This Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake is a fun and festive recipe, which uses white cake mix and food coloring to create a stunning, edible centerpiece. It’s the perfect show-stopping cake for a summer party, ready in about 2 hours, plus decorating time.
Jump to RecipeWatermelon Fruit Basket Cake Recipe Ingredients
- 2 (16-to-18-ounce) boxes white cake mix
- Ingredients as called for on the cake mix boxes (typically water, oil, and eggs)
- Red, yellow, and green food coloring
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 (16-ounce) tubs vanilla frosting
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh fruit, for filling (such as melon balls, berries, grapes)
How To Make a Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake
- Prep Oven and Bake Cake: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Generously coat a 4-quart ovenproof bowl with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mixes as directed on the box. Fold in about 2 teaspoons of red food coloring and the mini chocolate chips to create the “watermelon flesh.”
- Bake and Cool: Pour the batter into the prepared bowl and bake until a long skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let the cake cool slightly in the bowl before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sculpt the Watermelon: Place the cooled cake, flat-side down, on a small cardboard circle. Use a long serrated knife to trim the two opposite sides, creating an oval watermelon shape.
- Frost and Chill: Cover the sides of the cake with a thick layer of frosting and the top (the flat bottom) with a thin layer. Reserve about 1/2 cup of frosting. Freeze the cake for at least 20 minutes, until the frosting is firm.
- Paint the Rind: In a small bowl, mix a few drops of yellow and green food coloring with a splash of lemon juice. Use a pastry brush to paint this light green color all over the sides of the cake. In another bowl, mix a darker green food coloring with lemon juice. Paint green stripes on the cake, then use the brush to gently blend the edges of the stripes.
- Carve the Basket: Place another cardboard circle on top of the cake and carefully flip it over. Use a spoon to carve out the center of the cake, about 1 inch deep, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge.
- Finish and Fill: Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of frosting inside the hollowed-out center. Use a paring knife to make decorative zigzag cuts around the rim of the cake to look like a basket. Mound the fresh fruit in the center, covering the frosting completely, and serve.
Recipe Tips
- How to keep the cake from falling apart? The most important step is to let the cake cool completely before you start trimming and frosting it. The two freezing steps—after the initial frosting and after carving—are also crucial for making the cake firm and easy to handle without crumbling.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. You can bake the cake a day in advance. It’s best to decorate and fill the cake on the day of the party for the freshest look, but it can be done a day ahead and stored carefully in the refrigerator.
- What are the best fruits for the filling? For the most authentic watermelon look, use a melon baller to create small spheres of cantaloupe, honeydew, and real watermelon. A mix of fresh berries and grapes also works beautifully.
- How do I get the watermelon rind effect? Painting with the food coloring and lemon juice mixture, as the recipe suggests, is the key. Start with a light green base, then add the darker green stripes and gently smudge or blend the edges with your brush to create a natural, mottled look.
What To Serve With a Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake
This is a show-stopping centerpiece cake that is a complete dessert and a fruit platter all in one! It is the perfect cake for any summer birthday party or barbecue and needs no accompaniment other than:
- Plates and forks
- A large serving spoon for the fruit
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream or sherbet
How To Store a Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake
- Refrigerate: Due to the frosting and fresh fruit, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. If it’s too large for a standard container, you can cover it loosely with plastic wrap. It is best enjoyed within 2 days.
Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake Nutrition Facts
- Nutrition information will vary greatly depending on the specific cake mixes, frosting, and fruits used.
FAQs
Do I have to bake the cake in a bowl?
Yes, baking the cake in a large, ovenproof bowl is the secret to getting the perfect, rounded dome shape that is essential for creating the watermelon look.
Why add chocolate chips to a white cake mix?
The mini chocolate chips are a clever trick! When you slice into the cake, they look just like the black seeds in a real watermelon.
Is this a no-bake recipe?
This is what’s known as an “assembly” recipe. It’s a creative and incredibly fun way to create a large, impressive, themed cake by using store-bought cake mixes as a base for your sculpture.
Try More Recipes:
Watermelon Fruit Basket Cake Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: EasyServings
20
servingsPrep time
1
hourCooking time
1
hour30
minutesCalories
300
kcalA fun and festive, show-stopping party cake that looks just like a watermelon fruit basket, made easy by using store-bought cake mixes as a base for a creative decorating project.
Ingredients
2 boxes white cake mix (plus required ingredients)
Red, yellow, & green food coloring
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tubs vanilla frosting
Juice of 1 lemon
Assorted fresh fruit for filling
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare the cake batter as directed, tinting it red and stirring in the mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into a greased 4-quart ovenproof bowl and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Trim the cooled cake into an oval shape. Frost the outside and freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
- Paint the outside of the cake with green and yellow food coloring mixtures to create a watermelon rind pattern.
- Flip the cake over, hollow out the center, and frost the inside. Cut a decorative zigzag edge.
- Freeze again for 20 minutes to set.
- Fill the “basket” with fresh fruit just before serving.
Notes
- The most important tip for this recipe is to allow the cake to cool completely and then freeze it at the designated steps; this is essential for easy carving and frosting.
- Don’t be afraid to be artistic when painting the rind; a natural, imperfect pattern looks the most realistic.
- Using a store-bought cake mix and frosting is the key shortcut that makes this impressive sculpted cake achievable for bakers of all levels.
- Fill the cake with the fresh fruit just before you plan to serve it to keep the fruit fresh and prevent the cake from getting soggy.
