17 Unique Unicorn Cake Ideas

The unicorn cake fad isn’t one that’s going away. At this point, it’s less of a fad and more of a way of life. For little kids and grown-ups alike, there is a version for everyone.

There are so many variations on unicorn cakes now, meaning you can definitely find one to suit your baking and decorating skills.

The bottom line is that they are fun, whimsical, colorful and overflowing with sprinkles. They come in the form of layer cakes, traybakes, rolls, and cupcakes. They can be simple, or elaborate, and tailored to any occasion.

Take a look and see which of these 17 unique unicorn cake ideas grabs your attention!

And if you are looking for even more viral recipes, check out this collection of the best celebrity recipes.

1. Unicorn Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

How can you make a cupcake even more fun? Cook them in an ice cream cone! My Heavenly Recipe shares how to fill the cones with batter and bake them to create this absolutely awesome effect. They are then decorated with wonderfully multi-colored, fluorescent frosting and topped with mini silver unicorn horns. And sprinkles. You can’t bake a unicorn cake without sprinkles.

2. Rainbow Layer Unicorn Cake

Frugal Mom Eh! makes the horn for this cake with an ice cream cone, covered in frosting and rolled in sprinkles. A great option if you don’t have the skills or inclination to make a fondant one. The layers of this cake are individual rainbow layers, so when you slice into it, it’s actually even more impressive than just the unicorn decoration.

3. Unicorn Poke Cake

Simply Made Recipes really does keep it simple here. Some of the unicorn cake recipes are so elaborate and daunting, it’s nice to have an easier option. The colors of a unicorn cake are used – so the bright blues, purples, yellows, and pinks. They are added to a tray bake in dollops, to create that fun multi-color effect. Once baked, holes are poked into it, pudding poured on top and then whipped cream slathered on top. Of course, finishing it off with plenty of sprinkles!

4. Funfetti Unicorn Cake

Simply Recipes has you using ice cream cones for the unicorn horn, which makes your life a lot easier. They give good tips on decorating the cake, for example, how you need to pop the cake back in the fridge between frosting layers or else you just start pulling the cake apart. They also share the hot tip of making the buttercream ahead of time, as it keeps in the fridge for a month.

5. Unicorn Cake Pops

Rose Bakes shares her recipes here for unicorn cake pops, as well as a two-tier watercolor pastel unicorn cake. The cake pops are very cute, little white balls with a simple mini gold horn, mini roses for the mane, tiny fondant ears and black eyelashes. They are very effective, and give off that iconic unicorn cake vibe.

6. Funfetti Cupcake Pull Apart Unicorn Cake

This is a fun recipe where you bake a bunch of cupcakes, and arrange them into the shape of a unicorn head. Then frost a giant unicorn over the top. Pilsbury Baking suggests just using box mixes for the cupcakes and frosting in order to focus on the elaborate decoration. Once you get going, it’s easier than it looks!

7. Unicorn Cake

Intensive Cake Unit gives probably the most traditional unicorn cake recipe As far as unicorn cake recipes are traditional anyway. It’s the most iconic version. The white frosted face, colorfully piped mane, gold horn, and black frosted eyelashes. They give very detailed directions on how exactly to achieve the effect, which is helpful if sugar craft isn’t usually your forte.

8. Colorful Unicorn Cake

This version of the classic unicorn cake has you ditching the white unicorn face and goes all out, giving it a rainbow tie dyed coating. The horn, eyes and mane are then piped on top. Sugar Hero notes they look much cuter if they are smaller, and recommends using mini cake pans. However, it does work as a big layer cake.

9. Unicorn Cheesecake

Any fans of cheesecake out there can rejoice because Spaceships and Laser Beams has created a unicorn-inspired cheesecake recipe. Forget the sponge and buttercream, this isn’t as sickly as all that. This whimsical vanilla cheesecake is marbled with pastel colors, and swirls of whipped cream and unicorn horns are added for decoration.

10. Unicorn Cupcakes

These unicorn cupcakes are perfect if you want something a bit easier than the elaborate unicorn face decorations. This recipe from Sweet and Savory Meals focuses on the colors and sprinkles, rather than trying to create unicorn faces on each one. They are a lovely deep shade of purple, the frosting is piped on in swirls and glitter and stars and sprinkled over each one.

11. Unicorn Cake Pops

These unicorn cake pops from Bakerella are very neat and effective. She details very clear step-by-step instructions so it’s actually possible for normal people to pull off these fabulous treats. They aren’t the usual ball shapes, but individual unicorn heads, shaped meticulously with beautifully intricate designs added to each one.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/992832680326734360/

12. Unicorn Cake Roll

Crazy For Crust offers an alternative cake style to the usual layered cake we see. The sponge is thin and multi-colored, and rolled up with plenty of whipped cream in the middle. The decoration is the most fun part of this creation, basically it’s an assortment of colored sprinkles, marshmallows and rainbows. Anything you associate with magic and unicorns! It’s a bit messy but the end effect is wonderfully whimsical.

13. Unicorn Tie Dye Cake

This triple layered tie dye cake from Life Love Liz is simple but effective. Blue and purple coloring is swirled into the cake batter separately, then they are added to the cake tins in dollops so that they meld together but don’t completely mix, giving a ‘tie dye’ effect. It’s then decorated in a standard unicorn cake fashion, using plastic ears for ease.

14. Unicorn Ice Cream Cake (Dairy Queen Copycat)

How to delight a young girl even more than serving a unicorn cake? Making the cake out of ice cream, of course! Let’s face it, the kids only eat the frosting from a cake anyway. This Delicious House keeps it real with this recipe inspired by Dairy Queen, showing you how to transform simple vanilla and chocolate ice cream into a masterpiece. 

15. Unicorn Cake Dip

If your unicorn cake attempt fails spectacularly and there is just no saving it, Tip Toe Fairy saves the day with a fun unicorn cake dip recipe. It’s basically a crumbled cake, cream cheese, and cool whip, with a bunch of sprinkles on top and frosted animal crackers to dip in the ‘cake’.

16. Highway Unicorn Cake

A strawberry vanilla sponge with edible gold drippings…. The Scran Line really comes through with this fantastic recipe for a ‘highway’ unicorn cake. This unicorn cake looks so different to the others, but includes the iconic gold horn and the bright purple, blue, and pink colors. It’s topped with literally a mountain of macarons all in the same delightfully garish colors.

17. Raw Vegan Unicorn Cake

Greens of the Stone Age comes through for those of us who want a slightly healthier option for cake. Depending on your mindset, if you’re having a day where you want to be as healthy as possible, by all means test out this gluten-free, paleo recipe. If you’re operating under the mentality of you don’t eat cake to be healthy… Well then, check out the other 16 recipes above! The raw sponge includes ingredients like soaked cashews, ground almonds, and coconut oil, and the frosting has foods like cacao butter, blue spirulina, and arrowroot starch.