Description
The “King of the Jungle” Lion Cake is a show-stopping centerpiece featuring a fierce and friendly lion face made entirely of cake and frosting. Perfect for kids’ birthdays or safari-themed celebrations, this cake combines rich chocolate or vanilla layers with creative buttercream piping to bring the lion’s mane and expression to life. Keywords: lion birthday cake, jungle theme cake, king of the jungle cake, animal face cake, safari cake
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the Cake (Chocolate or Vanilla):
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or 2 cups if using cocoa)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for chocolate version)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
- For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2–4 tbsp milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring: golden yellow, brown, black, white, and optional orange
- Decorating Tools:
- Round piping tips (star tip for mane, round tips for face details)
- Small offset spatula
- Cake board or large serving plate
Instructions
- Bake the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. In another, cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Alternate adding dry mix and milk. Divide into pans and bake for 30–35 minutes. Cool completely.
- Prepare Buttercream: Beat butter until fluffy, gradually add sugar and milk until smooth. Divide and tint portions golden yellow, brown, white, and black.
- Assemble the Cake: Stack cake layers with a layer of frosting in between. Cover entire cake in a smooth base coat of golden yellow.
- Decorate the Lion Face:
- Use brown buttercream with a star tip to pipe the mane around the cake edge.
- Use white for the eyes and snout, black for pupils, nose, and mouth, and optional orange for extra detail or ears.
- Optional: use fondant pieces or candy for facial accents.
- Chill to set before serving for clean cuts and stable design.
Notes
- Use a heart-shaped pan for the base if you want a “lion heart” concept.
- Pipe small rosettes in two shades for a multi-toned mane.
- Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead; store covered in fridge and bring to room temp before serving.
- Details
Nutrition
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
