Fruity Pebbles Cake

5 from 7 votes

This fruity pebbles cake is flavored with fresh citrus zest and filled with colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal. It's frosted with luscious cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect festive birthday cake for Fruity Pebbles fans!

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time24

Total Time2

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 614kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

Fruity Pebbles Cake

2 cups cake flour substitute all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¼ cup canola oil
1¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1½ teaspoons orange zest
1½ teaspoons lime zest
½ cup buttermilk room temperature
⅔ cup Fruity Pebbles

Fruity Cream Cheese Icing

½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
3¾ cups powdered sugar sifted, add an additional 1/4 cup if needed
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon orange zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fruity Pebbles Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Line with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the Fruity Pebbles and buttermilk. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and lemon, lime and orange zests. Rub the zests into the sugar with your fingertips or use a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to work the zest into the sugar. This helps the zest release its oil.
Next, add the butter and oil (if using) and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment til light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract.
Add half the dry ingredients and mix with the mixer on low til just combined. Add half the buttermilk and Fruity Pebbles mixture. Mix in half the remaining dry ingredients followed by the rest of the buttermilk and Fruity Pebbles mixture.
Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 23-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake.
Set pans on a cooling rack and allow cakes to cool completely. Run a knife along the edges of the pans to release any spots that may be sticking to the pan. Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The cake should fall to the rack on its own.
When ready to assemble, spread an even layer of frosting on top of the first layer. Place the top layer bottom side up on top of the bottom layer. Frost the top of the cake. Frost sides as you like. I like to frost a thin layer of frosting on the sides then chill the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Next, add another layer of frosting on the sides then press some Fruity Pebbles onto the sides. Top with extra Fruity Pebbles and fresh fruit, if desired.

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the cream cheese on medium speed until combined.
Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Beat 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
If the frosting is too thick, add up to a tablespoon more of milk until desired consistency. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time.

Notes

Butter and oil: Please note the ingredients photo doesn't include oil. You can make this cake with 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter or with 1/2 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of canola oil as the recipe states. I prefer using both butter and oil, but both options work great.

Removing cakes from pans: Lining pans with parchment paper circles makes it easier to remove the cakes after baking. You can cut your own parchment circles by tracing the width of the pan on a piece of parchment paper and cutting it out. You can also buy precut liners online. Once baked, run a knife along the edge of the pans to loosen any spots where the cake is sticking to the pan.

Pan size: For a three layer cake, use 3 6″ straight edge cake pans.

Slicing the cake: Use a long, sharp serrated knife to slice the cake. For best results run the knife under hot water briefly and wipe it dry before each slice.

Storage: Store this Fruity Fruity Pebble Cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition