Fruity Pebble Cake with Cereal Milk

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Ultimate fruity pebble cake with real fruity pebbles and cereal milk incorporated in every part of the cake! 

fruity pebble cake with cereal milk drizzle

People always ask how I come up with content. Most times it’s a craving or imagination of flavors just playing well. Sometimes it’s visualizing how good something would look through the lens and occasionally it’s me using up ingredients that I don’t want to waste, aka, fruity pebbles.

I love cereal, especially fruity pebbles, but let’s be real, it really isn’t the healthiest of breakfasts. So my dad found two open boxes of fruity pebbles at home which were on the verge of going stale, along with a gallon of milk nearing its expiration date so instead of tossing it (or him eating it all lol) I told him to bring it over and I’ll do something with it. 

A cereal milk cake has been on my cake to-do list for a long time but I could never decide on which cereal to do so I never did it. I guess fate chose it to be fruity pebbles! The best part is, you can literally make this cake with any cereal flavor and I think cinnamon toast crunch is next for me.

inside of fruity pebble cake showing

What’s in this fruity pebble cake

It’s so disappointing looking for a recipe on a specific flavor you want and all the recipes out there just incorporate the flavor in such a subtle way that you don’t even notice it. I wanted this fruity pebble cake to be like BAM dis is a FRUITY PEBBLE cake. Not, oh this is a vanilla cake with a few fruity pebbles here that I can see but not really taste. 

So my fruity pebble cake has a few components:

  • Cake – made with cereal milk, soaked fruity pebbles & extra extracts to give it a stronger flavor
  • Frosting – made with cereal milk and soaked fruity pebbles
  • Crunch – fruity pebbles between the layers and on top
  • Glaze – made with cereal milk and extra extracts to give it a stronger flavors

What is cereal milk 

If you don’t know what cereal milk is, you’re missing out but I’m here to educate! Lol, it’s pretty self-explanatory but basically the ever so popular Christina Tosi made cereal milk a huge thing through her bakery Milk Bar. The idea of steeping milk things in milk to give it flavor has been used long before her but she made it super popular with cereal. 

It’s easy to make, literally just pour cereal into milk and let it sit as long as you want. I recommend at least 30 minutes to get a stronger flavor but you can even do it overnight if you want. 

It’s truly a wonderful way to incorporate flavor into baked goods but it just requires a bit more time than average baking. Also, if you like this recipe, I did a similar method with my Oreo cake!

slice of cake with forks

How to make cereal milk frosting

I’ve seen lots of recipes use traditional American buttercream to make cereal milk frosting and they just add a couple of Tbsp of cereal milk to the butter and powdered sugar mixture. This isn’t a bad idea, in fact it’s probably better than using a European buttercream since they don’t have any milk in the recipe at all. 

However, there is a better way. Ermine buttercream (also known as boiled milk frosting) uses almost a whole cup of milk in the recipe which means more cereal milk and more flavor. 

I let my cereal milk steep and then strain the cereal and set it aside. Cook the milk with flour and sugar until they thicken. Once it’s cooled, whip it with the butter and then add in some of the soaked cereal. 

cake without cereal milk glaze

How to store fruity pebble cake

Store the frosted cake at room temperature for 2-3 days. If it’s sliced, make sure to cover the cut side with plastic wrap or a cake dome. You can also refrigerate the cake fully covered for up to a week. 

To freeze the cake, slice it and place the slices in an airtight container. Then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. Freeze for about 2 months.

fruity pebble cake with cereal milk glaze

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, I hope you guys enjoy this cake! If you have any questions, just comment down below and please be patient for a response 🙂 Make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram if you make this cake. As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

fruity pebble cake with cereal milk drizzle

Fruity Pebble Cake with Cereal Milk Recipe

Bernice Baran
Ultimate fruity pebble cake with real fruity pebbles and cereal milk incorporated in every part of the cake!
4.53 from 80 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Cakes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 -10 slices
Calories 898 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cereal Milk Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup (30g) fruity pebbles cereal
  • 1 cup (237mL) milk
  • 1/4 cup (30g) flour spooned and leveled
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (227g) + 2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Fruity Pebble Cake

  • 3/4 cup (45g) fruity pebbles cereal
  • 1 1/2 cups (355mL) whole milk
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (118mL) canola oil
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 1/2 tsp strawberry extract

Cereal Milk Glaze

  • 1/4 cup fruity pebbles *if needed
  • 1/4 cup (59mL) milk *if needed
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 tsp strawberry extract
  • 1/4 tsp lemon extract
  • extra fruity pebbles for topping

Instructions
 

Cereal Milk Ermine Buttercream

  • Begin by soaking the fruity pebbles in the milk for at least 30 minutes. Strain the cereal out of the milk and set it aside. 
    1/2 cup (30g) fruity pebbles cereal, 1 cup (237mL) milk
  • In a small saucepan combine the flour and granulated sugar. Slowly add in 3/4 cup of the cereal milk, while whisking continuously so you don’t get clumps. Once all the milk is combined, place the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk continuously but slowly.
    1/4 cup (30g) flour, 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • Once the mixture begins to thicken and sticks to the bottom of the pan, whisk quicker. Cook the mixture until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, between 5-10 minutes. 
  • Remove from the heat, pour into an airtight container and allow to cool completely to room temperature, about a couple hours (you can also put it in an ice bath but continue to whisk so it cools evenly and doesn't get clumpy). Set aside.

Fruity Pebble Cake

  • Begin by soaking the fruity pebbles in the milk for 30-60 minutes. Strain the cereal out of the milk and set aside. You should have about 1 cup of milk but it doesn't have to be super accurate because we're adding in the cereal too.
    3/4 cup (45g) fruity pebbles cereal, 1 1/2 cups (355mL) whole milk
  • Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and grease and line three 6 inch cake pans.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until they're evenly distributed.
    2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the granulated sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Add the oil and continue beating for a minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until each egg is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla, lemon and strawberry extracts and beat just until combined.
    1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (118mL) canola oil, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp lemon extract, 1/2 tsp strawberry extract
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed and then pour in the cereal milk, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients. When the flour is almost fully combined, add in the soaked fruity pebbles and fold the batter until they're evenly distributed.
  • Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared pans, about 15oz in each pan and bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes. When the cake is fully baked it will release itself from the edge of the pan and it will spring back when you press down on the center.
  • Invert the cakes onto a tea towel and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

Assemble

  • To finish the frosting, place the 1 cup of butter in the bowl of stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat at full speed for at least 5 minutes, until the butter is fluffy and pale yellow. 
    1 cup (227g) + 2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
  • Reduce the speed to medium and add in a couple Tbsp of the cooled mixture at a time, allowing it to combine with the butter before adding more. Scrape the edge of the bowl as needed and once it’s all combined, add in the vanilla extract and beat at full speed for another minute. 
    1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Use 1/4 of the frosting to frost the first layer of cake, top with some crushed fruity pebbles and repeat with the second layer. Then place the third layer on top and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
  • Add the other 2 Tbsp of butter and HALF of the soaked cereal from the cereal milk (that we made for the frosting) to the leftover frosting and beat on medium speed just until it’s combined. If the frosting feels too soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes and then frost the outside of the cake, leaving a rough border at the top to form a ridge. 
  • Fill the top with fruity pebbles. Refrigerate the cake while you make the glaze. 

Cereal Milk Glaze

  • If you have any cereal milk left from earlier you can just use that but if you don’t, then you'll need to soak some more fruity pebbles in milk for 15-30 minutes.
    1/4 cup fruity pebbles, 1/4 cup (59mL) milk
  • Combine 1 Tbsp of cereal milk with the powdered sugar, vanilla, strawberry and lemon extracts and whisk until lit’s completely smooth.
    1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1/4 tsp strawberry extract, 1/4 tsp lemon extract
  • If it looks too thick, add one more tablespoon of the cereal milk but if it's too runny, add 2 more tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time. The glaze should be thick so that it doesn't run off the cake (test it in one spot first).
  • Drizzle glaze on top of the cake and let it set. 
  • Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 898kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 10gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 460mgFiber: 1gSugar: 76g
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30 Comments

4.53 from 80 votes (80 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  2. Can you make the buttercream or glaze a few days ahead of time, keep in the fridge, and then use when you bake the cakes?

    If I only have one pan, can I bake the cakes one at a time or is it not a good idea for the batter to sit for a while?

    • This buttercream can be weird about temperature so I like to use it fresh. You can make the glaze and the cake ahead of time and just make sure they’re covered airtight. I would refrigerate the glaze and bring it back to room temperature and mix well before using it. Leave the cakes at room temperature or freeze. I don’t like to refrigerate the cakes because they can dry out.

  3. Hi,

    So excited to make this cake.

    I made the cereal milk but obviously some of the milk was soaked into the cereal rendering less milk than called for in the recipe.
    Am I to used the reduced amount of milk that is left after straining the cereal? Or am I to use 355 ml of cereal milk which means I would have soak more cereal in more milk..
    It’s a little confusing… would love some clarification.
    Thank you

    • Hi Sarah, you’re adding in the reduced milk and then the soaked cereal so it really doesn’t have to be super accurate how much gets strained out as long as both are going into the batter. Don’t add extra milk.

  4. Hi! I wanted to make this but in cupcake form, how many regular sized cupcakes do you think your recipe would make, and would you change anything about the baking time? Thank you!!

  5. I made this last year and just realized I never left a comment or review! I’m returning to make it again upon request by the same friend for her birthday. This turned out PHENOMENALLY last year. Not only was the cake itself super flavorful and delicious, the frosting was such a wonderful yet tasty break from standard buttercream. You would think the addition of something like Fruity Pebbles would make it all extra sweet, but I found it to be much more balanced in sweetness than any store bought cake. Standard buttercream usually makes me thirsty from all the powdered sugar but this was silky and fluffy. I only had lemon extract at the time, but now my strawberry extract is here and I’m excited for round 2!

    I also made cereal bark with the white chocolate/almond melts from Aldi and added some of the lemon extract and stuck shards in the top of the cake as decoration. 100000/10, I think about this cake more than I’m prepared to admit.

    • Hi Caron, thank you so much for the review, I’m SO GLAD you liked the cake and yes I absolutely thought that a fruity pebbles cake would be far too sweet if made with traditional American Buttercream so I’m glad you agree.

  6. Quick question, it doesn’t say anywhere in the directions to actually had the cereal milk into the cake mix part… Is that in the cake mix part or just in the frosting and glaze?

  7. Hi! I was looking this fruity pebble cake over and for some reason the actual recipe isn’t showing up. Just the description. There is a web link at the bottom that I think might be messed up? Could you please email or post the recipe? Thanks! This looks so tasty!

  8. For the glaze, in the ingredients it says 1/4 cup milk but in the instructions it says to use 2 Tbs milk. This is for my son’s first bday so I want it to turn out perfect lol

    • Hi Brittney! I used 1/4 cup of milk to soak the cereal, some that will soak into the cereal so instead of it being an ambiguous amount I specified that I only took 2 Tbsp of the cereal milk for the glaze. There might be some leftover.
      Hope that helps and happy birthday to your little one 🥰

  10. I’m not sure what went wrong but this ended up very oily almost seemed like there wasn’t enough flour (I weighed mine out) flavor was great but super oily

    • Hi Kelsey,
      I’m sorry that happened, I’m not sure why it would turn out oily, I use the same base recipe for most of my cakes. If anything, the cake is a little more wet because of the milk and cereal but I’m not sure why it would turn out oily.
      I will retest the recipe and try increasing the flour by a 1/4 cup 🙂

  11. Hi,
    If I use two 8 in pans, do you know what the bake time would be?
    Also, you recommend the whisk attachment instead of a paddle attachment for the cake batter. Is this correct?
    Thanks!
    Ashley