Party Unicorn Cakes

Unicorns are everywhere! In the shops, on the internet. They come in forms of cushions, hats, drinks, endless. So I wanted to make some party unicorn cakes for my daughter’s friend.

My first attempt of making a unicorn cake was half successful, half pornographic. That horn?? I couldn’t quite get it right! It was for my daughter’s third birthday. In my defence I was up all evening making it (plus a load of sweet cones for her party the following day). Plus I was recovering from the Australian Flu. That party the next day was a killer…

But Eva loved it and the parents seemed impressed. Well no-one sniggered as I bought it into the room singing ‘happy birthday’.

I guess now I’ll have to add a photo of it!

My First Attempt as a Unicorn Cake

Although I correctly twined my sausage – shaped rolled out icing around a skewer to try and get the magical swirled effect of the unicorn’s horn, I ended up with making it too thick and squashed! I also think it’s slightly in the wrong place on the cake. Eva wanted it pink rather than gold as well. Big mistake!

The rest of it though wasn’t bad at all. That was because I was more concerned about getting the piping right when I started. I used a giant cupcake mould and covered it with vanilla buttercream (I work better with than then rolled icing), but it was okay.

So, when my friend’s little girl had her birthday party last weekend, I jumped at the chance to make some mini party unicorn cakes. Again, a first attempt at these cupcakes and I’d probably give them a bit more ‘height’ and define the ears a bit more, but I’m ever the critic.

To make 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 175 g  Unsalted Butter
• 175 g Caster Sugar
• 175 g Self Raising Flour
• 3 Medium Eggs
• 12 paper cupcake cases

For the icing

• 250 g Unsalted Butter
• 500 g Icing Sugar, Sifted
• Selection of food colouring of your choice

For the decoration

• A small block of white fondant icing
• Gold cake spray or glitter

Method:

Heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F

Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and caster sugar together until light in colour. Gradually add the flour spoon by spoon (leaving a little) along with the eggs, whisking all the time. Turn off the whisk and fold in the remainder of the flour using a spoon, incorporating it into the mixture. It should be light and airy.

On a baking tray, place 12 cupcake cases and fill with the cake mixture halfway. Place in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes, or until they are golden and spring back when pressed at the top.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Cream the icing sugar and butter together to make a thick buttercream. To have different colours, take out 2 – 3 spoonfuls and place in a clean bowl. Add a few drops of your chosen colour and mix in. Add more icing sugar if the mixture becomes too soft.

Next get your piping bag and use the nozzle of your choice to make mini rosettes and swirls. Fill the piping bag, twisting the top to prevent it squirting out. You then need some control to steadily pipe on a few decorations.

I did a few designs and roses on each cake, then washed out the piping bag and filled with the next colour. Then carried on until the cakes were fully decorated. The leaf shaped tip gives a smoother ribbon effect, which is good for swirling rose shapes, and the closed star shape allows small designs (reminds me of an Iced Gem biscuit) or you can make bigger swirls.

But play around with any nozzle you want, and add different textures like I did, or have the same all over.

Get Creative..

To make the horns I rolled out my sausage shaped piece of fondant to the height of my choice, and made a point. I then (as they were a lot smaller than the previously large cake I had made), actually scored the markings on with a small sharp knife. I did this rather than wrapping it around a skewer and removing the skewer, as I was working with smaller pieces of fondant. Then I covered in gold and allowed them to harden.

With the ears, I made leaf shapes (I did this free hand) using my sharp knife. I moulded them by hand, but if you press them into a teaspoon you get the perfect ear. I put glitter inside, but you could add a smaller ear shape inside in a pale pink colour to make the ear effect.

Once set, poke them into the cakes to make your unicorns! I added a few silver decorations too.

They went down well at the party. I even managed to steal one. A much needed sugar hit after attending a two hour children’s party full of three and four year old’s.