In today’s post: This is such a fun idea for a birthday or graduation: make a hidden money cake! A roll of cash hides inside a cake and when you pull up on the topper the money just keeps coming.
Ok, today’s project is SO MUCH FUN! It’s perfect for birthdays or graduations or anytime you want to give someone cash in a really exciting way. Present them with a normal looking cake that has a cute topper and tell them to pull on the topper.
And out comes the cash! It’s not just a few bills either – we are talking a row of FORTY bills – the recipient will be pulling it out hand over fist. The money just keeps on coming! Watch this video to see how fun it is:
The Easy way to make a hidden money cake
This idea seems super complicated – but it’s not! You can make a money pull cake completely on your own, but I found a kit on Amazon that makes putting this cake together super simple. You can even use a storebought cake if you want to make this even easier! When you order the kit you can choose whether you want a birthday topper, a graduation topper, or a clip that lets you add a photo, tag or card. By the way, this post is not sponsored – I just found this product, loved the idea, and wanted to share it with you.
Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own hidden money surprise cake:
- A round cake: you can either make and frost your own cake, or you can keep things simple by using a store bought cake. If you buy a cake, look for one that has some extra frosting around the edges the you can use to cover the money box with. You’ll want a cake that is at least 7 inches in diameter.
- Extra sprinkles or other decoration: If you are using a store bought cake, you’ll want some sprinkles or decorations you can put on the top of the cake to disguise the fact you’ve done anything to it. I used sprinkles that matched the ones that came on the cake. You can also use berries, small cookies or candies, or anything that would look cute on top of the cake.
- The money cake pull out kit: The kit comes with a plastic sleeve to hold the money, a box for it to go in, and a cute cake topper (there are a few varieties you can choose from).
- Dollar Bills: you can decide how much money to include in your cake! The kit has room for 50 bills but it can be hard to get them rolled up tight enough if you use that many. I recommend sticking to 40 total bills – it still feels like you are pulling them out of the cake forever!
Hidden Money Pull Cake Video
The company that makes the kit I used has a very helpful video showing you exactly how to set up the cake. After the video, I’ve included my own photos and tips for making sure your cake is successful.
Prep the Money Box
You’ll begin by sliding dollar bills into the plastic sleeves, starting at the open end. When you’ve added all the bills, you can tear off and discard the extra sleeves. I do not recommend using more than 40 bills.
Starting with the last bill you inserted, begin rolling up the plastic sleeve around a pencil. After you rolled a few bills you can remove the pencil and continue rolling. It’s a good idea to stop a couple of times and hold the roll at the top and bottom with one hand and pull on it with the other hand to tighten it up. Keep rolling and tightening until it’s completely rolled.
The money box separates into three pieces: a clip, a lid, and a box.
Open the clip and slide it into the lid as shown in the photos below. Then lay it down on a table with the clip open and pointing up. The bulk of the lid should be to the right. Lay the money roll down to the left, and pull the last bill over the clip. Close the clip and press down to secure.
Roll the money to the right until it is sitting on top of the lid, then pick up the box and place it over the money on the lid, snapping it down to secure.
Turn the box right side up. Place the included topper in one of the holes on the clip. At this point, it’s a good idea to test it to make sure everything is loaded correctly. With the box sitting on a table, gently pull on the topper. The topper and clip should easily rise and you should see the front of the first bill. If this works, you can open the box and re-roll that first bill and you are ready to place it in a cake! If it doesn’t work, you likely need to roll the bills tighter.
Place the Money Box in the Cake
Using an offset spatula or a knife, carefully remove the extra frosting from the top of the cake and put it on another plate to use later.
Decide where the box should go in the cake so that the topper ends up in the middle of the cake – it will be slightly toward the front of the cake. Gently press the box down on the cake and quickly lift it back up – it will leave an indent in the frosting showing how much cake you need to cut out.
Carefully cut out and remove enough cake to make a hole that the money box will fit in. Gently place the box in the hole and press down until the top of the box is just below the frosting line of the cake. Scoop the extra frosting you removed earlier back onto the cake to cover the box.
Smooth out the frosting on the entire top of the cake. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect; once you add some extra sprinkles or candies or berries to the top no one will even notice if the frosting isn’t perfect.
Move the cake to a pretty cake plate, top with extra sprinkles, and your hidden money cake is ready to go!
Hidden Money Cake
Supplies
- Round Cake with extra frosting
- Dollar Bills
- Sprinkles, Candies, or Berries to decorate the cake
- The Money Cake Kit
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Instructions
- Slide dollar bills into the plastic sleeve that comes with the kit. Tear off any unused plastic sleeve and discard.
- From the closed end, tightly roll up the plastic sleeve filled with money.
- Open the box and separate the lid and clip. Open the clip and place it through the slot in the lid. Place the end of the plastic sleeve in the clip and snap it closed.
- Place the roll of money into the box, securing the lid. Push a topper into one of the holes on the clip. Test it to make sure it pulls up easily, then open the box, reroll the money, and replace the lid and topper.
- Remove extra frosting from top of cake and save for later.
- Cut out a piece of cake that's the same size and shape as the box. Remove the cake and place the box in the hole, pressing it down until it's just below the surface of the cake.
- Use the extra frosting you removed to cover the box and smooth out the frosting on the entire top of the cake. Add extra sprinkles, candies or berries.
- The cake is ready to go! To reveal the money, just pull up on the topper.
June says
I saw your money cake on Pinterest and instantly recognized the birthday topper.
Thank you for such a thorough explanation of how to make a money cake using our easy-to-use kit and giving links to our kit.
Continued success with your blog.