31 Cake Decorating Ideas
Up your dessert game with these impressive (and easy!) tips and tricks.
There’s really nothing better than a gorgeous cake for celebrating everything from birthdays to graduations, big holidays to minor weekday wins. What’s not so great? If you’re not a master baker, the idea of frosting and decorating a cake can be overwhelming. Luckily, we’ve got lots of ideas for you—everything from super simple options (really, they’re so easy kids can help out!) to more involved endeavors. Check out our 31 cake decorating ideas for inspiration—ALL are impressive enough to make anyone feel extra special.
If you’re new to cake decorating, let us recommend some tips of the trade. As any chef knows, it’s ALL about having the right kitchen tools, and when it comes to cake decorating, there are a few that will set you up for success. The ultimate is an offset spatula. You can use it to get your cakes out of the pans, swoop frosting over the layers, get the perfect ganache drips, and even delineate lines for slicing. If you can’t get the hang of frosting an entire cake, try another trick of the trade: covering your cake in so much deliciousness no one will even notice the frosting. Sprinkles (like in our funfetti cake or donut cake) are the OG, but we’re also partial to freeze-dried strawberries, like in our strawberry crunch cake; toasted coconut flakes, like in our pineapple coconut cake; fruit, like atop our sangria cake or strawberry cheesecake; or even candy, like in our peanut butter cake or number cake (cakes are the BEST excuse to raid the holiday candy aisle).
When it comes to frosting a cake, our greatest advice is stick with it. We promise, even for experienced bakers, there’s a point in assembling and frosting every cake where it’s very tempting to throw in the towel and give up. Keep at it, and it will come together, trust us. If it still seems like too much, we’ve got you: try our naked cake-style of frosting, or go super simple with a dusting of powdered sugar, like in our olive oil cake, or nothing at all, like in our almond cake. We pair it with nothing but a few fresh strawberries and some whipped cream, and trust us—no one has ever not been blown away by its simplicity.
Raspberry Peach Upside-Down Cake
This cake is a BEAUTY. Our favorite thing about upside-down cakes? They're impossible to mess up because you can place your fruits just so before pouring the batter on. It's always a joy to see how they turn out once you flip them—they ALWAYS impress.
Funfetti Birthday Cake
Sprinkles are a classic for a reason—you really can't beat 'em when it comes to making a cake feel extra celebratory. Sprinkle them on top, and around the bottom right after you've frosted your cake to make sure your buttercream is still wet enough that they'll stick.
Get the Funfetti Birthday Cake recipe.
Creamsicle Ombre Cake
It's surprisingly easy to frost a cake with this ombre effect: Simply split your frosting into 4 bowls, and color each using increasingly more food dye than the last. Pipe them around the cake, then use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth them out. Hot tip: don't skip refrigerating the crumb coat! It makes it a LOT easier to frost once it's been chilled.
Get the Creamsicle Ombre Cake recipe.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Want to give classic cheesecake an elegant (and easy!) upgrade? This strawberry topping is your answer. All you need to do is heat together strawberry preserves and lemon juice until smooth and thick then brush it over fresh strawberries on top of your cooled and beautiful cheesecake.
Get the Strawberry Cheesecake recipe.
Peanut Butter Cake
Those that love peanut butter LOVE peanut butter, and this cake was made with those in mind. Peanut butter cake, peanut butter frosting, AND peanut butter drizzle make a big statement, without too much effort. We love adding whole chopped Reese's, but for a colorful (and still peanut-buttery) twist, use chopped Reese's Pieces instead!
Get the Peanut Butter Cake recipe.
Naked Cake
A naked cake is THE best way to frost a cake if you're worried about getting it just right. The imperfections in the frosting are what makes a naked cake so beautiful!
Get the Naked Cake recipe.
Number Cake
For this cake, we traced our number on the back of an empty cereal box to used it as a stencil—trust us, it's very doable! Use this method (or a shaped cake pan, no judgement) to write out almost anything. As long as you top it with a fun assortment of candies and/or fruits, it'll look adorable no matter what.
Get the Number Cake recipe.
Blueberry Mousse Cake
When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade—make a fruity, white chocolate mousse cake instead. Top it with sugared blueberries, white chocolate shavings, and lemon peel, and you'll have a cake worthy of any celebration.
Get the Blueberry Mousse Cake recipe.
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Once you've got the ganache atop your flourless chocolate cake down, take it to the next level with the addition of peanut butter. Dot melted peanut butter in horizontal lines on top of ganache all the way down the cake, then use a toothpick to drag lines up and down the cake. Let it set for at least 15 minutes before cutting (bonus: more time to admire your handiwork!).
Almond Cake
This is one of those gluten-free and dairy-free recipes we turn to again and again. It's SO good, you can leave it decorated simply with a little homemade whipped cream and fruit.
Get the Almond Cake recipe.
Mini Chocolate Cake
This chocolate cake is rich and almost brownie-like and goes so well with the tart raspberry cream cheese frosting. It’s best to use a large round tip for the bottom 2 layers, saving the more decorative designs for the top. Add raspberries between the layers if you want extra cuteness!
Get the Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cake recipe.
Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake
For a blast of flavor and color, our spin on the classic firecracker cake upgrades itself from white cake to a tangy lemon batter with blueberry- and strawberry-flavored swirls on the inside. On the outside, we split a simple glaze into multiple colors, and went wild with decorating to match 4th of July fireworks.
Get the Lemon-Berry Firecracker Cake recipe.
Strawberry Crunch Cake
This cake is WAY easier to make than it looks, trust us. All you need is two boxes of store-bought cake mix (strawberry and vanilla) to create those gorgeous layers, and some Nilla wafers and freeze-dried strawberries (hint: check the baby food aisle if you can't find them by the baking stuff) to create the ice cream bar coating effect on the outside. Easy peasy!
Get the Strawberry Crunch Cake recipe.
Watermelon Cake
This recipe is FULL of cake decorating tips and tricks. Our favorites? Using a clean sponge to get that mottled outside-of-a-watermelon look, and using licorice jelly beans to approximate seeds!
Get the Watermelon Cake recipe.
Glazed Donut Cake
No one can deny the allure of a good glazed donut. Forget breaking out the heavy-bottomed pot and the fry oil—this easy bundt cake decorating idea checks ALL the same boxes. Thank us later!
Get the Glazed Donut Cake recipe.
Marshmallow Cake
Classic buttercream is great and all, but have you ever had Italian meringue? The not too sweet frosting pairs well with the rich chocolate cake and looks great swirled or toasted on the outside. Pipe it on to make pretty swirls and rosettes, or use a kitchen torch for a s'mores vibe.
Get the Marshmallow Cake recipe.
Checkerboard Cake
Making this puzzling chocolate and vanilla cake is a little bit of a brain teaser, and you'll need a set of round biscuit or cookie cutters (8", 6", 4", and 2") to achieve it. Once you've got the hang of it though, it's extremely easy. Everyone will love the surprise inside.
Get the Checkerboard Cake recipe.
Banana Pudding Cake
We can't sing the praises of crushed cookies to decorate a cake enough—here we crushed Nilla wafers to decorate the sides and used whole ones (and bananas!) to stick between piped frosting puffs. Though it will be hard, try to resist adding a ton of banana pudding in between the layers. Otherwise, things will get pretty messy, and it'll be harder to frost.
Get the Banana Pudding Cake recipe.
Pineapple Coconut Cake
This fluffy coconut cake is filled with an easy pineapple curd and finished with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut flakes. We love decorating with the bigger, unsweetened toasted flakes, but if you prefer sweetened coconut for the outside it works just as well.
Get the Pineapple Coconut Cake recipe.
Citrus Olive Oil Cake
If you've never had olive oil-based dessert, this citrusy, tender cake is a great place to start. Lemon and orange zest play super well with the grassy, bright flavors of olive oil. Our top tip for dusting powdered sugar on cakes? Sift it through a fine mesh sieve above the cake for the most even application!
Get the Citrus Olive Oil Cake recipe.
