Baking and decorating a Robin’s Egg Cheesecake Cake is a fun way to celebrate spring! Layers of white cake surround a creamy lemon cheesecake and is all covered with the perfect robins’ egg blue colored frosting. For another dessert with both cheesecake and cake, try my Snickers Cheesecake Cake.
Robins Egg Cheesecake Cake
If you had asked me 20 years ago if I would ever enjoy watching birds, I might have laughed in your face. But now it is something our whole family likes to do! One bird we especially love is the Robin. Not only does their early appearance at the end of winter make this midwestern girls’ heart happy, but I happen to love their cheery song! And, of course, their beautiful eggs. Recreating a Robins Egg inspired Easter Cake was a perfect blend of my passions… baking and nature!
Robins Egg Cheesecake Cake Recipe
There are four main parts to this recipe–the lemon cheesecake, the white cake, buttercream frosting, and the speckle liquid.
Lemon Cheesecake Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Lemon extract
- Eggs
Cake Ingredients
- Box of white cake mix, baked in two 8-inch round cake pans per package instructions. You could also use my white cake recipe to make the cake from scratch.
Buttercream Ingredients
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Whole milk
- Salt
- McCormick® Color From Nature
Speckle Liquid Ingredients
- Water
- Cocoa powder
- McCormick® Color From Nature
How to Make the Cakes
The first thing you will want to make is the lemon cheesecake. That will have to cool for at least three hours before assembling the cake. To make the cheesecake, combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix just until blended.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into a springform pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a nonstick spray. Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F, or until the center is almost set (just a bit wiggly). Let the cake cool for at least three hours.
While the lemon cheesecake is cooling, bake the white cake in two round 8-inch cake pans, per package directions. Let the cakes cool before assembling.
How to Make the Buttercream
I used my vanilla buttercream recipe to make the robins’ egg blue frosting. Having your butter and milk at room temperature helps greatly. Substituting whipping cream for milk is a great idea, but not necessary if you get the butter whipped up nicely. (I do not recommend skim milk in this recipe.)
I have seen this recipe as a “quick one-bowl” recipe. To do this simply add all ingredients into the stand mixer then combine on low for one minute. After ingredients are incorporated, turn the mixer to high and leave it for 5 minutes. This yields very similar results! Add 1 teaspoon of Sky Blue Color From Nature®. You can add more or less to reach your desired color. Set aside.
Assembling the Robins Egg Cheesecake Cake
After you have let cheesecake chill, the cakes cool, and the buttercream made, it’s time to assemble the cake and put on the finishing touches. First, place the first layer of white cake on a cake stand. Carefully place the lemon cheesecake directly on top. Set the final layer of white cake on top of the cheesecake.
Cover cake in robin’s blue buttercream and smooth with a small offset spatula. Go back with a bench scraper to get extra smooth sides and top. Finally, prepare the liquid that you will be using to speckle the cake.
Liquid Speckle
To prepare the liquid that you will be using to speckle the cake with, whisk together 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon blue Color From Nature*. Whisk until smooth.
This step can get messy, so I would suggest doing this final step outside.
- Place cake outside or on a table lined with newspaper.
- Dip a clean paintbrush into the cocoa water and then hold it in your left hand near the cake.
- With your pointer finger of your right hand, run your finger along the bristles of the paintbrush. The first time you do this, try to be a little farther away just so you are able to gauge how much pressure you can use, how much liquid you need on your brush, and how close you need to be.
- Do this all over the top and sides of the cake. If you get a big spot or an area you don’t like, you can carefully dab a clean paper towel onto the cake and it will remove most of the brown and still blend in with the cake. (Another good reason to use the Sky Blue Color From Nature in the cocoa water!)
- When done, clean off the edge of the cake stand.
*I found that when I used the Sky Blue Color From Nature that I liked the splatter better. If you were to only use cocoa the dark splatter can bleed slightly into the frosting and create less defined dots. When you add the Color From Nature, the dots don’t “bleed”, then blend perfectly with the frosting. I absolutely love the final effect!
Add candy grass to the center and add robin’s egg chocolates (optional). Chill before cutting and serving.
I did not use any frosting between the layers of this cake because it simply does not need it! The lemon cheesecake and white cake are a perfect pair and melt in your mouth.
Here is a fun video on how I made this cake:
Looking for More Cheesecake Recipes?
Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
Lemon Cheesecake
- 2 packages (16 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon McCormick® Lemon Extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix, baked in two 8-inch circle cake pans, per package instructions
Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 32 ounces confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, up to 1/2 cup
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon Color From Nature food coloring
Speckle Liquid
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sky blue Color From Nature food coloring
Instructions
Lemon Cheesecake
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract until well blended.
- Add eggs; mix just until blended.
- Pour into a prepared springform pan. (line with parchment and spray with non-stick spray)
- Bake 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Cake
- Follow package instructions to bake two 8-inch round cakes. Let the cakes cool before assembling.
Buttercream
- Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add vanilla and almond extract. If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in confectioners sugar , milk, and salt; frequently scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Once incorporated, whip frosting for at least 3 minutes on medium-high to high. (My mixer went for about 5 minutes.)
- Add 1 teaspoon of Sky Blue Color From Nature®. You can add more or less to reach your desired color. Set aside.
Liquid Speckle
- Whisk together the water, cocoa, and teaspoon blue Color From Nature*. Whisk until smooth.
Assembling the Cheesecake Cake
- Place the first layer of white cake on a cake stand.
- Carefully place the lemon cheesecake directly on top.
- Set the final layer of white cake on top of the cheesecake.
- Cover cake in robin's blue buttercream and smooth with a small offset spatula. Go back with a bench scraper to get extra smooth sides and top.
Adding Speckle
- Place cake outside or on a table lined with newspaper.
- Dip a clean paintbrush into the cocoa water and then hold it in your left hand near the cake.
- With your pointer finger of your right hand, run your finger along the bristles of the paintbrush. (The first time you do this, try to be a little farther away just so you are able to gauge how much pressure you can use, how much liquid you need on your brush, and how close you need to be.) Do this all over the top and sides of the cake. If you get a big spot or an area you don't like, you can carefully dab a clean paper towel onto the cake and it will remove most of the brown and still blend in with the cake. (Another good reason to use the Sky Blue Color From Nature in the cocoa water!)
- When done, clean off the edge of the cake stand.
- Let chill before cutting and serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support me here at iambaker! I am such a huge fan of McCormick and all their products!
I have some ideas on cake patterns very cute. I want to share. Please contact me ????
The recipe for white cake is there–you need to tap on “white cake recipe”
are you making an 8 or 9 inch layers?
I just made the robins egg cheesecake cake. It was a lot of fun. I made the cake layers and the cheesecake layer ahead of time and froze them. And iced the cake today. I would like to send a pic. How do I do that?