Baking a cake for a birthday or get-together is always a fun way to make the day extra special. There are plenty of recipes out there for decadent cakes decorated with complicated techniques and designs, and while they usually look impressive, they take a lot of time and energy to make. That’s where these 6 quick & easy cake designs come in! We’ll show you some simple techniques that will transform basic cakes into something special without taking up too much time or effort. From a cute cactus to a royal crown, you’re guaranteed to find a fun design that’s perfect for your next event!
Yield: 1 per recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You’ll Need:
For the white cake:
- 6 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour
For the chocolate cake:
- 6 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cups flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For the buttercream frosting:
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1¼ cups sweetened condensed milk, room temperature
Here’s How:
0.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease the cake pan that will be used for the cake design you’ve chosen to make. For the white cake, beat the egg whites together with the sugar using a hand mixer until a stiff meringue forms. Add in the milk, vegetable oil, and flour, 1 ingredient at a time. Stir everything together until a smooth batter forms. For the chocolate cake, stir the unsweetened cocoa powder into the batter. Pour the batter into the cake pan, transfer the cake pan to the oven, and bake the cake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Once the cake is done baking, let it cool for about 30 minutes. For the buttercream frosting, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer until it’s smooth and creamy. Gradually in add the sweetened condensed milk, beating continuously.
1. Cactus Cake
You’ll Need:
- 13 x 9-inch rectangular white cake
- 1 cup buttercream frosting
- green food coloring
- Pocky sticks
Here’s How:
1.1 Cut the cake as shown below, then arrange the pieces together so that they make the shape of a cactus.
1.2 Mix together the buttercream frosting and green food coloring, then frost the cake with it.
1.3 Break the Pocky sticks into smaller pieces and use them to decorate the cake – prickly, beautiful, and delicious!
2. Sparkling Heart Cake
You’ll Need:
- 13 x 9-inch ovular white cake
- 1 cup buttercream frosting
- red food coloring
- yellow fondant
- 2 star-shaped cookie cutters
Here’s How:
2.1 Cut the ovular cake in half at a sharp angle, then position the 2 pieces together to make the shape of a heart.
2.2 Mix together the buttercream frosting and red food coloring, then frost the cake with it.
2.3 Roll out the yellow fondant and cut out 2 stars of different sizes. Position the stars in the top right-hand corner of the cake. This is the perfect dessert for a pair of lovebirds to share!
3. Murder Mystery Cake
You’ll Need:
- 11 x 9-inch rectangular white cake
- 1 cup buttercream frosting
- silver food coloring
- brown food coloring or cocoa powder
- strawberry or raspberry jam
Here’s How:
3.1 Cut the cake as shown below, then position the pieces together so that they form the shape of a knife.
3.2 Combine ¾ of the buttercream frosting with the silver food coloring, then color the rest of the buttercream frosting brown using brown food coloring or cocoa powder. Frost the blade of the knife with the silver frosting and the handle of the knife with the brown frosting.
3.3 Drizzle some strawberry or raspberry jam on the blade of the knife, and you’re ready for the next murder mystery or Halloween party you host!
4. Crown Cake Fit For A King
You’ll Need:
- 13 x 9-inch rectangular chocolate cake
- 1 cup buttercream frosting
- yellow food coloring
- 4 mini muffins
- 11 oz raspberries
- 1 slice of kiwi
Here’s How:
4.1 Cut the cake as shown below, then position the pieces together to form the shape of a crown.
4.2 Mix together the buttercream frosting and yellow food coloring, then frost the cake with it.
4.3 Spread some of the buttercream frosting on the 4 mini muffins and put raspberries on top. Place 1 mini muffin on top of each of the points of the crown and decorate the cake with the remaining raspberries and a slice of kiwi. This is the perfect cake for the little princes and princesses in your life!
5. Evergreen Tree Cake
You’ll Need:
- 13 x 9-inch rectangular white cake
- 1½ cups buttercream frosting
- green food coloring
- brown food coloring or cocoa powder
- sprinkles
- yellow fondant
- star-shaped cookie cutter
Here’s How:
5.1 Cut the cake as shown below, then position the pieces together so that they form the shape of a tree.
5.2 Mix ¾ of the buttercream frosting with green food coloring and frost the top of the tree with it. Color the remainder of the buttercream frosting brown with brown food coloring or cocoa powder and frost the trunk of the tree with it.
5.3 Roll out the yellow fondant and use the cookie cutter to cut out a star. Decorate the cake with sprinkles and top it off with the fondant star. What a great cake for the next holiday season!
6. Perfect Pinwheel Cake
You’ll Need:
- 10 x 10-inch square white cake
- 1 cup buttercream frosting
- red food coloring
- yellow food coloring
- 1 red apple, sliced
- 1 mini muffin
- raspberries
Here’s How:
6.1 Cut the cake as shown below and position the pieces together to form the shape of a pinwheel.
6.2 Combine ½ of the buttercream frosting with red food coloring and the other ½ with yellow food coloring. Frost the propellers of the pinwheel with the red and yellow frosting, alternating between the 2 colors.
6.3 Cut the apple into thin slices and fan the slices out in a circle in the center of the cake. Frost the mini muffin with some buttercream frosting and decorate the top of it with raspberries. Place the mini muffin on top of the apple slices to complete this stunning design!
It’s so easy to mold cakes into tons of fun shapes. These are the perfect quick & easy designs for you to use at the next big event you decide to bake for!