Golden Birthday Cake Decorating Ideas

33 Fun Birthday Cake Decoration Ideas

Need to know how to decorate a birthday cake? These fun ideas are just as beautiful as they are delicious

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Add a Drip

This is a moist and fluffy birthday cake with lots of sprinkles and whipped vanilla buttercream. It's almost impossible not to feel happy when you see the fun pop of rainbow confetti and bright blue drip down the side! —Courtney Rich, Highland, Utah

Celebrate with these delicious birthday dinner ideas, too.

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Cover It in Marshmallows

Kristin Prough of BlissMakes put together this adorable marshmallow-clad birthday cake using Lucky Charms and a whole lot of creativity. Check out the step-by-step instructions, and get more cake decorating ideas and DIY projects, at BlissMakes.com.

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Add a Mirror Glaze

A shiny, mirrorlike orange glaze covers a chocolate mousse cake to create a delicious showstopping dessert your guests will be talking about for weeks to come.—Matthew Hass, Franklin, Wisconsin

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Pipe on Rainbows

This buttercream rainbow cake by Courtney Rich ofCakes By Courtney is the perfect way to add some extra sunshine to a birthday celebration. Learn how to recreate this colorful creation with Courtney's tutorial on CakesByCourtney.com.

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Taste of Home

Try a Naked Cake

A naked cake is completely bare (or nearly so) on the outside. It works best on a layer cake so show off the thick stripes of buttercream or chocolate ganache filling. Without the typical outer coat, the interior of the cake is completely exposed to showcase all the yummy frosting inside—like what you'll find with this Malted Chocolate Stout Layer Cake. It's perfect for rustic or minimalist birthdays.

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Add Edible Flowers

This birthday cake with a luscious cream cheese frosting will garner plenty of applause. The flavor really sings. Add edible flowers like rose petals, violas, calendula petals (pot marigold) or dianthus for a fancy floral appeal. —Summer Goddard, Springfield, Virginia

This flower cake is perfect for a princess birthday party! Learn how to plan a princess party fit for your little royal.

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Create an Ombre Effect

This ombre effect adds a chic finish to this chocolate malt-inspired cake that's topped and filled with crunchy malt candy. Take a look at the full tutorial onCake by Courtney to read how you can make it yourself.

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Pick a Pretty Hue for the Cake

My husband loved his Mamaw's strawberry cake recipe. He thought no one could duplicate it. I made this pretty pink cake and it's just as scrumptious as he remembers. —Jennifer Bruce, Manitou, Kentucky

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Add Chopped Candy to the Cake

When my family is planning a get-together, I can count on three or four people asking if I'm bringing this chocolate peanut butter poke cake that's covered in chopped candy pieces.—Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas

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Add Sprinkles

This tender, buttery birthday cake with a thin layer of fudge frosting is perfect for a crowd. Its sprinkle-topped decoration is always a hit at birthday parties. —Gaye Mann, Rocky Mount, North Carolina

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Top the Cake with Shards of Chocolate

The combination of mocha and peanut butter will satisfy every sweet tooth at your table. The garnish is a little extra work, but what are special occasions for? —Tammy Bollman, Minatare, Nebraska

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Use a Pretty Bundt Pan

I adapted a basic pound cake recipe from my great-aunt for this treat. It makes a moist cake that pops out of any decorative Bundt pan perfectly for a stress-free birthday celebration. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey

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green pedistal; aqua linen; green wall; forks; light painted surface; candles Taste of Home

Cover It in Cookies

Don't have any special frosting tools on hand? You can still create a gorgeous themed design for your birthday cake using shaped cookies. Use storebought to save time. Simply place them on top of the cake, or adhere them to the sides with extra frosting as we did with this darling carrot layer cake.

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Wacky Argyle Cake; 3/4 camera angle; dark wood surface; large cake; candles; birthday candles; green mug; blue mug; coffee; coffee mugs; coffee mug; red plastic forks; plastic forks; frosting; fondant; red runner; red table cloth; white plate stack; plate stack; cake knife; cake server; white cutting board; rustic wood surface Taste of Home

Roll Out a Wacky Pattern

This wacky argyle cake will be the star of your birthday party with its patterned fondant decoration. Learn how to decorate with homemade fondant that looks (and tastes!) great. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Pile Popcorn on the Cake

Kettle corn is an unexpected cake decoration, perfect for birthday boys or girls who like a balance of salty and sweet.

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Recreate Your Favorite Game

My friend asked me to make her son's 5th birthday cake, and when I asked her what he wanted on it, she said, "Oh, just put on gobs and gobs of candy." Instead of piling on candy haphazardly, I thought it should look like the Candy Land board game. The birthday boy, his friends and family members loved it! —Pen Perez, Berkeley, California

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Dust the Cake With Spices

I found this recipe more than five years ago and have been making it for family gatherings ever since. The coffee-flavored frosting complements the moist banana cake and the dusting of instant coffee adds the perfect finishing touch. —Kathy Hoffman, Topton, Pennsylvania

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Marble the Icing

Everyone loves the rich flavor in this decadent cake made with four types of chocolate. Alternate drizzling the chocolate and white chocolate topping over the cake for a marbled effect. —Anna Hogge, Yorktown, Virginia

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Bake the Rainbow

Some cakes stand on their own without icing. For this bright Rainbow Cake, use a little whipped cream to make fluffy clouds. —Janet Tigchelaar, Jerseyville, Ontario

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Get Fancy with Your Piping

I make this cake on birthdays and other special occasions because it looks and tastes so amazing. Go crazy with the piping to get as much icing as you can in each slice. —Christina Pope, Speedway, Indiana

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Go Nuts with the Cake

This recipe truly lives up to its name. The pecan-dotted cake is stacked in three layers, and made-from-scratch frosting is the crowning touch.—Karen R. Jones, Claypool, Indiana

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Drizzle the Ganache

This cake won grand champion at the 2000 Alaska State Fair, and you will see why once you taste it. My decadent chocolate cake boasts a luscious ganache filling and fudge buttercream frosting. —Cindi DeClue, Anchorage, Alaska

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Top the Cake with Citrus Twists

This Key lime pound cake was inspired by a basic pound cake recipe that I like to play around with. A few thin slices of lime add a burst of fresh flavor. —Pat Stewart, Canton, Georgia

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Go Crazy for Coconut

We named this a "pina colada" cake because it has coconut, pineapple and rum. It's a soothing finish at the end of a big spread. Pile on the shredded coconut for a snowy look. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma

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Make a Shape On the Cake

This luscious cake is really versatile for all-year fun. I've changed the design on top to a heart for Valentine's, a pumpkin for autumn and a tree for Christmas. —Flo Burtnett, Gage, Oklahoma

Originally Published: September 12, 2019

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