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"Colorful unicorn cake with gold horn and rainbow mane"

Name: Unicorn Cake

Summary: A magical unicorn cake with pastel buttercream swirls, a golden fondant horn, and adorable closed eyes — perfect for birthdays and special celebrations.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Ingredients:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Gel food coloring pink, blue, yellow, lavender, mint
  • Sprinkles optional for funfetti style
  • 4 cups powdered sugar for buttercream
  • 2 cups unsalted butter for buttercream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract for buttercream
  • Gold edible luster dust
  • White fondant for horn & ears
  • Black gel icing for eyes

Equipment

  • Equipment:
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Mixing bowls
  • Offset spatula
  • Piping bags with star tips
  • 6-inch or 8-inch round cake pans
  • Cake turntable (optional)
  • Fondant rolling tools
  • Food-safe paintbrush
  • Cake board

Method
 

  1. Instructions:
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare and line cake pans.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
  5. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, mixing gently.
  6. If making a rainbow or funfetti cake, divide batter, color each section with gel colors, and layer into pans.
  7. Bake 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
  8. For the buttercream, beat butter until light, then slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
  9. Divide buttercream into bowls, tint with pastel colors, and load into piping bags.
  10. Stack and frost the cake, then pipe rosettes and swirls to form the unicorn mane.
  11. Shape the horn and ears from fondant, dust with gold luster dust, and place on top of cake.
  12. Pipe on closed eyes with black gel icing.
  13. Decorate with edible glitter or sprinkles as desired.

Notes

Notes:
Chill the cake between crumb coat and final coat for cleaner edges.
Always use gel food coloring to avoid watering down buttercream.
Let fondant horn dry for at least 2 hours before inserting.