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    Decorated Treats » Recipes » Decorated Cakes

    Lion Birthday Cake (How to Make)

    Published: Oct 4, 2020 · Modified: Sep 16, 2023 by Priya Maha

    Jump to Recipe
    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.

    If you're looking for a show-stopping lion birthday cake idea, this 2 tier cake is sure to impress! Not only does it look impressive, but it's also a lot of fun to make with celebration themed cheerful colors and a lovely handmade lion topper.

    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.
    Lion Birthday Cake for a 2 Year Old

    This birthday cake is a remake of the original lion birthday cake design by tortenberlin.blogspot.com. 

    The cake is a 2 tier vanilla cake measuring 6 inches and 9 inches in diameter and is decorated entirely in fondant. The lion topper is handmade and is completely edible.

    If you like this cute lion cake design, also check this Lion King cake tutorial.

    Note: This is an intermediate cake decorating tutorial and some basic knowledge about frosting a cake with buttercream and fondant is required.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️Why you will love this tutorial
    • 📋Supplies required
    • ✂️How to make
    • 💡Expert tips
    • ❤️More birthday cakes tutorials you will love❤️
    • 📖Recipe

    ❤️Why you will love this tutorial

    • It's fun and cheerful and is a perfect design for children cakes.
    • The tutorial has a full list of all supplies required as well as step by step guide to decorate the cake.
    • You get to hone your cake decorating skills and show it off to everyone.
    • You get to make a professional looking cake with just a fraction of the cost of a custom cake.
    • You get to make tweaks to the design as you wish.

    📋Supplies required

    • Round butter pound cake – 2 layers of 6 inches round cakes and 2 layers of 9 inches rounds, each measuring approximately 2 inches high. Bake each layer in separate cake pans.
    • Buttercream – To fill the cake as well as to crumb coat the cake tiers.
    • Fondant – I used Satin Ice in white, Satin Ice chocolate and black.
    • Food coloring - Wilton Golden Yellow , Wilton Royal Blue , Americolor Mint Green, Americolor Electric Purple  and Wilton Royal Blue.
    • Gum paste – I used Satin Ice gum paste in white for the lettering on the cake.
    • CMC powder – Added to fondant to make the lion cake topper.
    • Shortening and fondant glue – Used as 'glue' for this project.
    • Fondant extruder – To make the cake borders as well as the bunting string on the cake.
    • Star plunger cutter set – To make the stars that were attached at each end of the bunting string on the side of the bottom tier.
    • Oval plunger cutter set – To make the the lion’s mane.
    • Round cutter set and round plunger cutter set – To cut out the colorful circle polka dots on the first tier of the cake.
    • Fondant modelling tools – To make the lion topper.
    • Pizza cutting wheel – To cut the colorful strips on the bottom tier as well as for general cutting work for the cake.
    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.
    Lion Cake Design - Perfect for Birthday Celebrations

    ✂️How to make

    Step 1: The lion cake topper

    A yellow and brown lion cake topper.
    Close up of the lion face on the cake topper for the lion birthday cake
    • Make the lion topper a few days in advance to allow it to set and also to avoid last-minute rush in completing the cake.
    • To make the lion, tint some white fondant with Wilton Golden Yellow food color and knead some CMC into it for added stability.
    • For the mane, use chocolate fondant. Start by forming the body of the lion and attach all four legs to it. And then shape the lion's face. Add all the facial features first, including the ears before attaching it to the body with fondant glue.
    • And then add the mane to the lion's head. For the mane, cut out oval pieces of fondant using the oval plunger cutter and pinch the ends to make them slightly pointy. And then attach them all around the head with glue. Also add these to the back of the head. 
    A yellow and brown lion cake topper.
    Lion birthday cake - Handmade lion topper

    Step 2: Preparing the cake

    • As for the cakes, once baked, let them cool down completely on wire rack (cooling rack) to room temperature before decorating.
    • Level the tops of each cake layer. Stack both the 6 inch layers with some buttercream in between and crumb coat the stacked layers. And then cover the tier with blue fondant. Repeat the process for the 9 inch cake layers, but cover them in yellow.
    • Next, stack both cake tiers. To stack, poke in a few bubble tea straws on the bottom tier to help support and hold the weight of the top tier cake.
    • Once stacked, add the colorful wide and narrow strips alternately all around the bottom tier. Use 3 colors for the strips namely magenta, green and blue. Cut these with the pizza cutting wheel guided by a ruler and attach them to the cake with shortening at equal intervals.
    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.
    Lion birthday cake - perfect for children, including as first birthday cake

    Step 3: Make the number '2' design on the cake

    • To make the large number ‘2’ on the front of the top tier cake, roll some blue fondant into a thick rope and from the number by hand.
    • You can use a paper template (hand drawn or printed) as a guide to form the number. Let the number firm up slightly before lifting and attaching to the front of the cake with glue.

    Step 4: The colorful polka dots

    • Using the same magenta, green and blue that was used for the strips on the bottom tier, make round cut outs in random sizes and attach them to the cake in random order. Also add yellow colored round cut outs for this tier. Attach these polka dots with shortening. 
    Number 2 in yellow on a cake.
    Lion Birthday Cake

    Step 5: The birthday boy's name

    • Next to go on the cake was the birthday boy’s name. Roll some white fondant thin and use the triangle plunger cutter to cut the white buntings.
    • For the alphabets, tint some white gum paste blue and roll it as thin as possible. Use the FMM block letters cutter to cut out the alphabets. Attach these to the white buntings with shortening.
    • Next, use the extruder tool and pipe out a long strip of blue fondant. Attach this to the cake with some shortening.
    • And then attach the bunting to the string. Trim off any excess blue strip.
    • To cover the ends, roll and cut out some blue stars and attach them to the cake.
    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.
    Lion Birthday Cake Design

    Step 6: The cake border

    • For the top tier, use the extruder tool to pipe out yellow and green strips separately and then twist them together by hand to form the twisted rope. Place this twisted rope around the base of the top tier. Secure it in place with shortening.
    • For the bottom tier, use the extruder tool to pipe out a long strip of blue fondant and attach it as the border for the bottom tier. 
    • And finally, add the lion topper to complete the lion birthday cake decoration.

    💡Expert tips

    • CMC is added to fondant to help it set firm and that helps 3D figures to hold shape.
    • When rolling the fondant, it helps to dust the work surface with powdered sugar (icing sugar) to avoid it from sticking.
    • Make the lion topper a few days in advance so that you need not rush to complete the cake on time.
    • When attaching intricate fondant or gum paste cut outs like alphabets, it is better to use shortening than fondant glue as shortening does not stick as hard as glue. You can still move the cut outs to adjust their position without any tears or distortion when using shortening, but not the glue.

    ❤️More birthday cakes tutorials you will love❤️

    • Green cupcakes with orange and brown lion toppers.
      Lion Cupcakes For Kids (How to Make)
    • A round cake with a lion and number 2 cake topper.
      Lion Cake with Cute Lion Topper - How to Make
    • Poster for a 3 tier jungle themed cake with fondant animal toppers
      Cute Animals Cake for a 1st Birthday - A Decorating Tutorial
    • A square cake with a dump truck cake topper. Cake is decorated with scenery on the sides and a fondant car on the cake board.
      Dump Truck Cake for Boys (How to Make)

    Do you like this tutorial? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐rating in the recipe card below and consider a review further down this page. I would love to hear from you. Thank you!

    📖Recipe

    A two tier cake in yellow and blue with a lion cake topper and a large number 2 on the top tier.

    Lion Birthday Cake

    This cute lion birthday cake is really fun to make with its cheerful colors and a lovely handmade fondant lion topper. Get the tutorial here!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Decorating time: 3 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Yield: 1 Two tier cake
    Author: Priya Maha
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Fondant extruder tool
    • Star plunger cutter set
    • Oval plunger cutter set
    • Round cutter set and round plunger cutter set
    • Fondant modelling tools
    • Pizza cutting wheel

    For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.

    Ingredients

    • 2 six inches round cakes approximately 2 inches high
    • 2 nine inches round cakes approximately 2 inches high
    • Buttercream
    • Fondant Satin Ice White, Chocolate and Black
    • Food coloring Wilton Golden Yellow, Wilton Royal Blue , Americolor Mint Green, Americolor Electric Purple and Wilton Royal Blue.
    • Gum paste Satin Ice gum paste in white
    • CMC powder
    • Shortening
    • Fondant glue

    Instructions

    Making the lion cake topper

    • Make the lion topper a few days in advance to allow it to set and also to avoid last-minute rush in completing the cake.
    • To make the lion, tint some white fondant with Wilton Golden Yellow food color and knead some CMC into it for added stability.
    • For the mane, use chocolate fondant. Start by forming the body of the lion and attach all four legs to it. And then shape the face. Add all the facial features first, including the ears before attaching it to the body with fondant glue.
    • And then add the mane. For the mane, cut out oval pieces of fondant using the oval plunger cutter and pinch the ends to make them slightly pointy. And then attach them all around the head with fondant glue. Also add these to the back of the head.

    Preparing the cakes

    • As for the cakes, once baked, let them cool down completely to room temperature before decorating.
    • Level the tops of each layer. Sandwich both the 6 inches layers with some buttercream in between and crumb coat the stacked layers. And then cover the tier with blue fondant. Repeat the process for the 9 inch cake layers, but cover them in yellow fondant.
    • Next, stack both cake tiers. To stack, poke in a few bubble tea straws on the bottom tier to help support and hold the weight of the top tier cake.
    • Once stacked, add the colorful wide and narrow strips alternately all around the bottom tier. Use 3 colors for the strips namely magenta, green and blue. Cut these with the pizza cutting wheel guided by a ruler and attach them to the cake with shortening at equal intervals.

    Making the number '2' design on the cake

    • To make the large number ‘2’ on the front of the top tier cake, roll some blue fondant into a thick rope and from the number by hand.
    • You can use a paper template (hand drawn or printed) as a guide to form the number. Let the fondant number firm up slightly before lifting and attaching to the front of the cake with fondant glue.

    Adding the polka dots

    • Using the same magenta, green and blue fondant that was used for the strips on the bottom tier, make round cut outs in random sizes and attach them to the cake in random order. Also add yellow colored round cut outs for this tier. Attach these polka dots with shortening.

    Adding the name

    • Next to go on the cake was the birthday boy’s name. Roll some white fondant thin and use the triangle plunger cutter to cut the white buntings.
    • For the alphabets, tint some white gum paste blue and roll it as thin as possible. Use the FMM block letters cutter to cut out the alphabets. Attach these to the white buntings with shortening.
    • Next, use the extruder tool and pipe out a long strip of blue fondant. Attach this to the cake with some shortening.
    • And then attach the bunting to the string. Trim off any excess blue fondant strip.
    • To cover the ends, roll and cut out some blue stars and attach them to the cake.

    Adding the cake border

    • For the top tier, use the extruder tool to pipe out yellow and green strips separately and then twist them together by hand to form the twisted rope. Place this twisted rope around the base of the top tier. Secure it in place with shortening.
    • For the bottom tier, use the extruder tool to pipe out a long strip of blue fondant and attach it as the border for the bottom tier.
    • And finally, add the lion topper to complete the lion birthday cake decoration.

    Notes

    • CMC is added to fondant to help the fondant to set firm and that helps 3D figures to hold shape.
    • Make the lion topper a few days in advance so that you need not rush to complete the cake on time.
    • When attaching intricate fondant or gum paste cut outs like alphabets, it is better to use shortening than fondant glue as shortening does not stick as hard as fondant glue. You can still move the cut outs to adjust their position without any tears or distortion when using shortening, but not fondant.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3480kcal | Carbohydrates: 732g | Protein: 64.8g | Fat: 32.4g | Saturated Fat: 9.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 1224mg | Sodium: 7476mg | Potassium: 1188mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 440.4g | Vitamin A: 1848IU | Calcium: 840mg | Iron: 32.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @decorated_treats or tag #decoratedtreats!

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