33 Fun Birthday Cake Decoration Ideas
Updated: Jun. 30, 2020Need to know how to decorate a birthday cake? These fun ideas are just as beautiful as they are delicious
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Add a Drip
This is a moist and fluffy birthday cake with lots of sprinkles and whipped vanilla buttercream. It’s almost impossible not to feel happy when you see the fun pop of rainbow confetti and bright blue drip down the side! —Courtney Rich, Highland, Utah
Transform It into a Unicorn
This magical unicorn birthday cake tastes as good as it looks. Baking in smaller pans creates impressive height, and a few simple cake decorating tools help turn it into a showstopping dessert. —Lauren Knoelke, Des Moines, Iowa
Cover It in Marshmallows
Kristin Prough of BlissMakes put together this adorable marshmallow-clad birthday cake using Lucky Charms and a whole lot of creativity. Check out the step-by-step instructions, and get more cake decorating ideas and DIY projects, at BlissMakes.com.
Add a Mirror Glaze
A shiny, mirror-like orange glaze covers a chocolate mousse cake to create a delicious show-stopping dessert your guests will be talking about for weeks to come.—Matthew Hass, Franklin, Wisconsin
Pipe on Rainbows
This buttercream rainbow cake by Courtney Rich of Cakes By Courtney is the perfect way to add some extra sunshine to a birthday celebration. Learn how to recreate this colorful creation with Courtney’s tutorial on CakesByCourtney.com.
Try a Naked Cake
A naked cake is completely bare (or nearly so) on the outside. It works best on a layer cake so show off the thick stripes of buttercream or chocolate ganache filling. Without the typical outer coat, the interior of the cake is completely exposed to showcase all the yummy frosting inside—like what you’ll find with this Malted Chocolate Stout Layer Cake. It’s perfect for rustic or minimalist birthdays.
Curlicue the Frosting
Jennifer from Beyond the Butter created this intricate design by layering swirls all over the top of her cake. Visit Beyond the Butter to get Jennifer’s coconut sheet cake recipe and frosting how-to.
Add Edible Flowers
This birthday cake with a luscious cream cheese frosting will garner plenty of applause. The flavor really sings. Add edible flowers like rose petals, violas, calendula petals (pot marigold) or dianthus for a fancy floral appeal. —Summer Goddard, Springfield, Virginia
Create an Ombre Effect
This ombre effect adds a chic finish to this chocolate malt-inspired cake that’s topped and filled with crunchy malt candy. Take a look at the full tutorial on Cake by Courtney to read how you can make it yourself.
Pick a Pretty Hue for the Cake
My husband loved his Mamaw’s strawberry cake recipe. He thought no one could duplicate it. I made this pretty pink cake and it’s just as scrumptious as he remembers. —Jennifer Bruce, Manitou, Kentucky
Add Chopped Candy to the Cake
When my family is planning a get-together, I can count on three or four people asking if I’m bringing this chocolate peanut butter poke cake that’s covered in chopped candy pieces.—Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
Keep the Cake Decoration Simple
Add Sprinkles
This tender, buttery birthday cake with a thin layer of fudge frosting is perfect for a crowd. Its sprinkle-topped decoration is always a hit at birthday parties. —Gaye Mann, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Light It Up with Sparklers
Impressive to look at but easy to make, this old-fashioned cake gets an instant upgrade with sparklers, a petite bunting and chocolate figurine. Check out our favorite edible cake decoration ideas to add to your bake.
Top the Cake with Shards of Chocolate
The combination of mocha and peanut butter will satisfy every sweet tooth at your table. The garnish is a little extra work, but what are special occasions for? —Tammy Bollman, Minatare, Nebraska
Use a Pretty Bundt Pan
I adapted a basic pound cake recipe from my great-aunt for this treat. It makes a moist cake that pops out of any decorative Bundt pan perfectly for a stress-free birthday celebration. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Cover It in Cookies
Don’t have any special frosting tools on hand? You can still create a gorgeous themed design for your birthday cake using shaped cookies. Use storebought to save time. Simply place them on top of the cake, or adhere them to the sides with extra frosting as we did with this darling carrot layer cake.
Decorate It with Toasted Meringue
I’ve been told that the meringue topping on this dessert tastes exactly like a lemon meringue pie and that it’s the best angel food cake anyone could ask for. —Sharon Kurtz, Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Roll Out a Wacky Pattern
Pile Popcorn on the Cake
Kettle corn is an unexpected cake decoration, perfect for birthday boys or girls who like a balance of salty and sweet.
Recreate Your Favorite Game
My friend asked me to make her son's 5th birthday cake, and when I asked her what he wanted on it, she said, "Oh, just put on gobs and gobs of candy." Instead of piling on candy haphazardly, I thought it should look like the Candy Land board game. The birthday boy, his friends and family members loved it! —Pen Perez, Berkeley, California
Dust the Cake With Spices
I found this recipe more than five years ago and have been making it for family gatherings ever since. The coffee-flavored frosting complements the moist banana cake and the dusting of instant coffee adds the perfect finishing touch. —Kathy Hoffman, Topton, Pennsylvania
Marble the Icing
Everyone loves the rich flavor in this decadent cake made with four types of chocolate. Alternate drizzling the chocolate and white chocolate topping over the cake for a marbled effect. —Anna Hogge, Yorktown, Virginia
Bake the Rainbow
Some cakes stand on their own without icing. For this bright Rainbow Cake, use a little whipped cream to make fluffy clouds. —Janet Tigchelaar, Jerseyville, Ontario
Get Fancy with Your Piping
I make this cake on birthdays and other special occasions because it looks and tastes so amazing. Go crazy with the piping to get as much icing as you can in each slice. —Christina Pope, Speedway, Indiana
Find a Fun Candle
You don’t always need to go all-out with your cake decoration. Sometimes a single snazzy candle is the perfect complement to your birthday cake. We love this star-shaped sparkler.
Go Nuts with the Cake
This recipe truly lives up to its name. The pecan-dotted cake is stacked in three layers, and made-from-scratch frosting is the crowning touch.—Karen R. Jones, Claypool, Indiana
Add Some Sugared Fruit to the Cake
When you want an extra-special dessert for the holidays, it’s hard to beat a seasonal homemade cake. I like to drizzle mine with a simple but elegant glaze flavored with amaretto and top it with sugared cranberries. —Jackie Howell, Tucson, Arizona
Drizzle the Ganache
This cake won Grand Champion at the 2000 Alaska State Fair, and you will see why once you taste it. This decadent chocolate cake boasts a luscious ganache filling and fudge buttercream frosting. —Cindi DeClue, Anchorage, Alaska
Spell It Out
Get creative when writing a message on your cake. If using a piping bag isn’t your thing, Add a message using letter-shaped candles or go all out with a custom cake topper.
Top the Cake with Citrus Twists
This Key lime pound cake was inspired by a basic pound cake recipe that I like to play around with. A few thin slices of lime add a burst of fresh flavor. —Pat Stewart, Canton, Georgia
Go Crazy for Coconut
We named this a “pina colada” cake because it has coconut, pineapple and rum. It’s a soothing finish at the end of a big spread. Pile on the shredded coconut for a snowy look. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
Make a Shape On the Cake
This luscious cake is really versatile for all-year fun. I've changed the design on top to a heart for Valentine's, a pumpkin for autumn and a tree for Christmas. —Flo Burtnett, Gage, Oklahoma
