If you love Christmas, unicorns and cake then this easy Christmas unicorn cake is for you. Follow these simple instructions and make your own unicorn Christmas cake at home.
I love unicorns and Christmas so it was only logical that I would combine them to make my Christmas cake! It was such a simple way to decorate the cake and it looked gorgeous. I added a little gold dust to the holly and horn to make it shimmer! A little holly leaf cutter can do wonders for a subtle yet cute decoration.
I loved creating this easy unicorn cake. Since I posted it I’ve had orders from friends and family to make them for children’s birthday parties and Christmas events. Check out my video below on how I made this easy unicorn cake it.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- You’ll love this Christmas unicorn decoration recipe because it’s fun, festive and so easy!
- I used a shop-bought sponge cake this Christmas season is so busy for me that I just couldn’t find the time.
- The Christmas unicorn cake is fun for the whole family and the gold lustre dust creates such a beautiful sparkle.
- It might even overtake the classic Christmas pud.
Top Questions
What is the difference between fruit cake and Christmas cake?
How do you make a homemade unicorn cake?
What flavour is unicorn cake?
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
FONDANT / SUGAR PASTE
To make this Christmas unicorn cake, you will 4 different types of coloured fondant – pale pink green, red and gold/ yellow.
If you are making your own cake or have bought one without icing then you will also need some plain white fondant for the unicorn cake decoration.
GOLD LUSTRE
Christmas isn’t Christmas without all things sparkly! Using the gold lustre dust is the perfect addition to a Christmas cake. It’s light and catches the light beautifully – this unicorn cake makes for a perfect Christmas day show stopper for anyone who isn’t a fan of Christmas pud!
How to make – step by step
I have created a fantastic little video of how I decorated the easy Christmas unicorn cake. It shows how easy it is to make. Scroll down to read my more indepth instructions
I absolutely love this easy unicorn cake. It doesn’t take too long to make but looks gorgeous. A simple white cake with added golden horn, little ears and hand-drawn eyelashes. I also added a few holly leaves and berries to give it the Christmas feel.
Sprinkle your work surface with a little icing sugar to ensure no fondant sticks and begin!
UNICORN HORN
Start by rolling out the gold fondant – cut 3 pieces of equal length and thickness and then roll them across the counter a couple of times to create columns. Each going from a thin end to a fatter end.
Combine these by twisting them together and forming the horn of your unicorn – pinch the top to create the point of the unicorn’s horn – pop a skewer in the bottom to help the horn stand up straight once placed on the cake.
I would also recommend cutting off about 1″ at the bottom of your horn and blending all 3 strands together – this helps give the horn more strength and looks more finished.
EARS
These really help your Christmas unicorn cake to take shape. To start, roll out two small circles of white fondant about 2 inches in diameter each and about half an inch thick. Chop the bottom 3rd of the circles off and shape them into little triangles using your fingers. Then using your index finger, press into the centre of each ear to create a dip- if you have little fingers helping you then you may need two fingers!
Roll out a little pink fondant, cut this into triangles just smaller than the ears and lay them in the centre of each ear. This creates that cute pink ears we all know so well!
UNICORN EYELINER
Use black colour paste, mixed with a bit of water to thin the consistency, drag a very thin paintbrush across the top third of the cake to draw two little s shapes to look like closed eyes. You can then add lashes! make them as long and curly as you like. Just be sure to add your lashes to the bottom of your eyes.
CHRISTMAS HOLLY BERRIES
Once again roll out some fondant, you’ll need green for the leaves and a nice bright red to make your holly berries. The berries are easy to make, just roll a little bit between your hands to make a ball. You can play with sizes creating big berries and tiny ones.
The leaves are a little trickier – the easiest way to cut leaves is to roll out your green fondant nice and thin (about 1/4 inch thick) and cut little holly leaf shapes into it. If you manage to have a little holly cookie cutter then I would definitely use that to make it easier!
What really makes this Christmas Unicorns cake special is the light dusting of edible gold glitter. I spread it over the unicorn’s cheeks and the horn to create a wonderfully Christmassy cake.
Once you have all these pieces made you just need to assemble them. Poke the skewer attached to your horn into the top of your easy unicorn cake. Then using a smaller skewer or toothpick, skewer the ears and place them into the cake, almost in line with the horn.
Viola, you have a Christmas unicorn cake!
Top Tips
Be sure to have all your fondant at room temperature so it’s easier to roll out and shape – sometimes, if the fondant block is too cold it can become hard and crack rather than bend smoothly.
Layer some of your holly berries on top of your leaves to create little clusters of holly bushes. This creates a lovely wintery feel and really camps up the Christmas spirit!
Sticky fondant? Be sure to sprinkle your work surface with a light coating to help the fondant roll easily and ensure your unicorn Christmas cake doesn’t have a cracked fondant ear!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re over 18 enjoy this Christmas unicorn cake with a nice warm glass of mulled wine, and if you really want to get in the Christmas spirit then I would light a cinnamon candle and light a fire, but I do love all things Christmas.
This easy unicorn cake is served best when fresh but cooled and when you’re surrounded by friends.
It would also be perfect for the school Christmas disco or a late-year birthday! It’s so easy to whip up you’ll be making it over and over again in no time, unicorn cake decoration is so beautiful too!
Equipment
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- Holly sugar craft plunger cutters
- gold lustre
- black colour paste
- thin paintbrush
- rolling pin
Substitutions and variations
If you love this cake you will love my Really Easy Owl Cake
You could use any cake as your base for this Christmas unicorn cake. I bought a simple sponge that had been previously decorated with white fondant icing.
If you have the time to bake a cake, I would recommend trying my easy Gin and Tonic Cake for a delicious grown-up afternoon treat or use the recipe and negate the alcohol for anyone under 18 or alcohol-free.
An easy victoria sponge recipe is to weigh 4 eggs and then use that same weight for flour, caster sugar and butter – pop in a little salt and vanilla essence and bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Then you can decorate this Christmas unicorn cake following my recipe below.
Storing / Making ahead of time options
This easy unicorn cake can be made and decorated the day before you prepare to present it but I always think cake is best when served the same day it’s baked/bought.
You can make this simple sponge a month or so in advance, soak it with lemon juice, wrap it in clingfilm, and pop each tier in the freezer. Just be sure to defrost it fully, out of the clingfilm before you start decorating.
FAQS
What is the difference between fruit cake and Christmas cake?
The main difference between fruit cake and Christmas cake is that Christmas cake is richer and is full of spices. It has a warm flavour and often has alcohol in it too. A fruit cake is a little lighter and usually doesn’t contain as many spices.
How do you make a homemade unicorn cake?
It’s so easy to make a homemade unicorn cake, I bought a simple sponge cake from the supermarket and decorated it with white fondant. Then to make your unicorn features you need to use different coloured fondant to make a swirly horn, a pair of eyes and then draw eyes on your cake. I would also recommend sprinkling some edible glitter over your homemade unicorn cake for extra sparkle!
What flavour is unicorn cake?
Unicorn cake is any flavour you would like it to be! I love a classic vanilla sponge but you could enjoy a triple chocolate sponge, strawberries and cream or an orange drizzle cake. If you do try a different flavour – let me know in the comment below.
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Recipe
Easy Christmas Unicorn Cake
Equipment
- 1 Fondant knife
- 3 Skewer 1 long and 2 shorter ones for the ears
Ingredients
- White Fondant
- Red Fondant
- Green Fondant
- Gold Fondant
- Black Colour Paste
- Water
- Gold Lustre
- Simple Sponge Cake
Instructions
- Firstly, start by sprinkling some icing sugar over your counter. This will stop your fondant sticking to your work space while you roll it out.
- Roll out each of your fondant colours, you will need the most gold and green fondant and then smaller amounts of the other colours.
- To make the Unicorn horn, cut your rolled out gold fondant into 3 equal strips about 1" wide and 2" long.
- Then wrap these 3 strips together to form a spiral. Pinching the tip to make a horn. You can also wrap the strips around the skewer so they are ready to place into the cake later on.
- Next up, lets make the ears. Using your white fondant, cut 2 1" thick triangles and press your index finger into the centre to create a curve. Then cut and add 2 smaller triangles from the pink fondant and lay them inide the ears.
- To draw the eyes onto your Unicorn Christmas cake mix the black colour paste with a little water to thin the consistency and make it easier to draw the eye lashes. Drag your little brush across the top of the cake to create a closed eye and then add lots of little lashes!
- To make your unicorn cake ready for Christmas, make some holly berries from your red fondant by rolling a little of it between your fingers to make a small ball. You can make your berries as big or small as you like.
- These holly berries now need some leaves to go with them. You can either use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter or try and cut the holly leaves yourself! Just make sure your green fondant is nice and thin. To add some detail to your leaves indent them to create the veins.
- Now it's time to assemble! Using your skewer, stick the horn onto the cake and place each of the ears on either side to create your unicorn face! Then layer your berries and leaves around the ears and horn you can arrange these however you like!
- The final step is to dust the horn, berries and cheeks of your unicorn cake with gold lustre to create a wonderful, magical Unicorn Christmas Cake.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Originally published in December 2017. Updated June 2022.
Such a fun cake recipe! My kiddos love this!!
I’m so glad!
did someone say unicorns and cake ? yes please!! i made this with my DD and she was so giddy all day
Aww that is so cute. I’m glad unicorn cakes can bring such joy.
I don’t know who is more obsessed with this cake…me or my daughters?!
Aww I feel the same.
This is beautiful! I always like to challenge myself to a few baking projects during the holiday season and I am adding this one to the list.
I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for commenting.