Betty Boop Cake (Printable Version)

Red velvet layers with cream cheese frosting and fondant decorations

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1.5 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 0.75 cup whole milk
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring

→ Cream Cheese Buttercream

10 - 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
11 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
12 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

→ Decoration

13 - 8 ounces black fondant
14 - 4 ounces white fondant
15 - 2 ounces red fondant
16 - 1 teaspoon edible pearl dust or luster dust
17 - Cornstarch for rolling fondant

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately add flour mixture and milk in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down bowl as needed.
06 - Mix in red gel food coloring until batter achieves uniform deep red color.
07 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through baking.
09 - Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
11 - Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
12 - Trim cake domes level with a serrated knife. Place one layer on cake board and spread buttercream layer on top. Carefully position second layer on top.
13 - Apply thin crumb coat of buttercream around entire cake. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.
14 - Apply final coat of buttercream and smooth sides and top with cake scraper or offset spatula.
15 - Dust clean work surface with cornstarch and roll black fondant to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out Betty Boop hair silhouette using template or freehand. Transfer onto parchment.
16 - Roll white fondant and cut out two large circles for eyes and small hearts for highlights. Roll red fondant and cut out lips. Dust with edible pearl dust if desired.
17 - Once cake is chilled and frosting is firm, gently drape black fondant hair silhouette over front of cake, trimming excess at base. Attach white fondant eyes and red lips with small dab of buttercream.
18 - Use extra black fondant to pipe or cut out eyelashes and eyebrows. Position them around eyes.
19 - Roll thin coil of red fondant into decorative headband and place across top edge of hair silhouette.
20 - Add final touches such as small sugar flower or edible sparkles around base.
21 - Allow decorated cake to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between tender, velvety red cake and tangy cream cheese frosting creates a flavor combination that tastes far more impressive than it is to make.
  • Your guests will be charmed the moment they see it—Betty's expression somehow captures both sweetness and sass in fondant form.
  • Each layer bakes predictably, and fondant decorations can be prepped ahead, turning what sounds like an advanced project into something surprisingly manageable.
02 -
  • Fondant will crack or tear if the frosting underneath isn't completely firm—rushing this step is why people say fondant is difficult when really it's just impatience.
  • Red gel coloring is non-negotiable for deep, true red; liquid coloring makes the batter watery and the color pales during baking, leaving you with pink instead of red velvet.
  • If your cream cheese buttercream looks grainy, both ingredients needed more time at room temperature—cold cream cheese never fully incorporates and ruins the entire batch.
03 -
  • Insert wooden dowels vertically through both cake layers before the final frosting if the cake will sit out for hours or needs to be transported—this prevents the top layer from sinking and ruins the whole effect.
  • If your buttercream looks broken or grainy, don't throw it away; gently warm the bowl by setting it over a pot of hot water for 10 seconds while stirring, then beat again—this often saves it.
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