This Is the Only Dessert You Need For St. Patrick’s Day

I think most Lucky Charms fans would admit that they’ve wanted to ditch the cereal bits and just eat the marshmallows, at least once in their lives. There are very few instances where this sort of thing is acceptable, but I’m here to give you the excuse you’ve been looking for! Lucky Charms marshmallows are the star of this festive green layered cake, decorating the outside with the different shapes and colors we all know and love—perfect for serving at your next St. Patrick’s Day celebration!

To make this cake, you’ll need a box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix, (plus the oil, water and egg whites called for on the box), 1 family-size box of Lucky Charms cereal, some vanilla frosting and a bit of green food coloring.

Now, I know it seems crazy, but I’m going to ask you to separate the marshmallows from an entire family-size box of Lucky Charms. It’ll yield about 3 cups of marshmallows. While it may seem tedious, it is 100% worth it! You could make this a fun family activity and have the kids help you out, too.

Next, heat your oven to 350°F and prepare the cake batter as directed on the box. Stir in the food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green (I just tinted mine to match the pastel hues of the marshmallows, but you can make yours darker if you want!).

Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with cooking parchment paper circles. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30 minutes or until tops spring back when touched in center and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning out and cooling completely.

Once the cake layers have cooled, trim off the rounded cake tops. Place one layer on a cake plate and drop a few tablespoons of frosting on the center of the cake. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake and top with the second layer. Drop about 1/3 cup of the frosting onto the top cake layer and start spreading over the top and the sides.

This layer of frosting is called the “crumb coat.” Basically it’s a thin layer of frosting that seals in all of the stray crumbs and makes a base for fully frosting the cake. So, it’s totally fine if this layer of frosting isn’t perfect.

Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour, and then take it out to frost again! Pile the remaining frosting on top of the cake and spread it evenly over the tops and sides of the cake, making a smooth, even layer.

Finally, it’s time to decorate! Dot the cake with marshmallows by placing them in neat rows around the outside of the cake. To decorate the top of the cake, start with a single marshmallow in center, and encircle it with rings of marshmallows until the cake is completely covered in marshmallows.