How to make space cakes

A space cake (or cannabis cake) is precisely what it sounds like: a delicious cake infused with cannabis. Available in dispensaries nationwide, space cakes have become immensely popular for cannabis consumers with a sweet tooth. Space cakes are delicious, discreet vehicles used to reach an out-of-this-world high (pun 100% intended).

While many space cake recipes exist, each boils down to combining the same materials. A space cake is simply a cake recipe of the user's choice made with cannabutter or another cannabis-infused fat such as coconut oil.

Here we'll break down a popular space cake recipe so you can whip up the tasty cannabis treat in the comfort of your own home. But first, let's answer some common questions about dosing. 

How long do the effects of a space cake last?

Space cakes are edibles, which means the THC takes a lot longer to kick in than with other cannabis consumption methods. It's always smart to start with a small serving and wait for one to two hours to evaluate the high's effects before taking more. Remember: you can always eat more, but you can't eat less.

Why do edible highs end up feeling more potent than vaping or smoking highs? Well, when you ingest cannabis, the THC in the edible converts to 11-hydroxy-THC in the liver, which is notably more potent. Edibles take longer to process, too, as the THC has to travel through your digestive system to kick in.

How do I calculate the dose per serving?

To find out the dose of one serving of your space cake, you need to do a little math. Start by finding out the THC percentage of the flower you're using to bake with. So, for example, if you start with 1 g of flower containing 20% THC, that would leave you with 200 mg of THC total. After decarbing the flower, you'll lose roughly 10% of that THC (200 x 0.9), leaving you with 180 mg of THC total. Following the extraction in oil or butter where you lose another 40% of the THC (180 x 0.6), you will have 108 mg of THC in that oil.

If you cut your space cake into eight even pieces, each one will have about 13 mg of THC, which is a fairly potent dose for most people. If you're a new or low-dose cannabis consumer, consider lowering the ratio of cannabutter to regular butter in your recipe or slicing your space cake into much smaller servings.

For more information on this topic, check out our guide to calculating the dose of homemade edibles. 

What do you need to make space cakes?

Before you dive in, you'll need to assemble the following supplies to make your space cake.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Ingredients:

• 1 gram of cannabis flower 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter (plus more if you're using a ratio of cannabutter to regular butter)
• 1 3/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1.5 tsp of baking powder
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• Chocolate chips (optional)

Materials:

• Double boiler
• Thermometer 
• Metal mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Spatula/other utensils
• Mason jar
• Oven
• Cooking spray
• 9” x 9" cake tin
• Electric mixer (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Grinder

With all your ingredients assembled, it's time to begin baking.

How to make a space cake

Step 1: The first step to making a homemade space cake is to decarboxylate your cannabis (convert the THCA into THC) and make infused cannabutter. If you already have cannabutter prepared, skip ahead to step 5.

Step 2: To decarboxylate your weed, preheat the oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit and weigh one gram of cannabis flower. Use a grinder, scissors, or your hands to evenly break apart your flower and sprinkle it on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake your flower in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, making sure to flip your flower halfway through the cooking period.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 3: While your weed is cooking, set up a double boiler and warm the butter to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. When your marijuana is finished baking, pour it into the melted butter and stir well. Allow the weed butter mixture to sit at 220 degrees for 45 minutes, occasionally stirring with a spatula.

Step 4: Remove the butter from the stove and filter the plant materials through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Squeeze the plant matter into a bowl or mason jar to strain most of the butter. Place the butter in the refrigerator to cool slightly and solidify while prepping your space cake mixture.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 5: Set your oven's temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use cooking spray to grease your cake tin and sprinkle it with flour, as this will make it easier to remove the cake when you're finished.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 6: Figure out how much cannabutter you want to use. If you're an experienced cannabis consumer with a high tolerance, feel free to use the full half-cup of cannabutter. If you're a new or low-dose cannabis consumer, use ¼ cup cannabutter and ¼ cup regular, non-infused butter. You could even use one tablespoon of cannabutter and 7 tablespoons of regular, non-infused butter to ensure the potency isn't too high. 

Step 7: Grab the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, eggs, milk, softened cannabutter, and regular butter if necessary. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and combined, and pour in chocolate chips if desired.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 8: Spoon the space cake batter into the cake pan and spread it evenly. Place your mixture in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. You'll know your space cake is done when you poke it with a toothpick, and it emerges clean. If the toothpick has some residue, keep baking for three more minutes and recheck.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 9: When your space cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then remove the space cake from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack completely. Cut your cake into eight equal servings and voila: you've created your very own space cake. Enjoy with caution!

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Store your space cake in an airtight container and place leftovers in the freezer for up to one month. It's always a good idea to label your space cakes, especially if you have roommates. Keep out of reach from pets and children.

If you'd like to make a semi-homemade space cake, you can always use a store-bought cake mix that calls for butter or oil. Swap out the regular butter or oil with the appropriate ratio of cannabutter to regular butter and follow the instructions on the box.