Birthday Cake Macarons Recipe

Introduction

Birthday Cake Macarons combine the elegance of classic French macarons with the fun flavor of birthday cake frosting. These colorful treats are perfect for celebrations and impress with their delicate shells and creamy filling.

Ingredients

• 105 g sifted super fine almond flour
• 105 g sifted confectioners sugar
• 100 g egg whites
• 100 g white sugar
• 3 g (1 tsp) egg white powder (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tsp artificial vanilla
• Nonpareils rainbow sprinkles
• 1 cup (130 g) white or yellow boxed cake mix
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups (360 g) confectioners sugar
• 2 tbsp (28 g) heavy cream
• 1 tsp artificial vanilla
• Pink food colouring

Instructions

1. Step 1: Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If possible, prepare two sheets for piping the macarons.
2. Step 2: In a large mixing bowl on a scale, sift almond flour until you have 105 g, discarding any large pieces. Repeat with confectioners sugar. Whisk both together until well combined and set aside.
3. Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, white sugar, and egg white powder. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie), making sure the bowl bottom does not touch the water. Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 140°F (60°C).
4. Step 4: Remove the bowl from heat and fit it onto your stand mixer with the whip attachment. Beat on low speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium for medium peaks, then high until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and mix just until combined.
5. Step 5: Sift the dry almond flour and sugar mixture over the meringue. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using a figure-eight motion, being careful not to overmix. The batter is ready when it flows off the spatula in ribbons and passes the figure-8 test without breaking.
6. Step 6: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe small 1½-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets, holding the bag perpendicular to the surface. Tap the sheets on the counter to remove air bubbles and pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick. Sprinkle rainbow nonpareils on top.
7. Step 7: Preheat the oven to 300°F (275°F for convection). Let the piped macarons sit until a dry skin forms, which can take 8 minutes to an hour. The macarons are ready to bake when they can be touched lightly without batter sticking.
8. Step 8: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking around 15 minutes. The macarons are done when the tops are firm and do not wobble on their bases.
9. Step 9: Let the macarons cool completely before removing from the sheet. Match pairs of shells that look alike for filling.
10. Step 10: To make the birthday cake buttercream, microwave the boxed cake mix in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until it reaches 170°F. Let cool for 10 minutes.
11. Step 11: Beat the room temperature butter in a stand mixer with a whip attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the cooled cake mix and confectioners sugar, mixing until smooth and well combined.
12. Step 12: Add heavy cream, vanilla, and pink food colouring, mixing until incorporated. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
13. Step 13: Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom halves of your macaron pairs, then sandwich with the top halves. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to mature.

Tips & Variations

• Use a macaron stencil or mat for evenly sized shells, making piping easier and more consistent.
• Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the right texture; it should flow smoothly without being runny.
• If you don’t have egg white powder, fresh egg whites can be used but the powder improves stability.
• Try different food colouring shades to create a festive rainbow effect in your macarons.

Storage

Store assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor. Unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use fresh egg whites instead of egg white powder?

Yes, fresh egg whites can be used. However, egg white powder (meringue powder) helps stabilize the meringue and improve the overall texture of the macarons.

How do I know when the macaron batter is ready to pipe?

The batter is ready when it flows off the spatula in continuous ribbons and can form clear figure-8 shapes without breaking. If it falls off in chunks, it needs more folding.

Birthday Cake Macarons Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 78 reviews

A delightful twist on classic French macarons, featuring a colorful birthday cake-inspired flavor. These macarons have a delicate almond meringue shell sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils and are filled with a rich, creamy birthday cake buttercream made from boxed cake mix, butter, and cream. Perfect for celebrations and special occasions, this recipe guides you through detailed steps to achieve visually stunning, flavorful treats with the iconic macaron feet and smooth, luscious filling.

• Author: Mick
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 12 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: Approximately 24 macaron shells (12 filled macarons) 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Macaron Shells

• 105 g Sifted Super Fine Almond Flour
• 105 g Sifted Confectioners Sugar
• 100 g Egg Whites
• 100 g White Sugar
• 3 g (1 tsp) Egg White Powder (meringue powder, optional but highly recommended)
• 1 tsp Artificial Vanilla
• Nonpareils Rainbow Sprinkles

Birthday Cake Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup (130 g) White or Yellow Boxed Cake Mix
• 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups (360 g) Confectioners Sugar
• 2 tbsp (28 g) Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Artificial Vanilla
• Pink Food Colouring

Instructions

1. Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift the almond flour until you have 105 grams, discarding any large pieces. Repeat with the confectioners sugar. Whisk both together very well and set aside.
2. Prep Baking Sheets: Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
3. Make the Meringue: In a stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites, white sugar, and egg white powder. Place this bowl over a simmering pot of water (a bain-marie), making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk continuously while heating until the mixture reaches 140°F (60°C). Remove from heat.
4. Whip the Meringue: Attach the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Start beating on low speed until soft peaks form, then increase to medium speed until medium peaks form. Finally, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
5. Combine Dry Ingredients with Meringue (Macaronage): Sift the almond flour and confectioners sugar mixture into the meringue bowl using a sieve. Fold gently using a circular motion and then cutting through center, similar to drawing the Greek letter phi (Φ). Be gentle to not overmix. The batter should flow off the spatula in continuous ribbons and pass the figure 8 test.
6. Pipe the Macarons: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe small 1½ inch diameter circles onto the lined baking sheets, holding the bag perpendicular. Tap the tray multiple times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles. Sprinkle rainbow nonpareils on top.
7. Dry the Macarons: Let the macarons sit at room temperature to form a skin. This typically takes from 8 minutes up to an hour. They are ready when you can lightly touch them without batter sticking to your finger.
8. Bake the Macarons: Preheat the oven to 300°F (275°F for convection). Bake macarons for 15-20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. They are done when the tops are firm and do not move on their base.
9. Cool and Pair: Allow macarons to cool completely before removing them from the liners. Match the shells into pairs of similar size.
10. Prepare Birthday Cake Buttercream: Microwave the boxed cake mix in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute and 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until heated through to 170°F. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
11. Make Buttercream: Beat butter on medium-high with a stand mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add cooled cake mix and confectioners sugar in intervals until smooth and well combined. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and pink food coloring. Mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip.
12. Assemble Macarons: Pipe the birthday cake buttercream onto the bottom halves of the macaron pairs, then sandwich with the tops. Place assembled macarons in the fridge overnight to mature, allowing flavors to meld and texture to develop.

Notes

• Egg white powder is optional but helps stabilize the meringue and improves macaronage.
• forming a skin on macarons before baking is crucial for developing the characteristic feet.
• Use a stencil or macaron mat for consistent piped sizes and shapes.
• Overmixing the batter will deflate the meringue and ruin the texture; rely on ribbon and figure 8 tests to gauge readiness.
• Letting macarons mature in the fridge overnight improves flavor and texture.
• Temperature of the oven may vary; watch closely during baking and adjust time accordingly.
• Butter should be at room temperature for the best buttercream texture.

Keywords: Birthday cake macarons, French macarons, vanilla macarons, buttercream filled macarons, celebration desserts, almond meringue cookies