This Watermelon Cake recipe is made with real watermelon! Just fresh, juicy watermelon covered with whipped cream and made beautiful with berries or your favorite fresh fruit.
What Is A Fresh Watermelon Cake
A fresh watermelon cake is a light, refreshing, and naturally sweet dessert made by trimming a whole watermelon into a cake shape and covering it with whipped cream. This no-bake, fruit-forward treat is perfect for summer gatherings, birthdays, or anytime you want a low-sugar, gluten-free, healthy alternative to traditional oven baked cakes.
Go ahead—grab a thick piece! This cake is hydrating, delicious, and completely guilt-free.
Ingredients Notes
- Whole seedless watermelon: Choose a seedless variety for the best texture and appearance. For a smaller version, use a personal-sized watermelon.
- Whipped cream: You can make your own homemade whipped topping with heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar, or save time with a tub of store-bought whipped topping like Cool Whip. For a vegan, dairy-free version, swap the traditional whipped cream for a dairy-free alternative.
- Powdered sugar: Adjust to taste if you’re making homemade whipped cream. Add more for a sweeter frosting.
- Lemon juice: Adds a light, tangy flavor. Fresh lemon juice is best, but bottled works in a pinch. Lime juice is a tasty substitute.
- Ground cinnamon: Optional, but a pinch adds a subtle warm spice to the whipped cream.
- Fresh berries: Top your cake with a mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries for color, flavor, and a beautiful finish.
- Optional garnishes: Add a few sprigs of fresh mint or sprinkle sliced almonds on top for extra flair and texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make a Watermelon Cake
- Create The Whipped Cream: Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon with a hand mixer in a cold large bowl until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate immediately.
- Remove The Rind: Use a sharp knife to cut the top and bottom of the watermelon so that it can stand upright. Remove the rind all around the sides of the watermelon.
- Shape The Cake: Trim the sides of the melon in straight lines so that it resembles the perfect round shape of a cake.
- Cover With Whipped Cream: Place on a serving platter and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat the entire watermelon with whipped cream.
- Serve: Decorate with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Pat the watermelon dry – After trimming and shaping your melon, use paper towels to gently pat it dry. This helps the whipped cream stick better and prevents it from sliding off.
- Chill before serving – Once frosted and decorated, pop your cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. A chilled watermelon cake slices more cleanly and holds its shape better.
- Choose a firm, ripe melon – Look for a seedless watermelon that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy yellow spot on the rind (a sign of ripeness). A firm texture makes trimming and shaping easier.
- Use cold tools – Keep your mixing bowl and beaters cold when whipping cream—this helps it form stiff peaks faster.
Decorating tips
- Don’t stop at berries—kiwi slices, green or red grapes, mango cubes, and pomegranate seeds all add beautiful color, texture, and tropical flavor.
- For extra crunch and flair, sprinkle on chopped nuts like almonds, pistachios, or walnuts. Want to make it more indulgent? A handful of mini chocolate chips or a light drizzle of dark chocolate adds a sweet surprise guests will love.
- Get creative with decorations – Customize your watermelon cake for any occasion:
- Fourth of July – Use only red, white, and blue fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and coconut flakes. Add mini American flags for a festive touch.
- Christmas – Tint some whipped cream with green or red food coloring. Pipe festive borders with red and green frosting. Decorate with red and green fruits. Sprinkle shredded coconut for a snow-like effect and garnish with mint leaves or holiday candy.
- Birthdays – Pipe whipped cream rosettes, add sprinkles, or top with birthday candles.
Proper Storage
- This fresh fruit cake is best served immediately. If prepping ahead, store the cut watermelon separately and decorate just before serving.
- For storage, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cover with plastic wrap or a dome of aluminum foil (use a bowl to prevent smudging) and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days.
More Easy Summer Desserts
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Banana Split Cake
- No-Bake Ice Cream Cake
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Not Yo’ Mamas Banana Pudding Recipe
If you tried this Watermelon Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Watermelon Cake
Serves — 12
Watermelon Cake is a refreshing, no-bake dessert made by shaping a watermelon and topping it with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Perfect for summer gatherings and healthy celebrations!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 seedless watermelon
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup strawberries sliced or halved
- ¼ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Refrigerate the metal bowl you will use for mixing for at least 10 minutes. Or chill it in the freezer for five minutes. This will make it easier to whip your frosting.
- Make the whipped cream by using a mixer to whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in the cold bowl until it forms stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure the peaks are as stiff as you can make them. Refrigerate immediately and set aside for now.2½ cups cold heavy whipping cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon
- Cut the top and bottom of the watermelon to create even flat surfaces on both ends. The watermelon should be able to stand upright now. Trim off all the skin on the watermelon.1 seedless watermelon
- Shape the watermelon into a cake form by trimming the sides into straight lines and cutting more off the top and bottom.
- Pat the watermelon dry with a paper towel as thoroughly as you can.
- Coat the entire watermelon with previously made whipped cream.
- Decorate with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to plate and serve.½ cup raspberries, ¼ cup blueberries, ½ cup strawberries
Jenn’s Notes
PRO-TIP: Cream whips best when it’s cold, so we recommend using a chilled bowl to make it. Just pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to making it!
Nutrition Info
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 2867IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Haven’t made it yet; waiting for a watermelon
This definitely was a hit. Very refreshing!
I. Love. Your. Watermelon. Cake. And. I. Saw. It. On. Facebook. April. 28. ,. 2023. And. My. Favorite. Fruit. Is. Watermelon.
This is a great dessert for kids and adults after a hot day outside! The kids loved it, thought that the watermelon 🍉 cake 🍰 was delicious 😋 Definitely will be making this again, only thing I did differently is that there is a store around where I live and it has whipped topping base, which all you have to do is whip it with milk and it makes a nice creamy yet stable whip cream !
Could we use a canned whipped cream instead
I made this for my brothers 16 birthday and he loved it he doesn’t eat sugar or dairy fried food gluten sweetners or dye but he loves watermelon this only had a tiny bit of dairy bcz I didn’t cover the whole thing it was a great choice ty!
Wonderful
LOOKS Like AN AWESOME RECIPE Jennifer 👍🏼👏🏼♥️❗️Thank You You For Sharing 😊I FIRST looked at it And JUST thought it WAS regular “ Flour cake” Lolo GREAT IDEA 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼❗️G-d♥️Bless