How to Make Easy Cake Tacos

Cake Tacos – luxuriate in this tangy and creamy filling topped with fruit and our favorite Wilton drizzles – all inside a fluffy “taco shell”!

Do a double take? No joke, it’s a taco cake! But you won’t find any taco seasoning, shredded cheese, sour cream, or salsa here. A candy coating over yellow or chocolate cake replaces real hard taco shells, cream cheese filling makes up your base, then fruits and drizzles constitute the toppings. Altogether, this delicious taco cake delivers rich creaminess and fresh fruitiness in a perfect edible parcel.

Disclaimer: No taco ingredients were harmed in the making of these tacos. So go ahead and pin the tantalizing image to your favorites board on Pinterest and have the recipe at your fingertips whenever you ache for some easy taco cake!

We love making this fun, eye-catching dessert for Cinco de Mayo! The kids really get a kick out of having tacos for dinner and dessert. These flavor-packed treats also make a great birthday cake substitute for any birthday party. 

HERO

FAQs

Can I make my cakes ahead of time for this cake taco recipe?

• You can absolutely make your cakes ahead of time, or even buy cakes from the store! We recommend you make the tacos within a couple of days of baking or buying the cakes for ideal texture and flexibility.

How can I make my cakes lighter and fluffier?

• Use oil instead of butter to discourage gluten development.
• Sift your flour and baking soda for extra airiness.
• Beat eggs into batter one at a time on low/medium speed for a less dense batter.
• Make sure eggs and flour are at room temperature so they don’t affect the final texture.
• Remove from tin immediately and transfer to a cooling rack or it will continue cooking – and unevenly. 
• Don’t cut or frost until the cake is completely cool! If the cake is still warm, cutting may cause it to either condense from the pressure, or crumble from the friction; and frosting will trap any residual heat, leaving you with a gluey texture.

Supplies for a delicious taco cake:

• four 6″x2″ round cake pans (6″ diameter, 2″ depth)
• precut parchment paper circles (the ones with handle strips are super easy to use)
• adjustable Wilton cake leveler
• offset spatula
• food processor
• electric mixer
• piping bag and tip
• taco holder or two cans put on either side of the taco until the chocolate hardens and the cake holds the taco shape

How to Make Easy Cake Tacos

Ingredients for easy taco cakes:

For the chocolate strawberry tacos:

• two 6″x2″ round chocolate cakes (6″ diameter, 2″ depth)
• Wilton chocolate candy melts
• fresh strawberries, chopped
• Wilton chocolate drizzle
• filling (see recipe below)

For the caramel peach tacos:

• two 6″x2″ round yellow cakes (6″ diameter, 2″ depth)
• Wilton bright white candy melts
• one can of sliced peaches in light syrup, chopped
• Wilton caramel drizzle
• filling (see recipe below)

Ingredients for the filling:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Freeze-dried strawberries, optional (we used it on the chocolate strawberry version)

Directions on how to make easy cake tacos:

1. Prepare your cake batter according to package instructions or your favorite recipe. Bake until just barely cooked through. Lift out of the cake tins by the precut parchment paper handle strips and set aside to cool.

2. For the chocolate strawberry taco filling, blitz freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor.

3. Cream together milk, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Put roughly half the mixture into one bowl, and half in a separate bowl.

4. For one of the bowls, mix in freeze-dried strawberries until your filling goes smooth and pink.

5. Spoon the cream cheese mixtures into separate piping bags, using the tip of your choice.

6. Using the Wilton cake leveler, slice the tops off of your cakes and slice the remaining cake in thirds. Each slice should be roughly 1/2″.

PRO TIP: You want your “taco shell” to be thick enough that it easy bends and thin enough that it doesn’t snap in two.

7. Melt chocolate candy melts and white candy melts separately in the microwave.

8. Spread melted candy onto parchment paper circles and lay the cake slices on top.

9. Fold into a taco shell shape and place in a taco holder while the candy coating sets.

10. Pipe cream cheese mixture into each shell. Vanilla for the yellow cakes, and strawberry for the chocolate cakes.

11. Top chocolate tacos with sliced strawberries and Wilton chocolate drizzle. Top vanilla tacos with chopped peaches and Wilton caramel drizzle.

12. Peel off the parchment paper a little to see if your candy coating is set. Once it’s hardened, completely remove the parchment paper and serve. 

Substitutions

If you don’t have a taco holder, MacGyver your own setup to help the cake hold it’s taco shape while the candy coating sets. You could use the underside of a muffin tin, gaps between kitchenware, a silverware drawer organizer… get creative!

Swap out the cream cheese icing for ice cream, chocolate buttercream, yellow buttercream, or vanilla buttercream icing. You may want to pair these with extra-tangy fruits to offset the extra sweetness!

Tips and Tricks for Cake Tacos

Don’t overbake your cake! If it gets too dry, it will crumble when you try to fold it.

Strain canned fruits, or pat fresh fruits dry before adding them to the top of the cake in order to prevent sogginess. Especially if you’re not serving right away!

Avoid overfilling your tacos so everything doesn’t fall out when you take a bite.

Whether you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo, a birthday, or just another day alive on this earth, cake tacos add that little bit of magic and whimsy to the occasion! 

Take a bow as the crowd goes wild for these easy taco cakes! Okay maybe don’t bow, but you’ll definitely want to bask in the glory of serving up a fun, creative, gorgeous, and delectable dessert.

Taco ’bout our taco cakes! We love you for giving this recipe a 5-star rating and spreading the taco by sharing it on Facebook. Don’t forget to pin the adorable image to your favorites board on Pinterest for later cravings!

How about some other amazing and EASY dessert ideas? Check out our Easy S’mores in the Oven, No Bake Banana Pudding, and Almost Homemade Ice Cream!