The Best Unicorn Cake Ideas that Anyone Can Use 🦄
Some occasions just call for a unicorn cake. Whether you’re planning a birthday party for your favorite little kiddo or a unicorn fits the theme of another event (it’d be so cute for baby showers!), it’s hard to argue that unicorn cakes aren’t a whole lot of fun. Decked out in pastels and glitter, a good unicorn cake will leave your guests in awe.
Need some unicorn cake ideas that go a bit beyond the usual? We’ve got ‘em. Here, we’re diving into what makes a unicorn cake what it is, how to make one yourself, some of our favorite unicorn cake ideas, and more.
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What Is a Unicorn Cake, Anyway?
A unicorn cake is, essentially, just what it sounds like. It’s a cake that’s shaped like a unicorn’s head. It’s often covered in pastel buttercream and decorated with a buttercream mane, piped closed eyes (with lashes, of course), a golden fondant unicorn horn and fondant ears, and plenty of edible glitter and other sparkles.
You can customize your unicorn cake however you’d like, switching up color schemes, decorations, and the like to make it your own. Whether homemade or ordered from a bakery, these cakes are true show-stoppers (and totally adorable).
Our Favorite Unicorn Cake Ideas for Your Next Birthday or Event
Though you can’t go wrong with the pastel-and-glitter-classic, we think that unicorn cakes can be so much more. Here are a few of our favorite unicorn cake ideas to give you a little inspiration:
A Rainbow Unicorn Cake
Unicorn cakes are supposed to be fun and whimsical—not serious and formal. Going for a rainbow color combination is a perfect way to embrace that feeling. Cover the unicorn with various bright, rainbow colors, including the cherry on top: a rainbow unicorn mane. Finish your cake off with brightly colored candies and sprinkles and no one will be able to pull their eyes away from it.
2. A Dark & Moody Unicorn Cake
Pastel and rainbows just not your thing? No problem! Give your unicorn cake a bit of a gothic glam twist and go for darker, moodier colors. Lean into jewel tones, black, and a holographic horn. It’s a little spooky, but still super sparkly.
3. A Glam Drip Cake
Make your unicorn cake extra luxe by adding a ganache drip. Hot pink, metallics, pick something dramatic so it really makes a statement.
4. A Unicorn Cake with a Boozy Twist
If you’re making a unicorn cake for an adult, maybe consider giving it a boozy twist. Infuse the buttercream with Bailey’s, add a champagne or liquor syrup to the cake layers, and decorate with piped buttercream, edible gold leaf, and other fancy add-ons.
How to Make Your Own Unicorn Cake at Home
Whether you’re making a unicorn birthday cake or something for a baby shower, we have some tips and tricks to help you pull it off at home:
Use an ice cream cone for the horn shape and cover it in buttercream or add a layer of white fondant.
Choose different colors for the buttercream frosting for the face of the unicorn and the unicorn hair.
Use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring for the most vibrant colors.
Place the horn on the top of the cake towards the front of the cake (you don’t want to put it too far towards the back).
Pipe the face on front “sides” of the cake instead of the top.
Balance the sugary cake and icing by slathering a tart filling between each cake layer.
Make sure to use a cake leveler or serrated knife to make each layer of your layer cake level.
For a pastel unicorn cake, cover the outside of the cake in white buttercream or fondant.ext goes here
FAQs
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Absolutely! We love working with clients to create their dream cake and we’ve done cute little unicorn cakes before. Reach out to inquire about custom cakes and give us some information about what you’re looking for, then we’ll contact you to move forward with the process.
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ECBG isn’t a retail bakery, we make every cake to order. Because of that, we do need a little bit of notice. Generally speaking, we need at least 2 weeks’ notice to create a custom cake, especially during busy periods. Make sure to get in touch sooner rather than later so that we have time to create your cake.
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You can use just about any cake flavors you like best for your unicorn cake. Sure, classic vanilla or chocolate are always winners, but you can also branch out to funfetti, marble, lemon, or whatever strikes your fancy. You really can’t go wrong.
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If you’re using a skewer or dowel for support, that will help keep things upright, but so will an ice cream cone. Wrap fondant or modeling chocolate or pipe buttercream around your support, then decorate as you’d like. It’ll ensure the unicorn horn looks great all party long.
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or hosting a baby shower, a unicorn cake might be the perfect centerpiece for your party. If you’re going to try to make your own, consider brushing up on your cake decorating skills with our online or in-person cake decorating classes and shopping Erin’s favorite tools to make sure you have everything you need.
