It is almost fruit pizza season in our house — we always make an American flag fruit pizza for Memorial Day and the 4th of July. And that gave Baby B the idea of creating a shark cookie cake version of fruit pizza. I was all on board because: shark gummies are yummy and she wanted to do most of the work. This turned out so cute, took almost no time, and would be perfect for Shark Week or a shark birthday party.
More Shark Party Ideas
If you are hosting an Under the Sea Party or Shark Party or Pirate Party or Mermaid Party, maybe you can use some of these other fun shark-themed ideas!
- Shark-cuterie candy board
- Shark candy kabobs
- Shark surprise ball party favors
- Add shark fins to blue soda bottles
- Shark tooth Rice Krispies treats
- Easy shark and wave cupcakes
- Shark chum Jell-O
SharK Cookie Cake Instructions
Just because I wanted to display the shark cookie cake on a round cake pedestal, we baked the sugar cookie base in a springform pan. That meant placing the cookie pieces close together, which meant they baked into a thick layer, so we baked the cookie for 25-30 minutes.
Tip: lining the springform pan with parchment paper made it very easy to move the cookie to the pedestal.
While the cookie baked, I washed the raspberries and blackberries. It helps to soak them in a bowl of cold water for 5 or 10 minutes. Sprinkle in baking soda (about a teaspoon or two) and white vinegar. Drain the berries, then gently rinse them in a colander. Lay the berries flat to dry on a plate covered in paper towels.
After the cookie cooled, Baby B made the cream cheese frosting, and added a few drops of blue food coloring. She put aside about a tablespoon of the frosting and mixed that with red gel food coloring. (She meant to leave a little bit of white frosting for the wave caps, but forgot. No matter: progress, not perfection!)
From there, decorating the cake takes minutes.
Use an offset spatula to cover the the cookie with the blue frosting almost to the edge of the cookie. With the back of a spoon, lightly tap the frosting to create “wave peaks.”
Create a sandy beach by spooning brown sugar over part of the “ocean” frosting. (You may need to refresh the sand just before serving.)
Add a dab of red frosting to create the “shark attack.” Then, place a Swedish Fish in the red, and surround it with gummy sharks.
Around the ocean frosting edge, alternate raspberries and blackberries. And that’s it! I sprinkled a little more brown sugar sand on part of the pedestal just for fun.
Here is the finished shark cookie cake!
Shark Cookie Cake Recipe
Shark Cookie Cake
Equipment
- 10-inch Springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula
- Spoon
- Hand mixer
- Bowl for berries
- Colander for berries
Ingredients
- 1 pkg (16.5 oz) Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough
- 8 oz low-fat soft cream cheese
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (or vanilla, if preferred)
- blue gel food coloring
- red gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup cups brown sugar (for sand)
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- gummy sharks
- Swedish Fish
- 2 tsp baking soda (for washing fruit)
- 2 tsp white vinegar (for washing fruit)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
- Press 1 pkg (16.5 oz) Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, placing pieces close together so they bake into a thick, even layer. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until lightly golden. (Test with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie. It should come out clean.) Allow to cool completely before removing the springform ring.
- While the cookie bakes, soak raspberries and blackberries in a bowl of cold water for 5–10 minutes with 2 teaspoons baking soda and 2 teaspoons white vinegar. Drain, rinse gently in a colander, then lay flat on a paper towel-lined plate to dry completely.
- In a mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to combine low-fat soft cream cheese, granulated sugar, and almond extract until smooth.
- Set aside about 1 tablespoon of frosting in a small bowl and mix with red gel food coloring to create the shark attack red.
- If desired, set aside 2 tablespoons of frosting to remain white.
- To the remainder of frosting, add blue gel food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach a pale ocean blue.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the blue frosting over the cooled cookie, almost to the edge. Lightly tap the frosting with the back of a spoon to create wave peaks.
- Spoon brown sugar (for sand) over about one-forth of the frosted cookie to create a sandy beach. Let it spill slightly over the frosting edge for a natural shoreline look. You may need to refresh the sand just before serving because brown sugar can absorb moisture in the refrigerator.
- Add a dab of the red frosting to the ocean area to create the shark attack. Place 1 Swedish Fish in the red frosting, then surround it with gummy sharks. Alternate raspberries and blackberries around the edge of the blue frosting.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. This cookie cake is best served the same day the fruit is added.
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