food

Easy Unicorn Cake

This magical cake is sweet, colorful, and topped with confetti-covered ice cream cones and cotton candy.

food

Easy Unicorn Cake

This magical cake is sweet, colorful, and topped with confetti-covered ice cream cones and cotton candy.

Ingredients

  • 1 package store-bought vanilla cake mix
  • Purple gel food coloring
  • Blue gel food coloring
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 8 to 10 sugar cones
  • Round rainbow sprinkles
  • Pink, purple and blue cotton candy

Steps

  1. Grease and line two 9-inch cake tins. Prepare cake batter according to package instructions, and divide evenly into 4 bowls.
  2. Add a little bit of purple, pink, and blue gel food coloring to 3 of the bowls, leaving the last one plain. Mix, and add more gel until a deep saturated shade of each color forms.
  3. Pour 3/4 of the purple batter into the middle of the first pan, then pour in 2/3 of the blue batter, followed by 1/3 of the white batter, and 1/4 of the pink batter. (The batters will spread out as you layer them, creating distinct circles of color.)
  4. Into the middle of the second pan, pour 3/4 of the pink batter, followed by 2/3 cup of white batter, 1/3 of the blue batter, and 1/4 of the purple batter.
  5. Bake the cakes according to package instructions. Un-mold, and allow to completely cool.
  6. To prepare buttercream, whisk together butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until fluffy. Slowly add cream, until the mixture is thick, smooth and spreadable.
  7. Trim sugar cones so that they are approximately 3 inches in height. Coat cones in buttercream, and roll in rainbow sprinkles. Place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to set.
  8. Spread buttercream on one cake layer, and top with the second. Completely cover both cakes in buttercream, and spread to create a smooth surface.
  9. Place sugar cones evenly over the perimeter of the top layer of cake. Tear off pieces of cotton candy and cover the middle of the cake to represent a unicorn’s mane. Scatter some extra sprinkles over the top of the cotton candy, and press some along the base of the cake to create some extra drama. Enjoy!