Calling all witches, wizards, and Muggles! Get ready to conjure up some serious culinary magic with this enchanting Harry Potter spell book cake. Perfect for a bewitching birthday bash or a spooky Halloween soiree, this cake isn't just a treat for the taste buds – it's a show-stopping centerpiece that will have your guests exclaiming "Accio Cake!"
In this tutorial, I'll guide you step-by-step through creating this edible masterpiece, complete with iconic details like the Sorting Hat, a magical wand, and an open spellbook. To help you along your journey, I've gathered all the essential items you'll need, from fondant tools to edible gold dust, which you can find linked below to easily recreate this spellbinding dessert. Let's get baking!
Below, you will find everything you need to create this magical cake:
Isomalt ( for Harry’s glasses)
Silicone cupcake pan (for Harry’s glasses)
As a baker and cake decorator, I often find myself with many requests from family and friends for special cakes, cupcakes and more. Crafting a beautiful cake can get very expensive, especially when you want it to showcase intricate details and designs.
When my baby sister asked me to create a very cool Harry Potter Spell Book cake for her son’s 13th birthday, I knew I had to go all out! This was going to be very tricky indeed.
Harry Potter-Inspired Book Cake Tutorial
When my sister requested the Harry Potter-inspired book cake, I knew I needed to do something show stopping but still easy enough to make in a day or two. I decided on a two-layer cake: the bottom layer chocolate and the top layer vanilla, frosted with Madagascar vanilla buttercream. To make sure it was large enough to get the size I wanted, I baked four 7 x 11-inch cakes—two chocolate and two vanilla flavored.
I stacked the chocolate layers, frosting the center, and then added the vanilla layers. I carefully carved the center and sides of the cake to shape it like an open book, and I found it much easier to do this when the cake was firm and chilled. I learned this tidbit bit from the many baking shows on the food network.
After applying a crumb coat, which is basically a thin layer of frosting to help the fondant stick and keep crumbs at bay, I then placed the cake to chill in the fridge again while I prepared the fondant. I chose to cover the cake with fondant, even though not everyone is a fan of it. My favorite is vanilla flavored fondant, and I typically use Satin Ice, though Wilton is also a solid choice, when I can’t find Satin Ice. When I have extra time, I usually make marshmallow fondant, which is incredibly delicious, because it is basically melted down marshmallow. I’ll share that recipe with you one day!
Once the cake was covered in fondant and I smoothed out, I tinted it off-white to give it an aged, parchment like appearance, by air brushing on it using a cake air brushing machine. You can also just use edible, colored luster dust with a new, soft brush to create this effect as well.
I then used a fondant tool to create lines for the pages along the sides of the cake, and a gentle score down the center to create the book’s spine.
I used an edible luster dust, applied with a new brush specifically for the shading. I focused on the edges, and the center crease. Just a touch of bronze in the center of the pages to mimic the look of an old book.
From here, the book could take on any theme, but I was interested in a magical spell book. This was so much fun because my husband and kids, were so excited to help out.
Writing the spells was the most challenging moment for me. While bakers are often expected to have excellent writing skills, I have very poor penmanship. I carefully wrote the names of the many spells along with brief descriptions of each spell. I used edible markers, which I often use for adding personal touches to cakes. These pens are a genius idea!
Here’s a quick tip: if you make a mistake with an edible marker on white fondant, use a Q-tip dipped in vodka to quickly erase it. Vodka can be very useful in cake decorating and leaves no trace of alcohol flavor! You will be thankful for having this tip on hand.
Once the wording dried, I started working on the scarf, which was in a maroon color with thin yellow stripes, inspired by Gryffindor scarves from the Harry Potter films. I rolled the fondant to size and just gently draped it over the cake, letting it to fall naturally, as if Harry had just tossed it on the open book, as he entered the room.
I made the other cake accessories several days in advance so they could harden. Fondant left to air dry can become quite firm—think of it as edible Play-Doh.
The Wand:
I started with the wand, shaping a thick log made from brown fondant for both the handle, and the wand, adding details with a fondant tool to mimic a wood grain. I let both pieces dry completely before attaching them with edible glue. You can buy edible glue here, or you can actually make some yourself by crumbling a bit of fondant in a small bowl of water and letting it sit for a while so that the fondant melts and the water becomes tacky and sticky.
The Sorting Hat:
Next, I worked on the Sorting Hat using the same brown fondant, shaping it into a large cone and adding dented facial features. This was quite simple, and very forgiving and I made sure it had an imperfect, whimsical look that makes the sorting hat famous.
Harry’s Glasses:
Harry’s glasses were a fun project to make because it is made from melted sugar to create the lenses. I simply melted the Isomalt in a heat proof glass measuring cup, then poured just a bit to cover the bottom of a silicone cupcake tray. Once dried, I just gently popped them out. I covered the edges with black fondant and crafted the handles from more black fondant.
I bought black fondant, but you can definitely make your own, but it will take a lot of color and it’s very time consuming.
The Golden Snitch:
The Golden Snitch was probably the trickiest part, but I was pleased with how it turned out! I formed a small ball of white fondant and added wings made from gumpaste, draped over food stamens, and then I stuck them into each side of the ball. Once dried, I painted it all with edible gold paint.
All these accessories were crafted several days before the birthday party to ensure they were solid. After assembling the book cake, I placed the Sorting Hat and other elements with edible glue to secure them in place. This was such a great idea, especially when transporting the cake, ensuring everything doesn’t shift or move.
Finally, I made a nameplate from gumpaste, that I rolled out and let dry, then painting it to resemble the Marauder’s Map.
And here’s the final look at the birthday boy’s table, complete with cupcakes, with edible toppers that I created as well. This cake was a joy to create, and with Halloween just around the corner, it would be perfect for any spooky celebration, or a Harry Potter movie marathon!
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