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Bento Cake with chocolate frosting
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5 from 13 votes

Bento Cake (Simple & Delicious!)

Our bento cake recipe is perfect for any special occasion. These mini cakes are tasty and a fun way to express art through baking.
These bento cakes are cute individual serving cakes and are such a fun size. They fit in a takeaway box, so these petite-sized desserts are the perfect gift to give. I mean, who wouldn't want a mini-sized cake?
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Japanese
Keyword: bento, cake
Servings: 6 6-inch two layer bento cakes
Calories: 832kcal
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 (15-22 ounces box) prepared cake mix of your choosing
  • 2 teaspoons simple syrup

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I recommend Kerrygold)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature

Cake Decorations

  • sprinkles (optional)
  • gel frosting (optional)

Instructions

Preparing Cakes

  • Prepare a 12×17 inch half sheet (or jelly roll) pan with cooking spray then press a piece of parchment paper onto it making sure to cover the bottom of the pan and press into the corners and up the sides of the pan
  • Spread the prepared cake mix batter into the pan, making it as even as possible using a spatula to flatten if needed
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, let cool completely
  • Using a butter knife, loosen all the edges around the entire pan then cover with parchment paper and a wire cooling rack and flip the sheet pan to release the cake

Buttercream Frosting Preparation

  • Beat butter on medium speed with paddle attachment for 30 seconds until smooth then add in vanilla extract and continue mixing on low until completely mixed and incorporated
  • Slowly mix in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time stopping at 1 1/2 cups to add in the heavy cream and finishing by adding the remaining powdered sugar and continue mixing on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated

Assembling Bento Cakes

  • Using an 6-inch circle biscuit type cutter, cut out 12 circle of cake and set aside onto the wire cake rack, then cut out four 9-inch squares of parchment paper
  • Put a 9 inch square of parchment paper onto the surface you will be frosting on and top with just a touch of frosting then add the first cake circle on top of it and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of simple syrup
  • Frost that first cake layer by spreading an even layer of vanilla buttercream on top of the cake and smoothing evenly 
  • Add the next cake layer on top that frosting and drizzle with another teaspoon of simple syrup then proceed to frost the entire cake with a thin layer (crumb coat) of buttercream and smooth with a spatula or scraper
  • Continue until all your cakes are made then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes until the frosting is firm then remove and cover the cakes with a thicker layer of vanilla buttercream and smooth (if you prefer) then chill 10 more minutes in the freezer
  • Carefully lift both cakes off the cake boards using the parchment paper and place them inside the bento containers
  • Use the remaining buttercream to separate into different colors for decorating your cake by placing them in piping bags with different tips (you can even use gel frosting or sugar letters to write a message)

Notes

Notes:

Tips for preparing bento cakes in advance:

Buttercream frosted cakes can last in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month. 

How to store leftovers

Buttercream frosted cakes can last in the fridge for up to a week and up to a month in the freezer. Let the frosting harden a bit before placing plastic wrap loosely around the cake.
Top tip: Buy different flavors of cake mix to have multiple flavors of cakes!

Nutrition

Serving: 1two layer bento cake | Calories: 832kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 47mg | Sugar: 82g | Vitamin A: 1856IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.2mg