Each "tsunami cake" has a flood of icing cascading down its sides, and it's mesmerizing to watch.
Tsunami Cakes Are the Gorgeous Baking Trend We Need to Try
Updated on Jan. 05, 2024
We have the internet to thank for a lot of kitchen hacks. For example, did you know you could make the perfect breakfast sandwich every time right in the pan, or milk a cucumber for a fresh snack? The folks on TikTok aren’t done yet. Now, the prettiest dessert we’ve ever seen is on the menu.
Introducing… tsunami cakes! This new trend is as beautiful as it delicious. And it’s so easy to recreate at home.
It’s a Waterfall of Decadence
Don’t know what a tsunami cake is? Let us catch you up to speed—a tsunami cake (or pull-me-up cake) is a cake with most of its frosting suspended inside of a thin, acetate cake collar. When you remove the plastic, the icing cascades over the side of the cake, much like a tsunami, so your guests can watch the magic unfold.
@madbatterptyBelle tsunami cake!🤩🤩 ##fyp ##panama ##pty♬ Mad at Disney – salem ilese
The cakes are so popular because they’re so mesmerizing. Some are Disney-themed and make up the dresses of your favorite princesses (perfect for a Disney birthday party, don’t you think?) while other are just plain beautiful and loaded with sprinkles, fruits, candies or whatever else you crave on a cake!
These are almost too pretty to eat…almost. By the way, if you’re in need of a cake cutting hack to make digging in a little easier, all you’ll need is a wine glass and good aim.
How to Make a Tsunami Cake
While these cakes look like the peak of sophistication, they’re not too difficult to try out at home. Of course, you’ll need to know how to bake a cake, but once you’ve got your method down pat, the process are pretty simple.
Start with at least two tiers, and layer the frosting or cream of your choice in between each layer. Next, wrap the cake collar around the top of your cake, and fill it with whatever icing or toppings you like. The beauty of these cakes—well, besides the obvious—is that you can mix and match most anything here.
Finish your tsunami cake by removing the cake collar, and voila!
We don’t know about you, but we’re adding tsunami cakes to our baking bucket list ASAP.
Want to Bake Your Own? Start with These Easy Cake Recipes
Rustic Honey CakeServe this sweet, moist honey cake with ripe berries and a sprinkle of crunchy pistachios.
Lemon Sheet CakeThis lemon sheet cake is the ideal dessert for serving at parties. It is incredibly moist, sweet and bursting with citrus flavors.
Coconut-Lemon Ice Cream CakeMy family loves this lemon ice cream cake anytime. The sweet cream of coconut and tart lemon juice make a delicious combo, and the streusel adds a nice crunch. —Janet Gill, Canton, Ohio
Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke CakeWhen my family is planning a get-together, I can count on three or four people to ask if I'm bringing this dessert. If you don't have a chocolate cake mix, use a white or yellow one and stir in 3 tablespoons baking cocoa. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
Lime Angel Food CakeFor this easy birthday cake recipe, I took a store-bought angel food cake and turned it into this special dessert with a lovely lime cream frosting topped with toasted coconut. It went over big! —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
Classic Chocolate CakeIf you need to learn how to make chocolate cake from scratch, this easy homemade chocolate cake recipe is a perfect place to start. It appeared on a can of Hershey's cocoa way back in 1943. I tried it, my boys liked it, and I've been making it ever since. —Betty Follas, Morgan Hill, California
White Texas Sheet CakeThis classic white Texas sheet cake is delicious, and surprisingly quick and easy to make. You won't even need to wait for the cake to cool completely before icing it!
Contest-Winning Chocolate Angel Food CakeAt once rich and fluffy, this chocolate angel food cake will be a celebrated delight.
Coconut CakeOur three-layer coconut cake recipe packs plenty of tropical vibes with its sweet coconut flavor and a decadent, creamy frosting.
Margarita CakeThis margarita cake is perfect on a warm day. You'll be surprised at how closely it tastes like the real thing. —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Yummy Chocolate CakeMy husband and I are trying to eat lighter but still crave sweets. This moist, healthy chocolate cake really helps with that. With the rich frosting, it makes a decadent treat! —LaDonna Reed, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Strawberry Poke CakeThis strawberry poke cake is a light, refreshing dessert that’s perfect for a spring afternoon or summer night.
Cherry Pudding CakeA cross between a cake and a cobbler, this cherry dessert is awesome. Add it to your list of trusty potluck recipes, because this one is sure to go fast. —Brenda Parker, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Pina Colada Tube CakeWe named this a “pina colada” cake because it has coconut, pineapple and rum. It’s a soothing finish at the end of a big spread. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
Berry Dream CakeI use cherry gelatin to give a boxed cake mix an eye-appealing marbled effect. It's so festive-looking. Top it with whatever fruit you like! —Margaret McNeil, Germantown, Tennessee
Angel Food CakeThis top-rated angel food cake recipe is a light and airy dessert everyone loves. It's heavenly served with berries or other fresh fruit and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down CakeI prepare this colorful and easy birthday cake recipe quite often in the summer when fresh rhubarb is abundant. People actually line up for a piece. —Bonnie Krogman, Thompson Falls, Montana
Pig Pickin’ CakeThis is one of my favorite easy birthday cake recipes. It’s moist and light yet so satisfying. I’ve been adapting it for years and now it’s almost guilt-free. —Pam Sjolund, Columbia, South Carolina
One-Bowl Chocolate CakeIt's quick, it's tasty and there's minimal cleanup: That's one-bowl chocolate cake in a nutshell! It comes together in 15 minutes, and it'll be ready for icing by the time you've finished dinner.
Cherry Poke CakeI serve this cherry cake for get-togethers because it's so easy. No one will know your secret is adding a package of cherry gelatin to a boxed cake mix! —Margaret McNeil, Germantown, Tennessee
Orange and Pear Upside-Down CakeI love cooking with my cast-iron skillet, whether it's to make a main dish or dessert. This upside-down cake is quick and easy. —Linda Persall, Cullman, Alabama
Hazelnut Cake SquaresWhen one of my daughters is asked to bring a dish to a church function, a birthday party or any special occasion, she asks me for this recipe. It is so easy to prepare because it starts with a cake mix. It doesn't need icing, so it's perfect for bake sales too. —Brenda Melancon, McComb, Mississippi
Black Forest Upside-Down CakeThe divine flavors of this simple Black Forest cake will impress your guests and leave you with many requests for the recipe! —Kimberly Campbell, Wheeling, West Virginia
Root Beer Float CakeI add root beer to both the cake batter and fluffy frosting to get that great root beer float taste. Serve this moist cake to a bunch of hungry kids and watch it disappear! —Kat Thompson, Prineville, Oregon
Rainbow Sherbet Angel Food CakeTalk about a dessert that pops. Sometimes, I make this easy birthday cake even more eye-catching by coloring the whipped cream, too. Use whatever sherbet flavor combination you like. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Lemon Blueberry Dump CakeLemon blueberry dump cake comes together like magic—no mixing needed. It's loaded with fresh berries and served with a sweet, creamy topping.
Raspberry CakeIndulge in this easy-to-make raspberry cake bursting with fresh raspberry flavor and topped with a luscious whipped raspberry frosting.
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