If you need cartoon cake ideas for a birthday or party, this is my running gallery of the best designs I have found, from Peppa Pig to SpongeBob to superheroes. Cartoon birthday cakes have come a long way from a flat photo printed on a sheet cake. The good ones now are full 3D sculptures and hand-painted scenes.
Below are my favorite cartoon cake designs from bakers around the web, each credited where I can, with notes on which work best for boys, for girls, for a first birthday, or as an easy buttercream-and-fondant build. There is a batch of extra ideas and a quick FAQ at the end too.
A quick note: I have no affiliation with any of the bakers below, and I earn nothing from these picks. I credit each one where possible. If your design is featured and you would like it removed, email me at the address at the bottom of the page.
🎂 BAKER TIP
Most of these can be made the easy way: a simple buttercream cake with a fondant character topper, instead of a full sculpted cake. Save the photo, show your baker, and ask for a topper version. It reads as the character and costs a fraction of a 3D build.
The Best Cartoon Cake Ideas
Here are my top picks, grouped by character so you can jump to the one you need.
Peppa Pig Cake
Peppa is one of the most requested kids’ cakes there is. A muddy-puddle theme is perfect for a first or second birthday. For an easy Peppa Pig cake, ask for a buttercream base with a fondant Peppa on top instead of a fully sculpted cake. Bakers can do single-tier, sheet, or chocolate versions, and a girly pink design is an easy tweak.
Cake by sugarpearls.in
Doraemon Birthday Cake
The blue robot cat is a nostalgia hit and a favorite anime birthday cake. His round shape and three flat colors (blue, white, red) make the design simple for a baker to nail, even as a 3D head.
Cake by tannushreecakehouse
The Lorax Cake
A great pick for a birthday, an Earth Day party, or any Dr. Seuss theme. The orange Lorax and the tufted Truffula trees give you bright colors and an easy, recognizable scene.
Cake by cakesby_isa
Bugs Bunny Cake
A hoppy classic that works for kids and for adults who grew up on Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny is fun as a carrot-cake nod, a face cake, or a fondant topper on a birthday cake.
Cake by dulce_abejitabyaj
Jetsons Cake
A retro-futuristic pick from the world of The Jetsons. The space-age shapes suit a sci-fi or space birthday, and the bold flat colors keep it manageable.
Cake by mas_chocolate1
Superhero Cake Ideas
Superhero cakes are a top choice for a boy’s birthday, but they suit anyone. Go with a single logo for an easy buttercream design, or a 3D scene for a showpiece. Marvel, Avengers, Hulk, and Spider-Man are the most requested, and a simple cape-and-mask topper works on a budget.
Cake by noveltycakeszambia
SpongeBob Cake
One of the easiest cartoon cakes to make. SpongeBob is basically a yellow rectangle, so a sheet cake carved into his shape gives you an instant SpongeBob birthday cake with very little sculpting.
Toy Story Cake
Woody, Buzz, and the gang are a Pixar favorite. A “to infinity and beyond” theme works as toppers on a tiered cake or as a single-character buttercream design.
3D Stitch Cake
Lilo and Stitch fans love a sculpted 3D Stitch cake. His big ears and round body carve well, and the blue color is easy to match. This is one of the better characters to attempt as a 3D build.
Dragon Ball Z Cake
For anime fans, a Goku or Dragon Ball Z cake brings real drama. Bold colors and a power-up glow do the heavy lifting, and a single Dragon Ball is an easy beginner option.
Cat in the Hat Cake
The red-and-white striped hat is instantly recognizable, which makes a Cat in the Hat cake an easy Dr. Seuss design. A tall striped-hat cake is a fun, simple shape to attempt.
Winnie the Pooh Cake
A gentle, nostalgic choice that suits a baby shower or first birthday. Pooh with his honey pot is a soft, warm design that works in buttercream.
Tom and Jerry Cake
The classic cat-and-mouse duo make a fun Tom and Jerry birthday cake for any age. Feature both characters as toppers, or pick one for a simpler design.
Thomas the Train Cake
All aboard. A Thomas the Train cake is a toddler-party staple. His blue engine shape carves into a simple 3D cake, or sits as a topper on a track-themed buttercream base.
Pokemon Cake
A Pokemon Black and White inspired cake is great for trainers, and a Pikachu cake is the easy crowd-pleaser. The bright yellow and simple shape make Pikachu a beginner-friendly birthday cake.
Cake by fancycakesnavan
Paw Patrol Cake
The rescue pups are a top pick for younger kids. Feature the birthday child’s favorite pup on top, or do the whole team for a Paw Patrol birthday cake. Easy to do as a topper on a paw-print buttercream base.
Easy Cartoon Cake Ideas
Making it yourself? These are the easiest cartoon cakes to pull off at home:
- SpongeBob. A carved rectangle sheet cake. The simplest sculpt on this list.
- Single-character toppers. A flat buttercream cake with one fondant character on top. Works for Peppa, Bugs, or any pup.
- Logo cakes. A superhero emblem or a single Dragon Ball is just shapes and color, no sculpting.
- Striped-hat cakes. The Cat in the Hat hat is a tall, simple stack.
Cartoon Cake Designs for Boys and Girls
If you are matching the cake to the birthday kid, here is a quick sort of the designs above:
- Cartoon cake designs for boys: superhero, Dragon Ball Z, Thomas the Train, Paw Patrol, and SpongeBob.
- Cartoon cake designs for girls: Peppa Pig, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and the Disney Princess ideas below.
- Works for either: Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Pokemon, Stitch, and the Lorax.
3D Cartoon Cake Ideas
Want a sculpted showpiece instead of a flat design? The characters with round, simple bodies carve into 3D cakes most easily: Stitch, Doraemon, a Pokemon like Pikachu, Thomas the Train, and SpongeBob. Rounder shapes hold their form better than thin or detailed ones, so they are the safest 3D builds to attempt.
6 More Cartoon Cake Ideas to Try
Still deciding? Here are six more cartoon themes that always work:
- Disney Princess cake. A tiered cake with Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, or Snow White in each one’s signature colors.
- Mickey Mouse and Friends cake. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, on tiers or together in fondant.
- Adventure Time cake. Finn, Jake, and the Land of Ooo, with props like the Ice King’s crown.
- Powerpuff Girls cake. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in their colors, mid-flight for a 3D scene.
- Scooby-Doo cake. The whole gang, or a spooky haunted-house design.
- Looney Tunes cake. Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, or Road Runner with a classic cartoon scene.
Cartoon Cake FAQ
How do you make a cartoon cake?
The easiest way is a flat buttercream cake with a fondant or printed character topper. For a 3D cake, bakers carve stacked layers into the character’s shape, then cover it in fondant.
Fondant or buttercream for a cartoon cake?
Buttercream is faster, cheaper, and tastes better to most people. Fondant gives a smoother, sharper finish and holds detail, which is why it is used for toppers and sculpted cakes.
What is the easiest cartoon cake to make at home?
SpongeBob, since he is a simple rectangle, or any single-character topper on a flat buttercream base.
How far ahead can you make a cartoon cake?
Fondant toppers can be made days ahead so they firm up. The cake itself is best baked one to two days before and decorated close to the event.
Related Reading
- Cartoon Painting Ideas
- The Best Cartoon Characters of All Time
- Bugs Bunny
- Cat in the Hat Characters
- The Jetsons Characters
