25 Cake Decorating Ideas That Will Wow Your Guests

When you need a cake for a special occasion, it might be easier to buy something from the store, but we’re here to convince you to take on the challenge of making a stunning cake yourself. It will be rewarding for you and the recipient of your masterpiece.

We’ve sourced cake decorating ideas from some of the world’s best bakers and chefs. Some are elegant; others are fun; all are fantastic. These recipes cover how to decorate a cake like a pro, from getting the perfect frosting to balancing beautiful flavors and creating surprise designs that will wow guests.

So grab your mixing bowls, piping bags and spatulas – it’s time to get creative with your cakes.

Amanda Rettke, food blogger behind I am a baker and the author of “Surprise cakes inside“goes beyond classic desserts with her creative ideas for making amazing overdone cakes. Here are her step-by-step instructions on how to make her awesome Surprise Rainbow Heart Cake Inside.

The bold color contrast of the rich layers of ruby ​​red velvet cake and fresh white cream cheese frosting is a breathtaking sight. It’s like walking your taste buds on the red carpet.

This cake captures all the vibrant colors and fresh flavors of a spring garden in every sweet bite. The festive flowers and lemon-scented cake and frosting make it bright, lemony, and delicious.

This one is a showstopper – gorgeous and delicious! It has the best of both worlds – edible cookie dough and soft cookies, plus frosting.

This breakfast-inspired cake looks and tastes like a big stack of pancakes. Layers of moist buttermilk cake and sweet maple frosting pack all the flavors of the morning favorite into one impressive dessert.

This recipe doesn’t add any unexpected extras or fancy new flavors. It’s a traditional, simple red velvet cake that showcases the unbeatable flavors and textures of this iconic classic.

“As a middle-aged woman of the world, it’s no secret to me that you can whip up boxed cake mix to create a heavenly dessert,” says Ree Drummond. “This trend took hold in the 90s and gave masses of people permission to forego the measure and messiness of a cake from scratch. But just in case your generation hid this eternal truth about cake mix all your life, here I am lifting the veil.

“It’s an incredibly simple way to bring the era of cake mixes into your life: a rich, highly chocolatey cake that’s so easy to make, it could become your favorite birthday cake request.”

Coffee is the secret ingredient to making this chocolate cake super moist and flavorful. It’s easy to make and can be decorated with plump berries and edible flowers when you need an easy cake recipe for a special occasion.

This cake’s vanilla base can be a go-to base for just about any cake, whether you’re keeping the color as is or having fun with the food coloring. It’s not too sweet and it’s perfectly moist with a nice tight crumb. It freezes well and is a great base recipe to build from. Experiment with different mixtures like chocolate chips, blueberries, orange zest or sprinkles.

This is the perfect cake for the cookie dough lover in your life! You can use any cookie dough for the cookie dough layers and any color sprinkled in the cookie layers to customize the taste and appearance.

These days most people use angel food cake or pound cake for this dessert, but country singer Trisha Yearwood loves the old-fashioned mix of the not-so-sweet cookie with the sweetness of strawberries and whipped cream. . It’s an ode to her grandmother, who always used cookies instead of pastry in her recipes.

The cake and frosting for this adorable carrot cake are incredibly simple recipes that are easy enough to make for a special occasion. And let’s not forget that it is a pleasure to eat!

This fun cake turns a classic bowl of ramen noodles into a fun and sweet treat. Glazed noodles and adorable decorations are surprisingly easy to make, but they look so impressive.

A dense, lemony confection, this cake is reminiscent of spring and the end of winter. It’s easy to mix up and get fancy with icing swirls and swirling lemon twists.

Bullock-Prado shares how to make homemade caramel for this gorgeous cake. “That simple act of heating sugar so much that it turns from a shiny white to a slightly golden, coppery brown is my weakness,” she says.

Talk about showing some love! These adorable Valentine’s Day themed cakes are so much fun to bake, decorate and personalize.

Despite its incredibly awesome design, send your child to the moon on their birthday, this rainbow layer cake is actually very easy and mostly requires repeating a simple recipe for a simple cake and frosting several times.

“This is one of my favorite cakes of all time. I want to hold it close and never let go, but I might look silly with big pink and white melted chocolate ears stuck on my shirt. So if you decide to make this cake, know it’s an extension of my heart,” Amanda Rettke says of this cute button (or rather bunny) cake.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any occasion that calls for chocolate (is there an occasion that doesn’t?), this cake is topped with pickled strawberry jam and runny milk cheesecake. In other words, it is divine.

This cake is so fun they put it in her name! Rainbow sprinkles give this cake an undeniably festive air. Young and old will love this delicious multicolored cake.

A wild streak runs through this dessert under a layer of rich chocolate icing. Cut a slice and reveal zebra stripes of vanilla and chocolate cake. It’s a surprisingly easy trick to perform – just alternate dollops of batter in the center of the pan and create concentric rings.

This cake is so impressive and enchanting when you slice it. The combination of tart lemon and sweet dark berries paired with the rich buttercream frosting make for a refreshing yet decadent dessert.

Drip cakes are super cool and surprisingly easy to make. Adding drops to a cake can really make your work eye-catching, and it feels like a therapeutic art experience – kids and hobby decorators welcome!

Lemon and meringue form one of the best culinary duos of all time. Here, they’re whipped into a light-as-air cake. A Swiss meringue frosting is applied and then toasted for a golden hue, to highlight her sultry curves. A big pile of raspberries on top seems to keep the whole creation from floating.

Really, madly, and deeply chocolatey: Puddles of rich salted caramel separate layers of chocolate cake, which are then covered in dark chocolate frosting and sprinkled with flaky salt. Prepare the wonderful cake layers and caramel up to three days before assembly (chilling actually improves the texture for stacking), so you can make it look effortless.