The Fresh Watermelon 'Cake' That Will Win Summer

Turning on the oven to bake a cake in the sweltering months of summer can be uncomfortable. The air conditioning will run overtime to keep you cool, but you can keep the kitchen temperature steady and still enjoy a homemade cake using our watermelon cake recipe (and other no-bake desserts). A watermelon fruit cake is a healthy dessert option that entices everyone to eat more fruit. Use it as a birthday cake or potluck idea, or make it on a (much) smaller scale for an impressive weeknight dessert to serve one or two.

How to Make Watermelon Cake from the Whole Fruit

Follow these step-by-step directions to make a fresh watermelon cake that serves a large group.

1. Use a sharp knife to cut off each end of the watermelon (this gives you a flat surface to work on). Stand the watermelon on one of the flat sides, and remove the rest of the watermelon rind.
2. Place the trimmed watermelon on a cake stand.
3. Frost with whipped topping, smoothing or swirling as you go. You could also drizzle the cake with chocolate ganache, melted almond bark, or another favorite dessert topping.
4. Decorate as desired. Use any combination of chopped nuts, sprinkles, fresh fruit, candy, crushed cookies or cereals—just about anything you'd use to decorate a cake.

With summer-fresh watermelon at the core, you can make all kinds of healthy watermelon recipes, but when it comes to one that surprises and delights, this watermelon cake recipe trumps them all.