Make your next bash one for the books with this simple (and fabulous) unicorn cupcake recipe.
These gorgeous cupcakes are a lot of fun to make with your kids! They look extra-fancy, but are easier to decorate than you might think.
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Parties, celebrations, family gatherings… I know how they can get. (Stressful, demanding, confusing.) Over the last few years, I’ve fallen in love with party planning. Be it the baking, decorating, or the simple idea of togetherness, I am just so drawn to the idea of throwing bashes.
Unicorns are trending like nobody’s business. I see all sorts of unicorn parties popping up on Insta, Pinterest… everywhere! (May I also ask: Why am I not invited to any of them?!)
Themed parties aren’t as intricate as they seem. All it takes is some imagination and making-do with the resources you have. My unicorn cupcake recipe is simple – most of the grunt work goes into the unicorn horns, which I’ll walk you through step-by-step.
How To Decorate A Unicorn Cupcake
The secret to these lovely cupcakes is a homemade buttercream frosting. The horns are easy to make with a little fondant. These are the perfect cupcakes for kids to make when they are learning how to decorate cupcakes.
What You Need
Tools
- Candy Flowers
- Pink Cake Dusting Powder
- Stand Mixer
- 1M Wilton Tip
- Piping Bag
- Paring Knife
Ingredients
- Butter
- Confectioner’s Sugar
- Milk
- Violet Food Coloring
- Red Gel Food Coloring
- White Cake Fondant
How To Make Fondant Unicorn Horns
All the exact instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but it’s so easy once you see it.
In the image below, you can see how to make your unicorn horns.
Roll the white fondant into small balls. Then, make them into a snake shape and twist them. It’s so easy!
Allow the unicorn horns to dry for about 20 minutes and place on your frosted cupcake. Add a candy flower to each one.
How To Make Unicorn Buttercream
This is so much fun! First, divide the buttercream into two bowls. Then, color one bowl with violet food coloring and add red food coloring to the other bowl so it turns pink.
You can choose to us your favorite colors. If you don’t like pink and purple, use blue and yellow. Be creative and have fun with it.
Then, add both colored buttercreams together into one bowl and fold them together gently. Don’t mix them together, you just want them to barely mix together.
Using a piping bag, frost each cupcake (I used a 1M Wilton tip).
That’s it! Here are all the instructions in one place. Have fun decorating!
Unicorn Cupcakes
Equipment
- Candy Flowers
- Pink Cake Dusting Powder
- Stand Mixer
- 1M Wilton Tip
- Piping bag
- Paring Knife
Ingredients
Buttercream Ingredients
- 2 sticks Butter softened
- 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
- 4 tbsp Milk
- Violet Gel Food Coloring
- Red Gel Food Coloring
- 5 ounces White Fondant
Instructions
- Before decorating, ensure that your cupcakes are completely cool – otherwise you’ll have a sticky, melted mess.
- In a stand mixer, start mixing your butter and sugar on medium speed. Add milk one tablespoon at a time and increase the speed.
- Your buttercream should form stiff peaks – so add confectioners’ sugar and milk accordingly. Milk will loosen it up, sugar will make it more stiff.
- Divide the buttercream in two bowls. Colour one violet (about 1 small drop) and the other, pink (2 red drops of the red). Mix each bowl until the buttercream is completely coloured.
- Add both coloured buttercreams in a large bowl and fold into one another, ensuring that the colours blend but don’t mix. Using a piping bag, frost each cupcake (I used a 1M Wilton tip).
- Roll fondant into spheres, about 1/2 an inch in diameter. Then roll them out so that they’re about 3 inches long
- Lightly “bend” your fondant strip (halfway, so that the ends are even) and start twisting to create the shape of the unicorn horn. Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with your cake dust.
- Allow the unicorn horns to dry for about 20 minutes and place on your frosted cupcake. Add a candy flower to each one.
More Party Ideas
If you need more fun party inspiration, check out these easy ideas!
Those unicorn cupcakes are adorable. My two nieces have birthdays coming up and they would both LOVE these.
These are the cutest unicorn cupcakes! I’ve loved seeing all the trending unicorn parties and these cupcakes would be perfect at any of them. I wish I had one now!
The cupcakes are so adorable. I love the color you’ve used for the frosting. It looks so delicious. Love how simple these cupcakes are to make.
What cute and colorful cupcakes those are! My niece would have loved these cupcakes at one of her birthday parties.
I just love these cupcakes. Such pretty colors! My daughter would probably want these for sure.
Young girls are still loving the unicorn parties. Unicorn cupcake are a must.
My household consist of all boys, but my niece would LOVE this! This is something I could make for her birthday and I KNOW it would be a hit! This is so cute!
I wish my daughter was into princesses and unicorns again. I have to make these for my niece who is still young enough to appreciate the magic.
Oh! These are brilliant in how simple and elegant these lovely little cupcakes are for a birthday or playdate.
Goodness these are cute, fun but yet still very elegant! I always get impatient and can’t wait for baked items to cool LOL. I am not the best baker in the family but I am going to ask my daughter to make these! I stick to the cooking haha.
This recipe makes me wish so much that I had girls. I mean, how absolutely adorable and delicious!?!?!
Oh my goodness those cupcakes are absolutely amazing! Just perfect for any sort of unicorn theme and hey really photogenic as well.
I am so glad that unicorns are totally in right now! This is such a cute party idea that so many would enjoy!
That’s so cute. I wonder why unicorns are such a hit right now. I love the way you shaped the horn.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I was actually going to make unicorn cupcakes for an upcoming party, but I decided against it because it looked so hard. You just saved the day!
Oh these are just beautiful! I am saving this tutorial so I can make these for my daughter!
These are adorable cupcakes. I love them so much. I am going to have to try them asap. I love the idea of throwing a Unicorn Cupcake.
My niece wants a unicorn party, and these are perfect ideas for her! I’ll send this to my sister so she can make those cupcakes, too!
That turned out so great! I thought at first you bought them at the store, but now see you made the horn yourself. Fantastic job!
These are adorable!! Unicorns are what all the little girls love right now, my niece is always asking for Unicorn cookies! I love that you use premade fondant to make the unicorn horn – so smart!!
These unicorn cupcakes are simply adorable. My daughter would have loved these for her birthday when she was younger.
I never need a reason to celebrate – these are an adorable way to enjoy a cupcake! Very cute idea!
It totally looks amazing and it’s definitely going to be a hit during the party! I love that you shared the step-by-step on how to make these cupcakes look gorgeous!
Love all the pretty unicorn party ideas. What fun these will be for those planning unicorn parties for their kids.
OMG! These are really cute! Looks easy to make and delicious!
I love the idea of everything unicorn themed – it just seems so magical for kids! These cupcakes are the cutest!
I have never made this kind of embellishment, but can’t wait to try it! Those cupcakes look amazing!