author: Dorothy Kern
Cost: $6

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • ¼ cup (59ml) water
  • 4 large egg whites
  • ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (245g) sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Blue, pink, and yellow food coloring (either gel or liquid)

Frosting ingredients:

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream or you can use milk
  • Food coloring optional
  • Sprinkles

Instructions

Cake Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat cake mix, water, egg whites, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Scrape the edges of the bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes more, scraping the edges occasionally.
  • Pour 2 cups of the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Divide the remaining batter between 3 medium bowls (about ½ cup each). Add a few drops of blue, pink, and yellow food coloring (one color per bowl) to the batter, stirring well after each drop, until the batter reaches the desired color.
  • Place spoonfuls of each colored batter in random places on top of the white batter. Run a butter knife back and forth through the batter to swirl the added color.
  • Bake cake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting directions:

  • With an electric mixer, whip the butter for 1-2 minutes until it is lighter in color and a bit fluffy.
  • Add the powdered sugar and salt. Beat on low to medium speed for about 1 minute until well combined, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of cream and beat for one minute. (If adding food coloring to the frosting, incorporate that now.) Slowly add more cream, if necessary, to get the desired consistency. Whip for 1 more minute or until light and fluffy.
  • Frost and decorate the cake with Easter sprinkles.

Video

Notes

 
  • I use egg whites to make the cake really white. Yolks discolor the batter, so the colors don’t stand out as much. So, for the best pastel cake, stick with the whites.
  • When you swirl the tinted batters, don’t swirl too much. You want to do it enough to create a lovely tie-dye pattern but not too much because the colors will just mix together. I run the knife in a circle and move it down the pan as I’m swirling.
  • You can leave the buttercream frosting white or tint it a color you like. For this recipe, gel food coloring or liquid food coloring works great for the cake and frosting.
  • Feel free to substitute a can of icing instead of making it homemade but the homemade one is so good - your guests will never know the cake is from a box.
  • Have fun with this tie dye cake and change the colors for any holiday!
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg