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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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Find it online: https://platedandproud.com/birthday-cake-macarons-recipe/