• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
BeeyondCereal
  • Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
    • Resources
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • a wooden spoon scooping into apple pie baked beans.
      Apple Pie Baked Beans
    • spoon holding a scoop of caramel over a jar.
      10 Minute Salted Caramel Sauce
    • strawberry blueberry shortcake with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream.
      Strawberry Blueberry Shortcake
    • plates topped with strawberry blueberry pancakes, fresh berries, and whipped cream.
      Strawberry Blueberry Pancakes
    • a red bowl filled with apple berry salsa on a plate of cinnamon sugar chips.
      Apple Berry Salsa
    • a strawberry blueberry parfait garnished with a mint leaf.
      Strawberry Blueberry Parfait
    • a bowl of strawberry blueberry fruit salad.
      Strawberry Blueberry Fruit Salad
    • sourdough bagels on a wire cooling rack.
      Sourdough Discard Bagels
    • a spoon holding a bite ot egg drop soup over a bowl.
      Egg Drop Soup
    • two burger buns filled with cabbage tuna salad.
      Tuna Cabbage Salad
    • a fork poking into sliced pieces of spiral ham.
      Honey Baked Spiral Ham
    • a bowl of strawberry blueberry overnight oats.
      Strawberry Blueberry Overnight Oats
    BeeyondCereal » Recipes » Cake Recipes

    Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake Recipe

    Modified: Oct 18, 2023 Published: Aug 3, 2021 by Nicole Durham This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    This Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake is 3 layers of tasty fun and magic. Made with an upgraded boxed cake mix recipe and a whipped cream cheese frosting, this cake is as tasty as it is pretty.

    Recipe: $12.58 | Per Serving: $0.79 | Servings: 16

    a finished unicorn cake with pink, purple, and blue hair.

    I eagerly took on the task of creating a birthday cake for my unicorn-loving niece, inspired by my desire to craft an Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake. It was a perfect addition to her unicorn themed party.

    To ensure the cake's ideal height, I adapted a cake mix for three 8-inch pans. For the filling, I used prepared vanilla pudding, offering a delicious shortcut akin to homemade pastry cream. This method is a favorite for my birthday cake crepes recipe too.

    When combined with the frosting, the cake layers create a visually stunning rainbow unicorn cake that's light, fluffy, and moist, pleasing both the eyes and the taste buds.

    For more party ideas, explore these Unicorn Food Ideas To Inspire Your Next Party!

    Jump to:
    • 🍯 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions for Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • ❤️ More Delicious Cake Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍯 Why This Recipe Works

    1. It's easy. While there are several time consuming steps, the actual work needed to make this cake is fairly simple. Perfect for an at home baker.
    2. It's a cheaper alternative. You can buy a cake from a store or professional, or you can make one at home. Making your own cake means keeping a little more money in your wallet and adding more memories and love in every slice.
    3. You can customize it. Change up the colors or flavors as you want and really make this recipe your own!

    🥘 Ingredients

    ingredients needed to make the batter of the unicorn cake.

    Ingredient Notes:

    Yellow Cake Mix- This will be the base of the cake recipe, making it easier and more simplified. You can use Yellow or white cake mix. We also use cake mix as the base in our Tres Leches Layered Cake, Southern Banana Pudding Cake, and Easter Confetti Cake.

    All-Purpose Flour- For added gluten, it gives us a better structure.

    Instant Pudding Mix- You will need the dry mix from the pudding box. Do not prepare it beforehand.

    Pudding- You will need Vanilla Flavored Cook and Serve Pudding (plus the milk to make it).

    Cream Cheese- Adding cream cheese will give us a great flavor, but it also helps the frosting to remain stable enough to pipe decorations with.

    For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

    🔪 Instructions for Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake

    Batter Prepping

    Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

    Step 2: Cut some parchment paper circles the size of the bottom of your cake pans and then spray the sides and bottom of the cake pans with non-stick cooking spray before placing the parchment paper in and spraying them again. This will keep the parchment paper in place so that it doesn't curl up.

    Step 3: Set the pans aside and prepare the batter.

    Blend cake mix, flour, sugar, pudding. Mix eggs, oil, milk, vanilla. Add sour cream.

    Step 4: In a very large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, and boxed pudding mix with a whisk (Image 1).

    Step 5: In another mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla (Image 2).

    Step 6: Add in the sour cream. Mix until combined (Images 3&4).

    Combine wet with dry. Whisk until smooth. Divide; add coloring, mix.

    Step 7: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones (Image 5). Whisk together until well blended and no flour streaks remain (Image 6).

    Step 8: Divide the batter between small bowls and add food coloring to each (Image 7). Stir until the desired colors have been achieved (Image 8).

    Baking and Leveling

    Spoon batter into pans, alternating colors. Bake.

    Step 9: Spoon the batter into the cake pans, a little at a time from each color until all pans are filled evenly and no unused batter remains. Use a toothpick to swirl the colors around if desired (Images 9, 10 & 11).

    Step 10: Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean (Image 12).

    Step 11: While the cakes are in the oven prepare the vanilla cook and serve pudding according to package instructions and place plastic wrap over the surface of the cooked pudding as it cools to prevent thick skin from forming.

    Step 12: Once the cakes have finished baking allow for them to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack.

    level top of cake. add frosting ring. fill with prepared pudding.

    Step 13: Cool completely, level tops with a bread knife (Image 13).

    Step 14: Prepare frosting per recipe. Chill 2 cups for unicorn hair.

    Step 15: Pipe a frosting ring on two layers.

    Step 16: Spoon pudding inside circles. Avoid overfilling layers (Image 14).

    Stacking and Decorating

    stack cakes. apply crumb coat of frosting.

    Step 17: Stack the three cake layers so that the filling is between two layers and the empty layer is the one on top (Image 15).

    For added stability, trim plastic straws slightly shorter than cake height and insert through layers as dowels. Optionally, freeze the cake before frosting for better texture.

    Step 18: When the cakes are stacked and sturdy, Pipe some white frosting around the centers and sides of the cake. Make sure to get the top as well.

    Step 19: Use a long, flat tool like a cake leveler. Hold it at a 45-degree angle towards cake sides. This will push the frosting into the cake as it smooths it out so it can help to fill in gaps and holes. Go around until the cake is covered in a thin layer. It's perfectly fine for crumbs to be stuck in the frosting. This is called a crumb layer (Image 16).

    Step 20: Chill the cake and the frosting at this point before doing a final frosting layer. If your cake is frozen solid, you may be able to get away with adding a thicker frosting layer now that the crumb layer is chilled against the cold cake.

    final white frosting layer added to three stacked layers of cake.

    Step 21: Add a thick layer of frosting around the sides and top and level it out until smooth. I say thick but really you want it no more than ¼ inch thick as your only goal is to make the frosting thick enough that the cake isn't poking through the sides. The top doesn't matter and can be left as a crumb layer because you will be covering it in unicorn hair frosting.

    Step 22: Place the cake back into the fridge as you prepare the hair colors.

    Unicorn Hair

    Step 23: Remove the chilled frosting you set aside earlier and mix it with any unused white frosting you have leftover from frosting the cake.

    Step 24: Divide the frosting by however many colors you want and add some food coloring to each, mixing until blended.

    Step 25: Place each frosting into its own piping bag with a fitted tip. A different tip should be used per color as it helps to make things less confusing and more unique.

    Step 26: Arrange the bags of frosting in order of largest tip to smallest tip as this will make it easier to grab and use.

    Step 27: Grab the cake from the fridge and set it in front of you. Plan out how you want the hair arranged. Do you want the full top covered or just a strip down the middle? Do you want large bangs or small ones? Etc.

    Step 28: Once you've got an idea, go for it! Grab the largest tip and make several circles starting in the front and working your way back. Set down the frosting bag and grab the next tip.

    Step 29: Use it to fill in some of the gap areas by making circles that are smaller or make stars by pressing down on the tip and lifting straight up. Continue this process until you get to your last color and use that to fill in any of the small gaps still left.

    a fully finished unicorn cake with horns, ears, and eyelashes on a golden cake board.

    Step 30: Add sprinkles to the hair if desired.

    Step 31: Add the unicorn horn and ears; if you haven't already, add the unicorn eyelashes too. These usually come with unicorn kits but can also be made with melted chocolate too.

    Slice, Serve, and Enjoy!

    ~Happy Birthday To You~

    a birthday party showing the unicorn cake being presented to a table full of children.
    Presenting the Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake to the Birthday Girl and Guests

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    1. Selecting the Right Bowl- For this cake, you'll need a very large mixing bowl. A standard large bowl might be too small, so opt for the biggest one you have. In our family, we use the bowl usually reserved for my mom's Dill Pickle Potato Salad.
    2. Using Food Coloring- Adding food coloring to the batter is optional, but it adds a fun twist to the Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake. Gel food coloring works best for vibrant colors without adding too much moisture. A little gel goes a long way, so it's ideal for both the batter and frosting.
    3. Preparation Tips- Ensure the pudding filling is cooked and cooling before starting the cake layers, or prepare it shortly after. If baking and stacking on the same day, ensure both layers and filling cool around the same time. You can prep the layers and filling a day ahead: freeze the cake layers and store the filling in the fridge.
    4. Leveling the Cakes- Use a large bread knife to level the cakes, or trim the dome off each layer while still in the cake pan. This way, you can ensure even heights. You can also use a cake leveler tool for thinner layers if desired.
    5. Smoothing the Frosting- Achieving a smooth frosting surface is crucial for the unicorn design. While a frosting smoother is ideal, you can use clean wooden rulers or other household items in a pinch.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    How many tiers for a unicorn cake?

    most bakers will agree that a unicorn cake looks best when there is a minimum of 3 layers. This gives you plenty of space for hair and facial designs.

    What piping tips do I need for a unicorn cake?

    You will need Wilton 1M, 21, & 199. You can use any tips you want to, but these three will give you the best variations in size and shape.

    What can I use for horn on unicorn cake?

    You can use anything from cardboard to fondant. With unicorns becoming so popular, you can even buy kits from Amazon and from Walmart where plastic unicorn horns are included.

    a slice of rainbow unicorn cake ready to eat.

    ❤️ More Delicious Cake Recipes

    • banana pound cake with brown sugar glaze on a yellow cake plate.
      Sour Cream Banana Pound Cake
    • Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting on a chocolate cupcake.
      Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
    • oreo buttercream on a chocolate drip cake.
      Oreo Buttercream Frosting
    • a sliced lemon bar square and fresh strawberries around it.
      2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

    If you tried this Rainbow Unicorn Cake, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!

    📖 Recipe

    rainbow unicorn cake.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake

    This pastel-colored unicorn cake is 3 layers of tasty fun and magic. Made with an upgraded boxed cake mix recipe and a whipped cream cheese frosting this cake is as tasty as it is pretty
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Servings: 16 slices
    Calories: 613kcal
    Cost Recipe $12.58 / Serving $0.79
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • (3) 8 inch cake pans
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Food Coloring
    • Electric Mixer
    • Frosting Piping Tips
    • Unicorn ears and horn decorations
    • Frosting bags
    • Acrylic cake scrapers

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 box (15.25oz) yellow cake mix (just the dry stuff!) ($1.00)
    • 1 cup all purpose flour ($0.13)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar ($0.36)
    • ¾ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
    • 1 box (3.4oz) vanilla flavored instant pudding mix ($0.98)
    • 4 large eggs ($0.60)
    • 1 cup sour cream ($1.00)
    • ½ cup vegetable oil ($0.35)
    • 1 cup milk ($0.20)
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract ($0.09)

    Filling

    • 1 box (3oz) vanilla cook and serve pudding (prepared) ($1.88)

    Frosting

    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened ($1.86)
    • 1 cup powdered sugar ($0.36)
    • 2 ¾ cups heavy whipping cream ($3.73)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ($0.03)
    • food coloring in desired colors
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Prepare Cake Layers

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Cut some parchment paper into circles that can fit at the bottom of your 8 inch cake pans. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and lay the parchment circles inside. Spray again with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, and boxed pudding mix.
    • In another mixing bowl blend together the eggs, sour cream, oil, milk, and vanilla.
    • Add your wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until well combined and no flour streaks remain.
    • Divide the batter between small bowls and add food coloring to each one. Mix until the color is evenly distributed.
    • Divide the batter evenly between your three cake pans by using the same scoop measure (I use a small cookie scoop) and adding a mixture of each color into each pan. Each cake pan should look blotchy like it's a tie-dye of fun rainbow colors. Use a toothpick to lightly swirl the colors together if desired.
    • Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.

    Prepare Filling

    • While the cakes are in the oven, prepare the vanilla cook and serve pudding according to package instructions and cover the hot pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Remove it from heat and allow it to cool until ready to use or place it in the fridge.

    Chill Cakes and Filling

    • Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
    • Allow them to cool on the racks upside down and make sure to remove any parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
    • Once the cakes are completely cooled, flip them over onto a cutting board and level the tops with a large bread knife.

    Prepare Frosting

    • In a large mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until just combined. Do not overmix.
    • In another large mixing bowl beat the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
    • Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and beat again until combined. Do not overmix.
    • Remove 2 cups of frosting and set aside (covered) in the fridge. This will be divided and colored later for the unicorn mane.

    Assembly

    • Place two topless cake layers in front of you and leave the other off to the side.
    • Place some frosting into a pastry bag or Ziploc baggie with a corner snipped off.
    • Make a circle around the rim of the tops of them both.
    • Spoon in your cold and chilled vanilla pudding. Spread it around so that it fills the circle and is pretty even looking.
    • Stack the three cakes on top of each other by placing one pudding topped cake on top of the other and the one you had set aside on top of the other two. Try to get them to stand as straight as you can. If needed, place everything into the fridge to chill for one hour so it holds up better. You can also freeze the cake at this point and chill the frosting until ready to use.
    • When the cakes are stacked and sturdy, pipe the white frosting around the outside where the middles are and go around the cake with a flat leveler or surface (a wooden ruler works okay in a pinch). Angle it slightly so you're pressing into the cake while removing excess frosting. This should fill in any gaps so the cake is level on the sides.
    • Frost the entire cake with a nice thick layer of white frosting so that it is about ¼ inch thick and you can't see the cake poking through. Go over it again with your flat leveler as much as needed to get it to look as desired. Don't forget to level out the top.
    • Place the cake in the fridge to chill as you prepare the colored frostings.
    • Remove your chilled frosting and add it to any leftover white frosting you may have (assuming it's not filled with cake crumbs).
    • Divide the frosting by however many colors you want in the hair and then add food coloring to each bowl and mix until well blended.
    • Place each frosting in it's own pastry bag with fitted tip. A different tip per color really helps to make things less confusing. You want to use the tips advertised as borders or stars as these look nicer than the round ones or leaves (unless you want to add leaves on purpose).
    • Arrange each bag once filled and fitted to the side in the order of biggest tip to smallest. This makes it easier to grab and use.
    • Bring your white frosted cake out of the fridge and set it in front of you. Plan how you want the hair to go. Do you want to cover the whole top or just a strip cascading down the side at an angle? Most unicorn cakes have bangs.
    • Once you have an idea in mind, grab your largest tip and pipe large circles in the direction you want them to go. Try to keep them spaced out so other shapes can fill the gaps.
    • Grab the next color and add smaller swirls or stars around the large ones in the gaps you provided, leaving space for the next colors too.
    • Repeat until there is only one small frosting tip left and use it to carefully fill in any white spots in the hair.
    • Add any sprinkles (if using) and place in the ears and horn. If you haven't already, add the eyes. These often come in kits with the horn and ears but if not, you can mix a little frosting with black food coloring or use melted chocolate.
    • Slice, serve, and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Bowl Size: Opt for a generously sized mixing bowl to accommodate all ingredients effectively.
    • Food Coloring: Enhance the fun by dividing and coloring the batter. Gel food coloring ensures vibrant hues without excess moisture.
    • Prepping: Coordinate pudding filling preparation with cake layer timing. Both can be prepped a day ahead, with cake layers frozen and filling stored in the fridge.
    • Leveling: Trim the cake dome while still in the pan for even top cuts, using the pan as a guide. Alternatively, use a cake leveler tool for thinner, flatter layers.
    • Smoothing: Achieve a smooth frosting finish with an official frosting smoother or clean wooden rulers as substitutes.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.5g | Protein: 6.9g | Fat: 34.2g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.5g | Trans Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 119.1mg | Sodium: 528.8mg | Potassium: 183.7mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 282.5IU | Vitamin C: 7.4mg | Calcium: 140.7mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    Author Nicole Durham
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Diet Vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used. To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

    More Cheap and Easy Cake Recipes for Beginners

    • frosted ice cream cone cupcakes with one split open to reveal cake inside.
      Microwave Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
    • red velvet cake in a mug with chocolate chips.
      Cake Mix Mug Cakes
    • 4 different cake mix recipes collaged together.
      Recipes With Boxed Cake Mixes
    • easter confetti cake with easter peeps and candies.
      Easter Confetti Cake

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Nicole from Beeyond Cereal

    Hey, I'm Nicole

    The proud owner and recipe developer behind BeeyondCereal. Here, I'm passionate about showing people how to navigate the kitchen with frugality in mind, whipping up family-friendly recipes that not only save money but also bring joy to every meal.

    Learn More→

    Summer Recipes

    • two loaves of snickerdoodle zucchini bread on a cutting board with two fresh zucchini.
      Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread
    • strawberry blueberry shortcake with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream.
      Strawberry Blueberry Shortcake
    • a white bowl filled with orange fluff sald and topped with marshmallows and orange slices.
      Orange Creamsicle Fluff
    • angled view into a glass of ice cold lemonade with sliced lemons on a wooden cutting board and fresh lemons to the side.
      Single Serving Lemonade

    Trending NOW

    • a white bowl filled with cooked canned green beans.
      The Best Canned Green Bean Recipe
    • a bowl of creamy 5 ingredient mac and cheese.
      5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
    • roasted chicken, carrots and potatoes in a baking dish with a sprig of rosemary on top.
      Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
    • sliced banana bread on a wooden surface.
      Eggless Banana Bread
    • a sliced beef roast on a cutting board with carving utensils.
      Poor Mans Prime Rib
    • cinnamon rolls with icing on top in an 8x8 baking dish.
      Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls

    As Seen In

    as seen in various articles and websites.

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Public Sharing Policy
    • Pricing Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    Follow

    • Subscribe for FREE eBook
    • Follow on Facebook
    • Follow on Instagram
    • Follow on Pinterest

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Beeyond Cereal --Theme by Feast Design Co.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.