Fairy Toadstool Birthday Cake Recipe
A fairy toadstool birthday cake recipe is a whimsical dessert shaped like a toadstool, featuring a red cap with white fondant polka dots and a white stem. Adorned with edible fairies, woodland animals, sugar flowers, and glittering candles, it’s a magical, colorful centerpiece for enchanting celebrations.
A fairy toadstool birthday cake features a red domed cap with white fondant polka dots, a white stem, edible windows, and a door. Decorated with buttercream, fondant fairies, sugar animals, flowers, and glittery candles, it’s assembled by carving, frosting, and handcrafting vibrant, magical woodland elements.
We use fondant for smooth polka dots and detailed fairies on a fairy toadstool cake for durability and vibrant colors. Buttercream adds glossy texture. Avoid chocolate decorations, as they melt easily, and liquid dyes, which fade, ensuring a sturdy, magical design that holds up during display.
If you want to surprise your kids with a magical, storybook-style birthday cake, the Fairy Toadstool Cake is a perfect choice. It’s cute, whimsical, and honestly not as complicated as it looks. Let me walk you through how to make it, step by step.
Fairy Toadstool Birthday Cake Ingredients
Here’s What You’ll Need:
For the Cake (Vanilla Sponge, 8-inch round for cap, 6-inch round for stem):
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Red gel food coloring (for cap)
- Green gel food coloring (for grass/moss)
For Decorations:
- 1 lb (450g) white fondant
- 1/2 lb (225g) colored fondant (lavender, yellow, blue for fairies, animals, flowers)
- Edible glitter (silver or gold)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (for sugar butterflies)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (for dusting fondant)
- Edible food paint (brown for door/windows, green for moss)
- Sparkling vine or star-shaped birthday candles
Equipment:
- 8-inch round cake pan (for cap)
- 6-inch round cake pan (for stem)
- Dome-shaped bowl (8-inch diameter, heat-safe for cap)
- Piping bags and tips (grass tip, round tip)
- Fondant rolling pin and cutters
- Small paintbrush (for edible paint)
- Cake board (12-inch)
- Dowel rods (for support)
How to Make a Fairy Toadstool Birthday Cake?
Here’s a step by step direction:
Step 1: Bake the Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour the 8-inch round pan and dome-shaped bowl (for cap) and 6-inch round pan (for stem).
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry (3 additions of dry, 2 of buttermilk). Mix until just combined.
- Divide batter: 2/3 into the 8-inch pan and dome bowl (combined for cap), 1/3 into the 6-inch pan (for stem). Bake for 25-30 minutes (6-inch) and 35-40 minutes (8-inch/dome), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 2: Prepare the Buttercream
- Beat butter until creamy (2 minutes). Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low until combined.
- Add heavy cream and vanilla, then beat on high for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Divide buttercream: Reserve 2/3 for red cap (tint with red gel coloring), 1/4 for green grass/moss (tint with green gel coloring), and 1/4 for white piping.
Step 3: Assemble the Toadstool
- Level the 8-inch round cake and place it on the cake board. Carve the dome cake into a smooth, rounded cap shape and stack it on the 8-inch base.
- Carve the 6-inch cake into a cylindrical stem shape (about 4-5 inches tall). Insert dowel rods through the center of the cap cakes for support, then place the stem cake upright beneath the cap to form the toadstool.
- Crumb-coat the entire cake with a thin layer of white buttercream. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost the cap with red buttercream, smoothing it for a glossy finish. Frost the stem with white buttercream.
Step 4: Create Fondant Decorations
- Polka Dots: Roll out white fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 1-2 inch circles (15-20 total) and attach to the red cap with a dab of water.
- Door and Windows: Shape brown fondant into a small arched door (2×3 inches) and two tiny windows (1×1 inch). Paint details with brown edible paint. Attach to the stem with buttercream.
- Fairies and Animals: Mold lavender, yellow, and blue fondant into 3-4 small fairies (2 inches tall) with glitter-dusted wings. Shape bunnies and hedgehogs (1-2 inches) from brown and white fondant. Let dry for 1 hour.
- Butterflies and Flowers: Melt granulated sugar over low heat to form thin, translucent shapes for butterfly wings (use a spoon to drizzle shapes on parchment). Once cooled, dust with edible glitter. Shape small flowers from colored fondant.
- Mushrooms: Form tiny mushroom shapes (1 inch) from white and red fondant.
Step 5: Decorate the Cake
- Pipe green buttercream around the base using a grass tip to create edible grass/moss. Add green-tinted fondant pieces for extra moss texture.
- Place fondant fairies, bunnies, hedgehogs, butterflies, flowers, and mushrooms around the cake and on the cap.
- Position one fairy on top of the cap as the topper. Arrange vine or star-shaped candles around her.
- Scatter edible flower petals (or fondant petals) around the base for a woodland effect.
Step 6: Final Touches
- Lightly dust the cake with edible glitter for a magical sparkle.
- Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set decorations before serving.
Serving
- Serves 12-16.
- Slice carefully, starting from the outer edge of the cap, to preserve decorations.
Storage
- Store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Fairy Toadstool Birthday Cake Design Ideas
1) Moonlit Mushroom Majesty
Fondant for polka dots and fairies ensures durability; buttercream for glossy caps and textured moss. Avoid chocolate (melts easily) and liquid dyes (fade) for lasting vibrancy.
Bake an 8-inch round and dome cake for the cap, and a 6-inch round for the stem. Carve to shape, frost with red and white buttercream. Apply fondant polka dots, windows, and fairies. Pipe green buttercream moss, add sugar fireflies, ferns, and LED candles.
2) Fairy Hamlet Feast
Fondant for detailed spots, doors, and pixies ensures vibrant structure; buttercream for vines and grass. Avoid chocolate (fragile) and liquid dyes (inconsistent color) for durability.
Carve into a tiered shape, frost with red and white buttercream. Add fondant spots, doors, windows, and pixies. Pipe green vines and grass, decorate with sugar ladybugs and mushrooms.
3) Celestial Toadstool Haven
Fondant for detailed spots, doors, and pixies ensures vibrant structure; buttercream for vines and grass. Avoid chocolate (fragile) and liquid dyes (inconsistent color) for durability.
Carve into a tiered shape, frost with red and white buttercream. Add fondant spots, doors, windows, and pixies. Pipe green vines and grass, decorate with sugar ladybugs and mushrooms.
Fairy Toadstool Birthday Cake
Equipment
- 8-inch round cake pan (for cap)
- 6-inch round cake pan (for stem)
- Dome-shaped bowl (8-inch diameter, heat-safe for cap)
- Piping bags and tips (grass tip, round tip)
- Fondant rolling pin and cutters
- Small paintbrush (for edible paint)
- Cake board (12-inch)
- Dowel rods (for support)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups 360g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups 400g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups 360ml buttermilk
For the Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups 340g unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups 720g powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup 60ml heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Red gel food coloring for cap
- Green gel food coloring for grass/moss
For Decorations
- 1 lb 450g white fondant
- 1/2 lb 225g colored fondant (lavender, yellow, blue for fairies, animals, flowers)
- Edible glitter silver or gold
- 1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar (for sugar butterflies)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch for dusting fondant
- Edible food paint brown for door/windows, green for moss
- Sparkling vine or star-shaped birthday candles
Instructions
Step 1: Bake the Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour the 8-inch round pan and dome-shaped bowl (for cap) and 6-inch round pan (for stem).
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry (3 additions of dry, 2 of buttermilk). Mix until just combined.
- Divide batter: 2/3 into the 8-inch pan and dome bowl (combined for cap), 1/3 into the 6-inch pan (for stem). Bake for 25-30 minutes (6-inch) and 35-40 minutes (8-inch/dome), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 2: Prepare the Buttercream
- Beat butter until creamy (2 minutes). Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low until combined.
- Add heavy cream and vanilla, then beat on high for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Divide buttercream: Reserve 2/3 for red cap (tint with red gel coloring), 1/4 for green grass/moss (tint with green gel coloring), and 1/4 for white piping.
Step 3: Assemble the Toadstool Birthday Cake
- Level the 8-inch round cake and place it on the cake board. Carve the dome cake into a smooth, rounded cap shape and stack it on the 8-inch base.
- Carve the 6-inch cake into a cylindrical stem shape (about 4-5 inches tall). Insert dowel rods through the center of the cap cakes for support, then place the stem cake upright beneath the cap to form the toadstool.
- Crumb-coat the entire cake with a thin layer of white buttercream. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost the cap with red buttercream, smoothing it for a glossy finish. Frost the stem with white buttercream.
Step 4: Create Fondant Decorations
- Polka Dots: Roll out white fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 1-2 inch circles (15-20 total) and attach to the red cap with a dab of water.
- Door and Windows: Shape brown fondant into a small arched door (2×3 inches) and two tiny windows (1×1 inch). Paint details with brown edible paint. Attach to the stem with buttercream.
- Fairies and Animals: Mold lavender, yellow, and blue fondant into 3-4 small fairies (2 inches tall) with glitter-dusted wings. Shape bunnies and hedgehogs (1-2 inches) from brown and white fondant. Let dry for 1 hour.
- Butterflies and Flowers: Melt granulated sugar over low heat to form thin, translucent shapes for butterfly wings (use a spoon to drizzle shapes on parchment). Once cooled, dust with edible glitter. Shape small flowers from colored fondant.
- Mushrooms: Form tiny mushroom shapes (1 inch) from white and red fondant.
Step 5: Decorate the Cake
- Pipe green buttercream around the base using a grass tip to create edible grass/moss. Add green-tinted fondant pieces for extra moss texture.
- Place fondant fairies, bunnies, hedgehogs, butterflies, flowers, and mushrooms around the cake and on the cap.
- Position one fairy on top of the cap as the topper. Arrange vine or star-shaped candles around her.
- Scatter edible flower petals (or fondant petals) around the base for a woodland effect.
Step 6: Final Touches
- Lightly dust the cake with edible glitter for a magical sparkle.
- Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set decorations before serving.
