Create a Watermelon Cake in 8 Easy Steps

Hey gals! 4th of July weekend is here, so that means that watermelons are definitely not in short supply. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your 4th of July picnic, or, if you’re celebrating a 4th of July birthday this weekend like my family is, I hope you’ll follow this guide to create your very own watermelon cake! It will impress your guests, guaranteed!

1. Start by gathering all of your supplies

To create my watermelon cake, I used two medium-to-large watermelons. This could also work with one very large watermelon, especially if it is a more oblong shape.

In addition to watermelon, I used cherries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and some freshly picked mint leaves. To help assemble, I used toothpicks, skewers, and of course, my knife as well.

2. Next up, prep your fruit

Before you get too busy slicing and dicing your watermelon, go ahead and prep the fruit that you plan to garnish with. I washed everything, removed the cherry stems, and cut some of the strawberries in half to add some visual interest.

3. Plan your slices

You want to slice your watermelon(s) in a way where you will be able to create 3 tiers. You ideally want them to be as big as possible before the watermelon starts to taper off at the ends. You can see in the picture the imaginary slice lines that I was aiming for as I started the process. It likely won’t be exact, but aim to cut straight and evenly, and plan out your spacing before you slice.

4. Cut it!

After planning out your slices, just go for it! Your pieces should look something like this. The next step will be to remove the rind and get your tiers smooth around the edges. You’ll want them to be relatively flat as well (so they don’t slip and slide). This is where the artistry starts to come in :)

5. Carve with helpful guides from around your kitchen

Since you want your cake to be tiered, I found it very helpful to use miscellaneous items around my kitchen to help guide how big each tier should be. Since I was going for 3 tiers here, I used a small plate, and tupperware lid, and a wide-mouthed glass.

6. Start stacking!

As you complete each tier, begin stacking them on the platter you plan to serve on. Once the second tier goes on, it’s helpful to add some wooden skewers to help keep everything in place.

7. Add the topper, then you’re stacked and ready to decorate

After you carve your final tier, you should be able to drop it right on top to cover the skewers (if you sized your watermelon cake about the same as I did).

8. Decorate with fruit

Now it’s time to let your inner artist shine! This cake goes from cute to amazingly cute with a touch of fresh fruit. I aimed for a wavy pattern that cascaded down the cake. Voila! Just like that, you have yourself a watermelon cake.

Bonus step: Why have one when you can have two?

We were actually celebrating two fourth of July weekend birthdays in my family — my mom’s and my husband’s! After I assembled my full cake and got my photo, I actually removed the top tier, trimmed the skewers, and covered the top of the second tier to create two full cakes. This way, I had a watermelon cake for each birthday. We kept the smaller one at my mom’s house since she also got the cut up watermelon that I carved off while making the cake :)

That’s everything my gals!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial! I was inspired by @thelivingplatter on Instagram. I hope I can inspire you to try this out too! It’s easier than it looks…you got this gal :)

Until next time, XOXO,

Krista