Cake is a birthday tradition! Regardless of whether you’re 21 or 91, this cannabis-infused birthday cake will get the party started.

This recipe is designed with a cannabutter containing 130 mg of THC so that when infused into buttercream, each slice contains approximately 10 mg per slice. 

It’s the perfect addition to any festive occasion, whether celebrating a birthday or the anniversary of legalization in your state or country.

Recipe #1

Ingredients

Cake

• 3½ cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup room temperature butter (2 sticks)
• 1½ cups sugar
• 8 large egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Rainbow sprinkles

Infused buttercream

• 10 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1¼ cups room temperature butter (2½ sticks)
• 2 tablespoons room temperature cannabutter
• 1 cup milk

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line two cake tins with parchment, cooking spray, and sprinkled flour
3. In one mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt
4. In a glass measuring pitcher, add milk and vanilla extract
5. In a stand mixer, beat together room temperature butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy
6. On low speed, slowly add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture in three parts, one at a time, alternating with half of the milk mixture until you have a smooth batter
7. In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and cream of tartar until medium stiff peaks, then add sugar until you have stiff and glossy peaks
8. Gently fold a quarter of the egg whites into the cake batter until smooth, then gently add the remaining whites. Fold together until you have a smooth and consistent batter
9. Stir in sprinkles and then divide the mixture into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes
10. Let the cakes cool for 10 mins, then run a small knife around the edge of the cake and carefully remove the cakes from the tins. Peel off the parchment, then let cool completely on a wire rack, face up

Buttercream

1. In the stand mixer, beat together powdered sugar and room temperature butter and cannabutter until smooth
2. Slowly add the milk to the mixture and beat until smooth and consistent

Decorating

1. Trim the rounded tops of the cakes, then cut in half along the equator into 2 even slices (so you have 4 pieces in total)
2. Put one piece on the cake stand, then add some icing to the edge of the cake, then place another piece on top and repeat until all of the cake pieces are used. For the last piece, use one of the bottom pieces flipped upside down so you have a nice flat top for the cake
3. Ice around the sides and top of the cake to the desired thickness, then cover with rainbow sprinkles

Yield = 12 slices of cake

Tips for dosing cannabis infusions

The potency of your infusions depends on many factors, from how long and hot it was cooked to the potency of your starting material. To test the potency of your finished product, try spreading ¼ or ½ teaspoon on a snack and see how that dose affects you after an hour. Decrease or increase dose as desired. You can then use this personalized “standard” dose as a baseline for your recipes.

Recipe #2

Ingredients

Deselect All

Cake:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups bleached cake flour (see Cook’s Note)
• 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Buttercream:

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Special equipment:

 kitchen twine; a 6- to 8- quart Instant Pot multi-cooker

1. For the cake: Coat a 7-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment, coat the paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, sprinkles, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to combine. 
3. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale yellow, 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue to beat until creamy, about 2 minutes (the mixture will look curdled but will come back together after it has been beaten for 1 or 2 minutes).
4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Place two 18-inch pieces of twine criss-crossing one another on a clean work surface. Place the cake pan over the twine, then lay a clean dish towel over the top of the cake pan and tuck the ends under. Take the 2 ends of 1 piece of twine and tie them into a tight knot over the top of the cake pan. Repeat with the remaining twine so that you have two twine handles to support and lift the cake.
7. Set a rack inside the Instant Pot and add 2 cups water. Using the twine handles, place the cake inside the pot. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high pressure for 40 minutes (see Cook’s Note).
8. After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer’s guide for natural release for 15 minutes and then quick release and wait until the cycle is complete. Be careful of any remaining steam and unlock and remove the lid. 
9. Lift the cake out of the pot. Cut the twine and unwrap the cake pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan, 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a rack, peel off the parchment and let cool completely.
10. Invert the cake again so that it is right-side up. Horizontally trim the top dome from the cake with a long serrated knife to create a flat surface. Slice the cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. (Cake can be baked 1 day ahead.) Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
11. For the buttercream: Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, then add 2 tablespoons cream and continue to beat on high speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if necessary for a spreadable consistency. 
12. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large plate. Spoon 1 1/2 cups buttercream over the top. Smooth the buttercream to the edge of the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, creating an even layer. Place another cake layer on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles as desired.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) Settings may vary on your Instant Pot depending on the model. Please refer to manufacturer’s guide.