Cake decorating for kids: Quick and easy ideas

When it comes to teaching your kids any new skill, quick and easy is the way to go!

It’s easy on their attention span, your patience, and your nerves. 

I’ve personally always found the kitchen to be my happy place and my center of calm :) Lots of happy memories have taken place in my kitchen with my kids, and a lot of those moments involve cake decorating. 

The entire cooking and baking process is definitely an exercise in creativity, but if I had to choose one part of your kitchen adventures where you can really let loose, it would be cake decorating!

Taking a plain cake or cupcake and transforming it into any number of things can be magical for kids and adults alike.

I’ve definitely had (more than) my share of fun coming up with novel ways to decorate cakes and cupcakes for my kids’ baking classes. It’s been one of the best upsides to teaching cake decorating for kids. 

Here are some of my favorite ideas so far :)

Cheeseburger cupcakes ​

Kids are picky eaters. Some of them have an insatiable sweet tooth and some of them can’t be plied away from the savory.  

Whichever one of these traits (or both) you’ve seen in your kids, being the parent of a picky eater is a challenge. 

The fun bit about these mini cheeseburger cupcakes is that they taste sweet but they look like sliders you’ve made for the fourth of July! This means both your sweet and savory eaters can participate in this round of easy cake decorating for kids. 

My version of these cupcakes also includes my no-bake chocolate cookie recipe, which is a win-win in my book!

Spaghetti and meatball cupcakes

These cupcakes are adorable and work on so many levels. Adding googly eyes to any recipe is an easy and adorable way to immediately take cake decorating with your kids to another level!

These are great for spaghetti parties at home, but the combination of realistic, sauce-covered meatballs, paired with the googly eyes and spaghetti, also makes it a great idea for Halloween-themed events!

The different textures and layering involved in decorating these cupcakes make it a fun exercise for little baker as they learn new techniques and gain more confidence in the kitchen.

Buried carrot cupcakes

If you hadn’t already guessed, making food look like other food is a personal favorite of mine :P 

We all know getting your kids to eat their vegetables is a tall ask. This recipe may not actually get vegetables in your kids (sorry parents), but it might just make them a little more enthusiastic about the prospect of carrots.

These cupcakes are a great idea for all your summer picnics whether they’re in your backyard or out at the park!

I love making my cupcakes with carrot cake batter to add to the theme. This way you can even get some carrots into your kids—albeit covered in frosting :)

Fondant hearts

Teaching your kids how to decorate their baked goods with fondant hearts opens up all-new avenues for their decorating.

Whether you’re baking for Valentine’s Day, a birthday, an anniversary, Mother’s Day, to brighten up someone else’s day, or a picnic—fondant hearts work in almost any scenario!

Teach your kids how to use food coloring to customize each heart and they’ll craft the perfect fondant heart messages for hours.

Cake decorating for kids is sweet and savory!

My one and only rule when it comes to cake decorating for kids (other than cleaning up after yourself and always maintaining a clean workspace) is to have fun. 

Your cakes, cookies, and cupcakes can look silly as much as they can look beautiful and they’re delicious no matter how you spin them. 

Once you have the main techniques down, the possibilities are endless and your kids will surprise you with their decorating ideas in no time at all. 

What are you waiting for? Start decorating!