Cherry Blossom Cake (Inside & Out)
The perfect cake to welcome spring: sakura flavored white cake is laced with chocolate batter and pink sprinkles to give the look of cherry blossom branches. This is a subtly sweet, slightly floral cake that is an absolute stunner.
Cherry Blossom Cake with a surprise design inside
I make this cake every year and it’s how I both welcome the spring season but also how I mark the decent of my favorite trees in DC. The idea came before buttermilk was a thing (the photo below is the first version of the cake from 2017).
Way back then, I had gotten the idea to make a cake that looked like a cherry blossom tree from the inside. I think it stemmed from making too many funfetti cakes in 2017, and focusing on how the sprinkles distributed within the batter. My idea was to combine a funfetti like cake with a marbled cake look – but the marbling would be very thin so that it would look like branches:
How to make Sam’s Cherry Blossom Cake
The very special part of this cake, the inside is breathtaking (I was amazed the first time it turned out, and am amazed every year lol) but also, crazy easy. You make a white cake batter, add pink sprinkles. Then (or before) make a chocolate batter, just a bit – this is going to be our ‘branches’.
The layering here is key: first some pink specked white batter then some chocolate squiggles. Then again – and repeat until the cake tin is about half full. When the cake bakes, the batter rises on the sides first and in the middle last so you’ll get some lift on the sides and sometimes, if you’re lucky you’ll get some swirling that kind of looks like trees (see above!).
Ingredients for Cherry Blossom Cake
- Sakura Essence: I use sakura essence in the cake and in the buttercream, you might find it in local Japanese stores or you can order it on online (the amazon link doesn’t always work and sometimes is very pricey, on a good day I’ll find it for $12). It is flowery and lovely and pairs beautifully with pure vanilla. If you cannot find it, don’t stress – use another floral essence. I’ve listed a few in the recipe.
- Cake Flour: will yield a more tender cake but in a pinch can be subbed for all purpose flour.
- Dutch cocoa: for the chocolate batter, the darkness of this cocoa will make for prettier branches.
- Buttermilk or kefir: I’ve found I can either of these in most of my cakes so both are great. Sometimes kefir is very thick, if you find it overly so, use a bit of water to thin it out. If you cannot find buttermilk or kefir, thin out some greek yogurt.
- Coconut oil: Use refined which won’t have that coconutty taste or smell. I don’t have a substitute for this. It’s okay if it’s warm and runny and it’s okay if it’s solid. Weigh it!
- Butter: Should be at room temperature before you begin making the batter but not melty. When you press it, your finger should leave a small indentation.
- Sugar: Granulated, not organic which often has bigger granules and will take longer to dissolve.
- Eggs: You need whites for the white cake batter and just one yolk for the chocolate batter. For the remaining 3 yolks you can… make cookies
- Vanilla: Sakura is very gentle in taste so some vanilla rounds it out. Use a paste, a scraped bean or extract. Avoid artificial vanilla which will give that ‘birthday’ flavor.
- Salt: fine sea salt. Don’t use table salt which is overly salty in taste.
- Pink sprinkles: local cake or hobby stores usually sell small packets of bright pink jimmies. If you can test them beforehand to be sure they aren’t the type that bleed as soon as they hit the cake batter, do that. I often make my own for this cake because I like it to have two different shades. This also means I can add sakura extract to the sprinkles too!
Notes on making Sam’s Cherry Blossom Cake
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The recipe below makes two 8” round cake layers. If you want to bake it in a sheet pan, use the quantities listed below and bake it in a 13×9 pan. Check for doneness at 25 minutes.
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To decorate big petals like I did on the layer cake, use the back of an offset spatula to gently swipe buttercream onto the cake. To do the smaller ones like on my sheet pan version use a petal piping tip and draw an upside down tear drop.
- For the sheet cake, I did something very similar, but made a water colored background (to emulate the tidal basin against which many of our trees grow) and drew a tree with simple petals on it (see end of post for photo). I think the idea of the tree is exquisite enough that you don’t have to fuss over making any part of your design perfect as it will still turn out beautiful.
- To decorate with the ‘splatters’: mix two tablespoons of water with some pink food coloring. Dip a (clean, foodsafe) paintbrush in the water and flick it at the cake. I got the idea to do this for my 2022 cake from this gorgeous Funfetti Cake.
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Check out my instagram highlights here for some other versions of this cake.
Cherry Blossom Cake Recipe
Cherry Blossom Cake
Ingredients
Sakura White cake
- 360g cake flour
- 226g butter unsalted and softened
- 75g coconut oil
- 400g fine granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp sakura extract can sub with rose water orange blossom water
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 4 large egg whites
- 240g buttermilk or kefir
- ½ - ⅔ cup pink sprinkles homemade or storebought
Chocolate Squiggles
- 30g unsalted butter
- 50g fine granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 32g cake flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 tablespoons dutch cocoa powder
- 60g buttermilk or kefir
Sakura Vanilla Buttercream
- 226g cup butter unsalted and at room temperature
- 325g organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon sakura essence
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Method
Make the chocolate batter:
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add a dash of vanilla a pinch of salt, the egg yolk, baking soda and vanilla and beat for a few more minutes. Sift in the flour and cocoa then add the buttermilk and stir until just combined. Set aside. When it is time to build the cake, put the batter in a small piping bag.
Make the white cake batter:
- Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour two 8” cake pans.
- Beat butter, sugar and coconut oil together until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Add egg whites one at a time, beating for a good 2 minutes after each addition. Scrape down bowl. Add the salt, vanilla, sakura extract, and baking powder and beat well. Scrape down bowl. Sift in flours, fold a bit with a spatula so it doesn’t make a mess when you turn the mixer back on, and with mixer on low, slowly pour in buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Fold in pink sprinkles and ensure all batter is homogeneous by scraping the bottom of the bowl.
- Add some of the white batter to the bottom of each pan and smooth it down - just enough to make a 1/2 inch layer.
- Grab your piping bag with the chocolate batter and snip off just a bit so you have a small opening. You’ll squiggle it (this is the best word I can think of to describe it, see pic) around the batter, shaking it as you go and overlapping (don’t make straight lines) so that it kind of looks like branches that are intertwined. Don’t overdo it or it will weigh down the center of the cake.
- Add more white batter, smooth the top down very gently without disturbing the squiggles and pipe more squiggly lines.
- Repeat until all the batter is equally distributed between the two pans.
- Bake cakes for 40-50 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack.
Make the Buttercream:
- Beat butter until very light in color, about 7 minutes. Add the vanilla, sakura and salt and beat to combine. Sift in powdered sugar and beat until combined and fluffy. Add cream or milk and beat to combine.
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I just tried this recipe and after 50 min my cakes are still not done in the middle and look to be nearly overflowing. Is this recipe for 8×3 inch pans or 8×2 inch? Should increase to 9 inch rounds? Thank you!
Hi Kendra, if your cakes aren’t done at 50 minutes at 325 F then something is definitely off. Assuming you’re using metal cake pans (other materials bake slower), I’d check the oven temperature with an additional thermometer.
Longterm fan of yours here! 🙂
I have cherry blossom powder on hand – do you think it would be possible to make with that?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it so it’s hard to say – sorry I can’t help!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but my branches didn’t go through the cake at all, nor did my splatters. The branches are just in the centre —white cake, thin brown cake line, white cake. How do I get my branches to go “up and down”, not just between the layers? Wonderful cake, just looking for the visual wow factor now!
Hmm, it’s hard to say without seeing it but I wonder if there weren’t enough big branches all over the cake. When cakes bake, they rise from teh sides first and sometimes this will cause the cake batter to shift to the middle. I’d check the oven and make sure it’s not baking at a higher temperature than 325 F so it rises more evenly.
Do we add vanilla extract to the chocolate sqiggles?
When making the chocolate batter for the squiggles do we add the vanilla extract in the batter or not? The ingredients for the chocolate sqiggles don’t mention it but in the making of it does. If we add vanilla extract to it then how much? Beautiful cake. I did make this cake and it came out perfectly but I can’t remember if I added vanilla extract or not. 😆😆😆 Your recipe is the best!!!
You can (I would!) I added a little note to the instructions to add a dash of it. So happy you loved it and hope you get to make it again 😀
Do u have a recommendation for sprinkles?
Michaels usually has some pink ones, I also find them at a local bake supply store.
I made this cake with Sakura Powder from Amazon)–and it came out tasting like a bar of soap. That being said…had I made it as the instructions stated, and used quality extract or a sub extract…or even just vanilla–I bet it would have been amazing. The texture, lift, marble, sprinkles–all wonderful and it came out beautiful (I used 3x 6-inch pans…next time I will use 4x 6-inch pans). Great instructions. Just wish I had been able to find the right flavoring or opted for just vanilla!
Oh that is so unfortunate Carrie, I’m sorry it tasted like soap! I wonder if it’s variety or brand? I have seen people use sakura powder in tiramisu and they liked it though I haven’t tried it myself. It could also be individual taste, I imagine if one doesn’t like the taste of rose water thy might not like sakura either. At least it turned out pretty! Thank you for trying the recipe.
Dear Sam,
I am in love with this cake design, and I am so excited to try it. I have a few questions and I hope you’ll be able to answer them, and I am genuinely sorry to bother you, since I know how annoying such things can be, but would be grateful if you can find the time!
1. In the comments, you say this is for 2 6″ round cake pans, but then in the instructions it’s 8″ pans. Can you please clarify which? 🙂
2. I’m seeing a lot of things like Sakura Blossom Powder for a lot cheaper than extract. I understand that these are pink, not clear, but could you put them into the cake instead of the extract? How much would you use–any experience?
3. A weird question: I DO have cake strips! But I saw in your comments that the cake will rise a little more on the sides than the middle (intentionally!?) to make the interior branch pattern…so would you advise intentionally NOT using cake strips?
I am so grateful for any help! Thank you and have a lovely spring! ^_^
-Auxilia
Hi! No bother at all, let me try to answer best I can!
re 1: It was initially a 6 inch cake but it was so small, a few years after publishing it I made it an 8 inch cake and increased the ingredients accordingly.
re 2: I have seen it but I do not know much about the sakura powder, nor how it would work. I’d look at a few recipes online that use it and try to figure out how it would work.
re3: cake strips are fine – use them for more even layers then you won’t have to cut off the domes.
hope you get to make it 😀
We made this cake! To date, my daughter’s favorite cake hands down. They still talk about it years later!
What a beautiful cake! It makes me miss DC cherry blossom festivals now that I no longer live there. But, I can make a sprinkle cake to match for my soon-to-be-4 year old & that’s exciting!
I also wanted some oreo/cookies n cream flavor to come through since the cake is vanilla tasting — would it work if I mixed in some oreo butter (literally just food processed oreos to the point they turn into a butter) into the chocolate batter? The consistency of the oreo butter is similar to the that of a peanut butter.
Hmmm, interesting idea! I think it would change the texture of the ‘branches’ but I’m not sure it would break it (like it could work!). Alternatively you could just use black cocoa instead of dutch for the ‘chocolate’ batter.
This was a huge hit for my 10 year olds birthday. I was worried that there would partially eaten cake left by all the kids. Instead every last crumb was devoured. Who knew kids would like a floral flavored cake.
The chocolate squiggles instruction mentions vanilla but there’s no vanilla listed in the ingredients for the chocolate squiggles.
Otherwise, this was a fairly simple recipe to follow. I gifted all the baking so I haven’t seen how the inside turned out yet. But I’ll share on IG when I get the pics.
Hi,
I read a reply you wrote about the chocolate squiggly lines, and I wanted to clarify it. The posted reply was that when you layer the white batter, then chocolate squiggly lines, then another white batter layer, then again chocolate lines until all the batter is used….. you replied that you end on the chocolate squiggly lines. Is that correct? The top of the batter that goes into the oven has the chocolate lines on top?
I want to make this for my son’s birthday. He just returned from Japan and tried a cake like this. I want it to look beautiful like your picture. Thanks for any input.
Hi Christa, yes I end with chocolate squiggles on top! I hope it turns out well for his birthday, how sweet of you to put in the effort =)
I made this cake in a 9×13 and it turned out well! Very delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, could you let me have the quantities in grams please as I’m not sure of your cup measurements. Thanks it’s a truly beautiful cake
Hello! Beautiful cake. What kind of coconut oil- liquid or solid?
Thanks!
Hi, trying to make this cake soon but Amazon is out of Sakura extract. I saw you mentioned rose water and by that do you mean ‘rose water extract’? or just rose water?– Additional question, if I were to try the Orange Blossom (exact?) would it turn the color of the cake orange? Thanks!
Hi Ershia, rose water and orange blossom water (both are called water, not extract) are both clear.
I LOVE the look of this cake! I’ve been wanting to make it but I’m on the fence with Sakura Essence. Based on the reviews on Amazon and other sites, I feel like I won’t like it. I’m worried that it’s going to be like cilantro – you either love it or you hate it; no middle-of- the-road stuff. What if I used almond extract or plain cherry extract? I’d love your thoughts on this. Plus, I don’t want to invest the time and money for the Sakura Essence and then have all this anticipation and then be let down. I have some WONDERFUL Mexican Vanilla that would definitely be good in this cake but trying to decide whether almond extract or cherry extract. Please advise. I’m really excited to try this. I’m a really good baker and I’m up for this challenge! Also, I have the 7″ pans and the 8″ pans. I would prefer using those but need your advice on how much better to make for each, whether three layers or two! I DO want it to be dramatic so, I’m okay making more batter. Want to try both sizes and I’m okay with two layers or three of whichever I decide to make. Thanks so much in advance! Sorry this is so loooong!
This cake is great! I made the layer cake version, but decided to decorate mine using the design Sam used on the sheet cake version. I love the texture of the cake, it’s really fluffy and beautiful. My lines and sprinkles worked exactly like they were supposed to! I was nervous because I’ve never tried to make such a specific effect before– I’ve added zebra stripes and stuff but never something this fine. The only thing I will change for next time is to increase the sakura essence, which was mostly my fault for not measuring/not wanting to put my whole tiny bottle into the cake. Overall, I will definitely make this cake again!
Taylor, this comment made my day! Not many will attempt such an involved cake 😀 So happy that you made it, loved the design and that it tasted great!
Hi, Sam! I’m thinking of making this cake for a 30th birthday cake for twins(!) if I can find the Sakura essence in Canada. My question is concerning the type of sprinkles…jimmies or nonpareils?
Hi Jill, jimmies for sure!
Thank you!
This cake is breathtakingly beautiful!!! I like the suggestion of rose water, but how about cherry? Does sakura taste anything like cherry flavors?
Sakura is quite floral which is why I suggested rose water. Orange blossom would be another floral. If you’re planning to use a cherry extract that could work too – a lot of DC restaurants and bars use ‘cherry’ when they are on the cherry blossom theme!
Hi, I was wondering if you had any suggestions if you cannot get ahold of Sakura extract, I have been trying to find some but I’m not sure if it’s because it’s summer time or with the issues with the pandemic but I cannot find any. I love your idea so much it’s really beautiful and I thank you for sharing it and for your time to hopefully help me out.
Hi Carrie, I have a link to the one I bought via Amazon in the notes section but it’s not always available. You could check the local Japanese stores around you if you have any. Alternatively, I have had some people use rose water as the floral qualities are quite similar to sakura. If you can’t get either, you could just use a bit more vanilla. Good luck!
This cake looks amazing! I am going to make this as a wedding cake for a friend and will be making it in a 12” round pan. How would you suggest I alter the recipe and bake time to accommodate that?
Oh my gosh what a project you have taken on! Well, normally I’d say double it (since my recipe is for a two layered 6″ round) but honestly, I’m not sure. It is really hard to say if I haven’t tried it myself! What if, to start with, you made the recipe as is and baked it in a 12″ to see how it came out? That way if it doesn’t work out at least you hadn’t doubled it yet.
Can you tell me what pink sprinkles you used??? I’m going to make this for my twins bday cake on April!!!!’nn
Hi Stacey! I get those $1 wilton packs from Michaels. Amazon probably sells them too! Don’t get ‘naturally colored’ ones though, they won’t hold shape in the cake and tend to change color under heat. The waxed commercial brand is best.
Does this cake normally rise a lot? I just tried it in one 8" tin, it’s domed with cracks all-over! 🙁
My chocolate mix was also really runny while my white mix was rather stiff. What consistency should they be?
Hi Wendy!
So sorry you had troubles with this cake!! I definitely know what it’s like to invest a lot of time and energy into a bake and be disappointed with the results. Let’s try to troubleshoot this…
If you did the entire batter in one 8" tin that would definitely lead to some baking problems as there wouldn’t be enough room for expansion in a small pan and the batter would rise up and crack as the cake tries to bake thoroughly. My listed recipe is meant to be split into two 6" pans and I suggest baking at 325 because the lower temperature will prevent the cake from doming too much (they almost always dome just a bit unless you use cake strips).
As for the batters, the chocolate should not be too runny and the white should be pourable – this if all ingredients were at room temperature when used (if you check my IG stories, I have a few more pictures of the batter). If some of the ingredients were too warm or too cold it could cause some changes in consistency. Also, sometimes the way we measure our flour can have an impact, if you have a scale weigh your flour at 120g per cup (for both cake and AP flours). If you don’t, I suggest to fluff it and gently spoon it into your measuring cup. This way you ensure you’re not packing in too much that would lead to a dense batter and cake.
I hope this was helpful! Feel free to email me or DM me on IG with any questions should you try to make the cake again.
So excited to try this! If I’m using cake strips, what temp and cooking length would you recommend? Or would you advise against using them at all?
When layering the batter do you end with the white batter or the chocolate lines? It’s a beautiful cake. I would like to make for my mother’s birthday in July. What if I wanted to make a larger 9 inch layer cake?
Hi Lisa! I would end on the chocolate lines. If you want to make two 9" layers I would increase the white batter by 50% . As for the chocolate, I always end up with extra so I think you wouldn’t need to increase that batter. If you do end up making it for your mother, I’d love to hear about it!
Sub for coconut oil? Would any neutral flavor oil be ok?
Hi Stefanie! I definitely recommend against other oils, anything like canola/olive/grapeseed and such are not solid at room temperature, will not cream with the sugars and simply will not work. If your objection against coconut oil is taste, I can assure the taste does not come through – it’s effect comes through in texture, in lending very tender cake. If it is some other reason, I suggest using another white cake recipe you like.
Thank you so much for your reply, the reason is because I don’t have any on hand. This was a great explanation, many thanks!!
Totally gorgeous, inside and out!!!
thank you kathy!!
I love the cherry blossom cake! I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing cherry blossom trees in person so I am so envious of you but this just so stunning. Big ups. Definately can’t wait to try this recipe. Bless you 💜
thank you so much angelique (what a beautiful name!) One day you must try to visit DC – tell me if you do (I know all the spots 😉 ) and if you do make the cake I’d love to hear about it!