Harry Potter’s Birthdae Cake
This iconic movie moment is emblazoned forever on every eleven year old’s memory, and it has become a highly requested birthday cake for kids of that (and every) age. Harry Potter’s birthday cake is a classic – from the misspelled “Happee Birthdae” to the crazy green and pink color scheme to the weird slashes through the frosting. Recreating this symbol of Hagrid’s devotion to his charge is so much fun. Let’s get into it.
For those who don’t know, Harry Potter’s eleventh birthday cake was the first cake he’d ever gotten. The Dursley family had never bothered to celebrate his birthday, so when Hagrid brought him a handmade (and clearly hand decorated) cake, it meant the world to him. And so it should have. We all know that putting in a bit of effort for those we love means more than getting things exactly right.
With that in mind, this cake isn’t an exact replica of the movie cake. It’s inspired by it, but it’s a little more lively, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Using a Boxed Cake Mix
I love using a boxed cake mix to save time when the decorations are the point of the cake. Of course you can just follow the boxed directions, and the cake will turn out fine. These mixes have everything they need to create a cake that will satisfy your needs. However, I prefer to use the boxed mix as a base for creating a more perfect cake that will really wow folks.
Depending on my needs, I used boxed mixes for all sorts of projects. I highly recommend experimenting with them to create your own recipes.
For this one, we used:
Ingredients for cake
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sour cream
After preheating the oven to 350 F, we added all ingredients to a mixer, mixing until smooth. We sprayed an 8-inch cake pan with baking spray, then poured the batter in and baked for 35-40 minutes until done.
Once we allowed it to cool, we froze overnight for best results.
Why Add Shortening to the Frosting?
This question comes up a lot. Shortening in a buttercream frosting sounds weird, right? But there are a couple of reasons for it. Firstly, it helps to make the frosting more stable. It doesn’t melt like butter does when it gets warm, so it travels better and keeps the frosting from losing its shape. Secondly, it is a neutral flavor, adding light and fluffy volume while cutting the sweetness a bit as well as some of the richness of the butter.
Ingredients for Frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1- pound powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream, milk, or coffee creamer
This frosting is decidedly yum. It’s light and fluffy with a lovely sweetness that isn’t too cloying. We stan.
Like most frostings, we begin by creaming together the butter and shortening, then adding in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp of whatever creamy liquid you have decided upon.
Keep mixing until everything is incorporated, then add another Tbsp of your chosen liquid.
Mix on high for 3 – 5 minutes.
Only add in the last 1/2 Tbsp of liquid if it’s not quite silky and smooth.
Pull out 1/4 Cup of frosting and dye it green, then dye the remaining frosting pink.
Take your frozen cake out so you can begin frosting it. Frosting a frozen cake ensures you won’t get crumbs in the frosting.
Frost the whole cake in pink frosting. Then add the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a number 10 tip.
Start by writing the word “Birthdae” across the center of the cake to help anchor the words.
Then, write “Happee” above it and “Harry” beneath. Or, if you are making this for a particular person, write their name instead.
Don’t forget to add in the knife cuts! Make a note of where the knife slashes appear in the words, then quickly mark them out with your knife or a skewer.
Happ | ee
Birth | dae
H | arry
Once you have them marked, you can use your knife to connect them through the frosting.
And that’s it! Your Harry Potter Birthdae cake is all done! And how cute is it?? So adorable. Any little witch or wizard is going to LOVE it. It’s not just beautiful and fun, but it tastes great, too! And because it comes from a box mix (though upgraded a bit), it’s a simple and quick recipe that anyone can make.
There’s honestly nothing complicated about this cake. It’s so easy that even Hagrid could do it! The great news is that even if you aren’t that good at decorating or writing with frosting yet, this particular cake looks even better the worse you are at it. The POINT of the cake is to look kind of terrible. So don’t worry!
You are going to want to serve up some real Harry Potter magic here, so don’t forget this handy Idea List with everything you might need to throw a Harry Potter Birthday Party.
Harry Potter's Birthdae Cake
This Harry Potter birthday cake is movie-inspired and will make your special someone's day magical. Moist and delicious, this chocolate cake is sure to please your little witch or wizard. Plus, it's easy to make so you can focus on the important things - like casting spells and celebrating!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 chocolate cake box mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sour cream
Frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1- pound powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream milk or coffee creamer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Add all of the ingredients for the cake to a mixer, then mix until smooth.
- Spray an 8-inch cake pan with baking spray, then pour in the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done.
- Allow to cool completely, then freeze overnight.
Make the frosting
- Cream butter and shortening together.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbsp of your chosen liquid to the bowl. Continue mixing until incorporated.
- Add an additional Tbsp of your liquid, then mix on high for 3 - 5 minutes.
- Only add the last 1/2 Tbsp of liquid if needed for a silky smooth frosting.
Dye the Frosting & Frost the Cake
- Pull out ¼ cup of frosting and dye it green. Dye the remaining frosting pink.
- Remove the cake from the freezer and proceed to frost it in the pink frosting.
- Add the green frosting to a piping bag with a number 10 tip.
- Write the word "Birthdae" across the center of the cake to anchor the rest of the words.
- Write "Happee" above.
- Write "Harry" or your chosen name below.
- Add in the knife slashes in the following pattern:
Happ | ee
Birth | dae
H | arry
Notes
- Frosting a frozen cake keeps you from getting the crumbs into the frosting.
- The cake will thaw out under the frosting and will not be dry.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 643Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 0gSugar: 63gProtein: 4g
This nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not be entirely accurate. Please do your own research if you are overly concerned about specific macros.
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
