Unicorn Cake Recipe (Step by Step)
This unicorn cake will be the star of your next birthday celebration, baby shower, and more! Three funfetti cake layers are stacked into a beautifully tall cake and then decorated with rainbow swirled buttercream unicorn mane for the cutest whimsical dessert ever!
The funfetti cake itself has a light and tender crumb with a mild vanilla flavor. It’s frosted in a light and silky smooth vanilla buttercream and then decorated with rainbow swirls over the top and back to resemble a unicorn mane, with eyes, horns, and ears!
If you’re looking for a cute and impressive birthday cake to make someone feel extra special, look no further than this popular unicorn cake!
Depending on your icing and general baking skills, this unicorn cake can appear to be a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple to make and can easily be decorated with different colors and candies to cater to your special occasion.
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
Make Your Frosting Ahead of Time
Because of the high quantity of fat and sugar in buttercream frosting, you can make it well ahead of time. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month!
If you decided to leave it in the fridge until ready to use, let the frosting sit out at room temperature for about 1 day (depending on how much is in the container) until it’s soft. Then you can give it a quick mix in a mixing bowl until it’s smooth and fluffy again.
Start With a Crumb Coat
- The first step to frosting a layer cake is making the crumb coat, which literally is a coat of thin frosting across the cake that will seal in any loose crumbs. The frosting should be very lightly coated on the cake, enough where you can see the cake through the frosting. This step is important because it keeps those loose crumbs from getting into the top coating of frosting.
- The next step is to let the cake chill for 10-30 minutes before continuing. This will harden the crumb coat and really keep the crumbs from going anywhere. I prefer to stick my cake in the freezer instead of the fridge because it will set up really quickly!
- The final step is frosting the cake with a thicker layer of frosting. I recommend using a large offset spatula, which is specifically designed for achieving smooth, streak free sides. You can also use a pastry scraper or even a butter knife, however the sides will not be perfectly smooth and clean.
Simple Tip!
The easiest way to frost the buttercream onto the cake before using the spatula is by using a piping bag. This method allows for an even distribution of frosting and is quicker and easier than just smearing it on the sides of the cake.
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
How to Decorate a Unicorn Cake
Time for the most fun part of making this cake! Decorating a unicorn cake doesn’t have to be difficult, here is how I decided to decorate this one:
- Bright colored buttercream: I used pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple to create the whimsical rainbow swirls, but you can use any colors or combination of colors you want!
- Sugar cone horn and ear: I chose to use small sugar cones as they are easily accessible and perfectly resemble the unicorn features.
You can also add some candies like cotton candy, marshmallows, or any other fun candy to the base or mane of the unicorn if that interests you!
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
How to Make a Unicorn Horn
The unicorn horn looks so fancy but is actually simple to make! A few sugar ice cream cones are painted gold and used to give this unicorn cake its signature unicorn quality.
I used Wilton edible gold spray that you can find at most cake or party stores like Michael’s in the cake section.
A few tips for painting the cones:
- Spray them outside! This spray comes in an aerosol can and can really be messy. If you spray it inside you risk the chance of everything around you getting covered in gold glitter, including yourself!
- Spray them in a plastic bag or box: You can place the cones in a plastic bag or box which can help keep the glitter from getting on other things as well.
Got Leftovers? Freeze Your Cake!
Do you have extra slices that you want to store for later? One of my favorite tricks is to first place the leftover slices on a plate or baking tray and then freeze them for 10 to 15 minutes until solid. Then I wrap each slice twice in plastic wrap. You can store these wrapped slices in the fridge or freezer for a single serve slice of cake whenever you’re hungry for one!
Make Ahead Instructions
You can bake the cake layers ahead of time, wrap each one twice in plastic wrap, and then store them in the freezer. When you are ready to assemble the cake, let the layers sit out at room temperature to thaw and make them easier to work with, about 10-15 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
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