Birthday Cake Macarons Recipe

Introduction

Celebrate any special occasion with these delightful Birthday Cake Macarons. Light, airy, and bursting with a creamy birthday cake buttercream, they combine classic French technique with a fun, festive twist.

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 you have enough space, prepare two sheets.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl on a scale, sift almond flour until you have 105 g, discarding any large pieces. Repeat with confectioners sugar, then whisk both together thoroughly. Set aside.
3. Step 3: To make the meringue, combine egg whites, white sugar, and egg white powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place this bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie) ensuring it doesn’t touch the water.
4. Step 4: Whisk continuously while heating until the mixture reaches 140°F (60°C). Remove from heat and fit the bowl onto your mixer with the whisk attachment.
5. Step 5: Beat on low until soft peaks form, then increase to medium for medium peaks, and finally high speed until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and mix just until combined.
6. Step 6: Place a sieve over the meringue and sift the dry almond flour mixture into it. Fold gently but thoroughly until the batter ribbons off your spatula smoothly and passes the figure-8 test.
7. Step 7: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe small circles, about 1½ inches in diameter, onto the prepared baking sheet. Hold the piping bag straight up for even rounds.
8. Step 8: Tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter several times to release air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles. Sprinkle the macarons with rainbow nonpareils.
9. Step 9: Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature to form a skin, anywhere from 8 minutes up to an hour. The skin is ready when you can touch the surface lightly without batter sticking.
10. Step 10: Preheat your oven to 300°F (275°F for convection). Bake the macarons for 15–20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes for doneness. They should have firm tops that don’t shift on their feet.
11. Step 11: Allow macarons to cool completely before removing from the mats or parchment. Match perfect pairs by size for filling.
12. Step 12: For the buttercream, microwave the boxed cake mix in a bowl for about 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until 170°F is reached. Let cool 10 minutes.
13. Step 13: Beat room-temperature butter in your stand mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add the cooled cake mix and confectioners sugar until smooth and combined.
14. Step 14: Add heavy cream, vanilla, and pink food colouring, mixing until well blended. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
15. Step 15: Pipe buttercream onto the bottom halves of the macaron pairs, then sandwich with their matching tops. Refrigerate overnight to let flavors meld and texture improve.

Tips & Variations

• Use a stencil or macaron mat to help pipe uniform-sized shells easily and evenly.
• Add a pinch of salt to the buttercream for balance if you find it too sweet.
• Swap sprinkles for edible glitter or themed decorations to match your celebration.
• If you don’t have egg white powder, you can skip it, but the macarons will be more delicate.

Storage

Store assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best flavor and texture, let them come to room temperature before serving. Unfilled macarons can be frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge before filling.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the macaron shells ahead of time without filling?

Yes, you can bake and cool the shells, then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Fill them with buttercream just before serving for the freshest taste.

Why aren’t my macarons developing feet?

Feet fail to develop if the shells haven’t dried enough before baking or the oven temperature is too low. Ensure you allow the shells to form a dry skin and bake at the recommended temperature.

Birthday Cake Macarons Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 71 reviews

These Birthday Cake Macarons combine delicate, crisp-and-chewy almond meringue shells with a rich and creamy birthday cake buttercream. Carefully piped and baked to perfection, these vibrant macarons are sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils to add a festive touch perfect for celebrations. The process involves making a classic French meringue batter folded with almond flour and confectioners sugar, baked at a low temperature to achieve the iconic macaron feet, then filled with a buttercream infused with yellow or white cake mix for authentic birthday cake flavor.

• Author: Lila
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 12 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: About 24 macarons (12 pairs) 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

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 recommended)
• 1 tsp artificial vanilla extract
• Nonpareils rainbow sprinkles

Birthday Cake Buttercream

• 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 extract
• Pink food coloring

Instructions

1. Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift the almond flour until you have 105 g, discarding any large pieces. Repeat the sifting with 105 g of confectioners sugar. Whisk both together thoroughly and set aside.
2. Prepare Baking Sheets: Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
3. Make the Meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 100 g egg whites, 100 g white sugar, and egg white powder. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie), ensuring no water touches the bottom. Whisk continuously as the mixture heats to 140°F (60°C). Remove from heat.
4. Whip Meringue: Attach the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on low until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium until medium peaks develop, then high until stiff peaks form. Add 1 tsp vanilla and beat to combine.
5. Fold Dry Ingredients (Macaronage): Sift the almond flour and confectioners sugar mixture over the meringue. Gently fold together by scraping around the bowl and cutting through the center, repeating until the batter ribbons off your spatula but doesn’t fall in large clumps. Test readiness by lifting the batter to draw figure 8’s without breaking.
6. Pipe Macarons: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe 1½-inch diameter circles onto the prepared baking sheets, holding the bag perpendicular. Tap sheets on the counter firmly to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles. Sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils.
7. Dry the Shells: Allow piped macarons to rest uncovered at room temperature to form a skin. This typically takes between 8 minutes to 1 hour. The shells are ready when they no longer stick to your finger when gently touched.
8. Bake: Preheat oven to 300°F (275°F convection). Bake macarons for 15-20 minutes depending on size. They are done when tops are firm and do not move on their bases.
9. Cool: Let macarons cool completely before removing from mats or parchment. Match macarons into perfect pairs based on size and appearance.
10. Prepare Buttercream: Microwave boxed cake mix in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture reaches 170°F. Allow cooling for 10 minutes.
11. Beat Buttercream: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whip attachment, beat the room temperature butter until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add cooled cake mix and confectioners sugar until smooth and combined.
12. Finish Buttercream: Add heavy cream, vanilla, and pink food coloring and beat until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
13. Assemble Macarons: Pipe buttercream onto half of the macaron shells, then sandwich with matching tops. Refrigerate overnight to mature and enhance flavor and texture.

Notes

• Ensure almond flour and confectioners sugar are finely sifted for smooth shells.
• Egg white powder improves meringue stability but is optional.
• Resting time for shells to develop a skin is crucial for feet formation.
• Use a digital thermometer for accurate temperature control during meringue preparation and cake mix heating.
• Match macarons by size and appearance for the best presentation.
• Refrigerate assembled macarons overnight before serving for the best texture and flavor.
• Handle macarons gently after baking to avoid cracking the shells.

Keywords: birthday cake macarons, macaron recipe, French macarons, birthday dessert, almond meringue, buttercream filling, festive macarons, rainbow sprinkles