The caterpillar cake recipe is a fun and easy-to-make cake that’s red, fluffy, and decorated with pieces of colorful caterpillars.
It’s the perfect edible project for kids experimenting with icing. It requires no piping or special equipment.
In addition to looking and tasting like an adorable little caterpillar, this cake offers some cool nutritional benefits: it will provide protein and fiber that fortify your body against infections and illness.

It will also provide an array of essential vitamins and minerals to promote the overall health of your body.
How To Prepare Caterpillar Cake Recipe?
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 8
Equipment:
- Cake Pan,
- Cake Sheet,
- Baking Stone
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- Gel food coloring in various colors (green, red, blue, yellow, etc.)
For the frosting and decoration:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring in green and other desired colors
- Candy eyes
- Chocolate chips or small round candies (for the caterpillar’s antennae)
- Assorted candies, sprinkles, or decorations for the caterpillar’s face and body
How To Make Caterpillar Cake Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer on medium speed. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Divide the batter equally into separate bowls, depending on how many colors you want to use. Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl and mix until the colors are well incorporated.
- Spoon the colored batters into the prepared cake pans, alternating the colors and creating a striped pattern.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, level the tops if needed. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread a layer of frosting on top.
- Stack the second cake layer on top and continue frosting the sides and top of the cake with the green frosting.
- To decorate the caterpillar, use the gel food coloring to tint portions of the remaining frosting into different colors of your choice. You can use piping bags or zip-top bags with the corner snipped off to pipe the frosting onto the cake, creating a caterpillar shape.
- Add the candy eyes to the front of the caterpillar’s head. Use chocolate chips or small round candies as antennae. Decorate the caterpillar’s body with assorted candies, sprinkles, or decorations.
- Once decorated, refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
Serve and enjoy the colorful caterpillar cake at your celebration!
Nutrition Facts Of Caterpillar Cake Recipe
Nutrition | Amount |
---|---|
Calories | 335 |
Protein | 11.6g |
Carbohydrate | 54.4g |
Fat | 4.7g |
Cholesterol | 33mg |
Sodium | 108mg |
Sugar | 47.1g |
Is The Caterpillar Cake A Swiss Roll?
In short, a Swiss roll is a sponge cake covered in fondant or icing that makes it look like an American flag. It’s rolled up with cream and fruit inside.
A caterpillar cake doesn’t have the cream (or fruit) inside. It’s just the cake itself that looks like a caterpillar.
Is This Caterpillar Cake Keto-Friendly?
The caterpillar cake is not keto-friendly, but it is low in carbs and will provide you with a good amount of protein.
If you’re on a ketogenic diet, there are other options, such as the strawberry cake or even the triple chocolate cake.
What Goes Well With Caterpillar Cake?
The best way to eat this cake is with coffee or tea. You can also have it as dessert or breakfast, especially if you’re on a diet and need extra energy during the day.
Can I Make A Caterpillar Cake Ahead?
You can make the caterpillar cake ahead of time, but it will lose its shape and appearance.
The best thing to do is prepare your batter, pour it into a cake pan, and refrigerate for about 8 hours or until it is solid.
Then, bake it just for an hour to ensure you don’t overbake the cake. The thicker layer of chocolate frosting could also help prevent it from getting soggy.
Can I Add Extra Chocolate To This Caterpillar Cake Recipe?
You can add extra chocolate if you want, but it’s unnecessary.
The chocolate will be more visible than the color of the caterpillar, so you don’t need extra chocolate to accomplish that effect.
Conclusion
The caterpillar cake recipes are cute and colorful and look just like their name mentioned.
This recipe is a simple one, and it’s perfect for kids who want to experiment with some chocolate cake.
The cake will make you feel full because of its high protein content, which is good for your health.
FAQ
Can I Freeze Caterpillar Cake?
You can freeze it, but I think it’s better to consume it fresh. Therefore, don’t freeze the whole thing because you won’t enjoy it.
What’s The Best Frosting To Use For Caterpillar Cake?
Any frosting will work great because this chocolate sponge cake is covered with cocoa powder or melted chocolate.
How Do You Store Caterpillar Cake?
Refrigeration is the best thing you can do if you want to store it for more than one day. You can’t freeze this cake because it will get soggy.