Fun Bento Cake (Tiered Styles)
A cute, two-tier 5-inch vanilla sponge decorated with buttercream and sprinkles—perfect as a fun lunch-box (bento) cake for gifting or sharing.
- Prep Time: 5 min (plus 50 min cooling/decoration)
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
- Yield: 1 bento cake (8 slices) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Fusion / Japanese-inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 100 g flora buttery or margarine (softened)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g self-raising flour
- Buttercream: 150 g unsalted butter (softened), 300 g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1–2 tbsp milk (as needed)
- 2 tbsp fruit jam of choice
- Sprinkles and gel food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 °C fan (180 °C conventional) or gas mark 4. Grease and line two 5-inch cake tins.
- Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time with the vanilla; if the mixture curdles add a spoonful of the flour.
- Fold in the remaining flour until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between tins, level, and make a slight dip in each centre. Bake for 25 min, or until a skewer emerges clean.
- Cool 10 min in tins, then transfer sponges to a rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make buttercream: beat butter until creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar with vanilla and enough milk for a light, pipeable consistency.
- Trim any domes from the sponges. Pipe a buttercream ring on one layer, spoon jam inside, then spread a thin layer of buttercream over the jam.
- Place second sponge on top. Coat cake with a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill 15 min.
- Tint remaining buttercream as desired, cover cake smoothly, pipe a decorative shell border, and finish with sprinkles.
- Transfer cake on a parchment square into a small burger-style box or container. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Makes one 5-inch two-layer bento cake; scale 1.5× for a taller tier.
- Store chilled up to 3 days; allow to sit 30 min before eating.
- For chocolate sponge, substitute 20 g flour with cocoa powder.
- Ensure colours and sprinkles are vegetarian-friendly if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (≈ 75 g)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 50 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: bento cake, lunchbox cake, mini cake, tiered, vanilla sponge, buttercream, kawaii dessert
Find it online: https://recipesfoodeasy.com/fun-bento-cake-tiered-styles/
