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Cakes That Kids Can Make: Easy Cakes and Cupcakes

By 26 Comments

Here is a collection of easy cakes that kids can make. If you are looking for a fun afternoon activity for your child or an idea for the next Blue & Gold Banquet you've come to the right place! This post contains an affiliate link.collage of cakes that kids can make

If you don't see instructions listed below for the cake you want to make, just click the link in the description and it will take you to that post!

kids sewing book cover
For 60 more kids activities, check out my sewing book for kids!

Easy Cakes for Kids: Hamburger Cake

checkerboard cake platter with hamburger themed cake
This cake is just classic. To make it simple we used 3 round cakes. 2 yellow and 1 devil's food. There is no need to frost them since they already look like a bun and burger pattie!
piping green frosting onto cake to look like lettuce
  We started with the bottom bun and added some frosting in the center to hold the cake together. Then using a leaf tip, Dallin added lettuce. Just squirt and pull, squirt and pull....that is what I told him to do.
piping red frosting on for ketchup on hamburger cake
Then he stacked the chocolate cake on top of that and added more white frosting. Using a round tip, he piped ketchup on the edges. We used colored marshmallow fondant to make the pickles and cheese. Dallin only likes pickles, lettuce, and cheese (if it is really melted) on his burgers so he did not want to make onions or tomatoes for his burger.
The pickles were cut out of a round cookie cutter and he used a toothpick to make the seed indentations. The cheese was rolled out thin and then cut into a square shape using a pizza cutter. Then we cut the square in half on the diagonal to create two pieces. All of the fixings were draped over the edges before adding the top bun.
child adding fondant pickles to cake
piping on small white dots on top of cake for sesame seeds
Then he piped on sesame seeds with a small round tip and white frosting.
child with finished hamburger cake
He was pretty darn proud of his cake!

Easy Cakes for Kids:Macaroni & Cheese Cake

red checkered cake board with mac and cheese themed cake
This little cake turned out awesome! We had absolutely nothing to go by, as I had never seen a macaroni and cheese cake before, but it is Aaron's favorite food so we attempted it and I think it was a success!
child cutting orange fondant into pieces to resemble macaroni
Using orange fondant, we rolled out ropes and then he cut the ropes into little sections with a butter knife and curved them to create the macaroni.
child frosting round cake
We baked 1 cake mix in the pampered chef batter bowl @ 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to create the bowl. Then I scooped out the top 2" to make an area for the macaroni to fit inside.
He covered it with a light coat of buttercream frosting and then added the fondant.
child covering round cake with blue fondant
Yep, HE did the fondant! I rolled it out for him and he draped it and pressed it around the edges. It didn't need to be perfect, but I think it turned out perfect. He just pressed and folded, then we cut off the excess around the bottom. The bowl was finished.
child with finished macaroni and cheese cake
Another cute cake!

Easy Cakes for Kids: Bunny Cake

bunny cake cutting diagram

Click here to go to our bunny cake blog post! Such a simple cake to make using only 2 round cakes. No special cake pan required.

Easy Cakes for Kids: Minion Cupcakesminion cupcakes on blue platter

EASY. FUN. HILARIOUS! Every family needs to make a batch of these minion cupcakes. We made these just for fun. No birthday or party...as you can see, we didn't even have all matching liners, but they were a hit over here! They are pretty straightforward. Cut a Twinkie to size, use Smarties for the eyes, and frosting to make all of the details!

Easy Cakes for Kids: Mini Rainbow Cake

small blue cake with skittles in the shape of a rainbow
Aaron made this darling cake for his preschool teacher last year. We baked up 2 small round pans, stacked and frosted them, and then used skittles to create the rainbow with marshmallow clouds.
rainbow skittle cake on white plate
He later found out that his teacher's favorite candy was indeed, Skittles, and was pretty excited about that.
child with finished rainbow skittle cake
This sweet simple cake was one of my all time favorites.

Easy Cakes for Kids: Pepperoni Pizza Cake

sugar cookie decorated to look like pizza
Here is another favorite. I made this for Dallin's birthday, but it is so simple that kids would have a blast creating their own pizza cookie/cake and figuring out creative ways to make the toppings!
I made a 14" sugar cookie by pressing the dough onto the pan and poking holes in it with a fork to prevent bubbling. It took an entire batch of cookie dough. I then baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. It had just started to look golden on the edges and looked like it was set. Soft in the center, set up on the edges. Full post here.
I spread red frosting across the cooled cookie for the sauce and used white frosting for the cheese. Again, I didn't have my supplies like frosting bags, so I used ziploc baggies and filled 2 of them with white icing. Then I trimmed off one corner from each baggie. 1 corner was a VERY tiny hole and the other was a little bigger. That way it would look like shredded cheese in different stages of being melted. I drizzled and dropped the icing all over the place randomly.

The pepperoni? Fruit roll ups! It took 5 of them (strawberry flavored) to cut out enough circles. Some of them didn't turn out and stuck to the wax paper too much so it's a good idea to make extra circles of roll ups just in case.

Easy Cakes for Kids: Puppy Paw Cupcakes

3 cupcakes decorated like puppy paws

An Oreo and Junior Mints. It doesn't get more simple for these puppy paw cupcakes! Ruby made these for Kaylee's 7th birthday. View the full party post here. 

Easy Cakes for Kids: Little Chicken Cake

chicken themed cake on white cake stand

No special cake decorating tools required here! This little mound of a cake turned out pretty cute and is just covered in coconut. Lots of it. The details are from starbursts! They were easy to cut into the shapes we needed and taste better than fondant too. I made this cake for my daughter's 1st birthday, but it is simple enough for a child to easily make. You could make many animals using this same shape. Add some ears, a curly tail and a cupcake snout to make a pig, add whiskers for a little mouse, etc. You can see my full post on this cake here.

Easy Cakes for Kids: Butterfly Cupcakes

butterfly cupcake with yellow frosting

My girls loved making these butterfly cupcakes. They were so easy and used some of their favorite kinds of candy! Full post here.

Easy Cakes for Kids: In The Wild Cake

two tiered camping themed cake on metal cake platter

Dallin needed to make a "survival" themed cake for another Blue and Gold Banquet. He was thrilled with how his cake turned out. There were certain aspects that I wanted to "help" with, but I let him take full control over how it was going to go and I think it turned out great.

The theme he came up with was "2 campers in the woods, roasting marshmallows, while some bears are having a party"

And so we went with it...

camping themed cake with gummy bears and candy rocks

Sour patch kids for the "people", toothpick with a piece of marshmallow for "roasting marshmallows" gummy bears for the "bears" and blue icing gel for the lake with mini goldfish crackers.

He used white frosting and spread it into a lake shape and then covered it in the blue gel since the blue gel didn't show up well against the chocolate frosting.

The trees are bugles (the chips) covered in frosting. The rocks are CHOCOLATE rocks. My kids think these are just about the best invention ever. We bought them in bulk at Winco.

child holding camping cake on cake platter
It was a great cake and a great night at Cub Scouts. He earned his Bear! Way to go Dallin!

Easy Cakes for Kids: Easy Flower Cake

9 cupcakes and one round cake decorated like a flower
child frosting cupcakes for flower cake
Kaylee made this cake for a tea party she hosted for a bunch of her little friends. It was incredibly easy to make. 1 small round cake and 10 cupcakes. She frosted the round cake in yellow and added sprinkles and I helped her pipe on frosting for the cupcakes. It was a darling little flower and the girls loved it! View the entire post here!

Easy Cakes for Kids: Teddy Bear Cake

children decorating teddy bear shaped cake
My kids made this darling teddy bear cake for my birthday. A round cake for the head, an oval one for the body, and 6 cupcakes for ears and paws. German chocolate cake with coconut frosting. Then they went crazy with the m&ms and candies for details. Not to mention an overload of candles for the 30-something birthday girl. View the entire post here.
children and mom with teddy bear cake
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It is so fun to see how proud the kids get when they create and use their skills. I just have to remember that it doesn't matter if it is done exactly how I would have made it. It is their creation, their vision, and I need to just step back and offer suggestions here and there, and snap pictures 🙂
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 (I use all shortening and add butter flavoring. Shortening handles temperatures better than butter, but butter tasted better).

For my cakes, I always use boxed ones. No special brand.

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Comments

  1. Claire says

    I made the hamburger cake this week for my 9 yr olds first day back at school after the summer holiday. It turned out so well! I wish I could ad a pic on here because I'm so proud of how great it looked and it tasted amazing, especially the 'patty' Thanks for such a great recipe!

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      This made my day! That was such a fun cake to make with my son. Glad you guys had fun too!

      Reply

  2. Stephanie B. says

    Made the hamburger cake today and it was amazing! I used brownie mix for the“meat” and it looked more realistic. Made a whole pickle instead of the slices. I love the instructions. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Using brownie mix is a GREAT idea! Love that! So glad it turned out great!

      Reply

  3. Bonnie says

    What a wonderful memory for your kids when they grow up! Great mom to take the time to do this with them!
    And the kids are growing with self esteem! Great job and the cutest cakes!

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Thank you so much, Bonnie! I sure hope they look back and remember making these cakes. I sure had fun doing it with them!

      Reply

  4. Keven Gumm says

    A Hamburger cake, something McDonald's ought to try!

    Reply

  5. markkfinn says

    So Cutes! I have found some of awesome and delicious cakes from this source. They are really looking easy to make but the conception of this one is truly great. Thanks for sharing.

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    Reply

  6. Crafty Mischief says

    Your cakes are awesome! The hamburger one is my fave! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

  7. Sue says

    I love all of the cakes, but the mac n' cheese has me smitten!

    Reply

  8. Pamela says

    Great post! I love how involved the kids where!

    Reply

  9. Anu@My Dream Canvas says

    What a fun cake and a great blog. I would love for you to stop by My Dream Canvas.

    Reply

  11. This Place is a Disaster! says

    Wouldn't it be fun for all of the party guests to make thier own hamburger cake (actual hamburger size)!! Fun Fun!

    Reply

  12. Mama Jodi says

    Cakes are hobby of mine, and so I was of course drawn to this post. Love all the ideas...especially the hamburger. So glad I found you and am following along now.

    Reply

  13. Erin {Lavender and Lemon Drops} says

    Those cakes are adorable! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  15. Laura [Beauty & the Beard] says

    SO CUTE! can't get over the hamburger cake - so creative!

    Reply

  16. Marsha says

    Cute cakes. I love the step-by-step pictures!

    Reply

  17. LeighAnn says

    These are great! I'll have to keep this. My older daughter would love the burger and my youngest would love the Mac and cheese.

    Reply

  18. Rhissanna says

    Oh wow! These are brilliant! How inventive and how beautifully the cakes are finished. Well done, kids!

    Reply

  19. Kristy says

    These are so fun!!! I love the hamburger cake!

    Reply

    • Jill says

      I did to I got try some time

      Reply

  20. Bethany says

    these are so cute! Nicely done with the mac and cheese cake…very clever!

    Reply

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