From cake sliders to graffiti-inspired birthday cakes, we've paired some intriguing cakes with our favorite frosting tips to help even beginning bakers create a professional-looking finish for their cakes. 

Graffiti Cake 

Icing pens and rolled fondant allow cake to be both a birthday treat and a party game. Feel free to make a single cake, or if you’re worried about tiny hands and even tinier germs, make mini cakes or even petit fours for each guest. 

Sweetapolita has more on the rainbow doodle birthday cake. 

Frosting tip: To help the fondant stick to the cake, add a tacky substance like buttercream icing first.

Cake Sliders 

Cookie cutters can also serve double duty as specialty cake pans. Cooked like a pancake on a stove top or griddle, cake batter is poured into the cookie cutter and fried until a toothpick comes out clean. A simple squirt of whipped cream frosting and sprinkles tops the cake. 

For the free stack of stars cake recipe, visit Brit.

Frosting tip: To hide the dark top of the cake, simply fill the cake sliders with a Nutella or jam filling.

Ombre Petal Cake 

 

The shading is the star of this cake, which involves putting dots of blue frosting on the cake. The frosting is then smeared — artfully so — for a surprisingly easy and quick birthday cake or party dessert. 

The Hungry Housewife has both a video and photo tutorial for this blue ombre petal cake.  

Frosting tip: Adding vanilla will alter a frosting’s color.

Mini Donuts 

These disguised-as-donut cakes were made using donut batter, but, for a fun prank, try a chocolate or lemon cake mix instead. A simple royal icing frosting glaze and rainbow nonpareils complete the faux finish. 

Bakers Royale has the free rundown of making mini donut cakes. 

Frosting tip: To know if frosting is thin enough to flood evenly, drag a butter knife through the frosting. It should take between 5-10 seconds to even out.

Cake Tattoos 

 

A popular trend in home cake decor, cake tattoos are edible sugar sheets decorated with pre-fabbed designs.

Make It, Love It has a free run-down of how to use cake tattoos.

Frosting tip: Be careful to keep the tattoo in its packaging until just before decorating. Otherwise, the sugar sheet can dry out, crumble and/or just be difficult to place correctly.

Rainbow Bright 

First paint the sides of your pastry bag with paste food coloring, then fill with white icing, to make swirls. Instead of rainbow colors, use various shades of party colors. 

You can grab the free rainbow cake frosting tutorial, featured on Oh! Cupcakes, from Chica and Jo.  

Frosting tip: Use a toothpick through the center of a paste or gel coloring container’s foil covering, and then add the toothpick to your icing. Small dabs are all you need since cake decorating food coloring is strong stuff.

Whipped Cream  Cake

The prestigious I Am Baker offers a variety of icing with whipped cream frosting techniques, great for the beginners or as a craft to do with kids. Her tutorial includes DIY stencils, geometric designs and Bart Simpson spikes. 

Go to I Am Baker for more unique ways to decorate your cake with whipped cream frosting. 

Frosting tip: Apply a crumb coat of standard vanilla icing to help the whipped cream frosting distribute more evenly. 

Shoe Cakes 

Petit fours receive a stylish shoe send-up, thanks to this excerpt from Mich Turner’s “The Art of the Cake.” Rolled fondant covers the mini cakes while marzipan heels and ribbon adds charm. 

CraftFoxes has a the free recipe for the shoe cakes. 

Frosting tip: The ideal temperature for working with fondant is 68 degrees Farhenheit, says professional cake decorator Helen Penman. Read more of her favorite tips on fondant. 

Breakfast-for-Dessert Cake  

Get inspired by this Cinnamon Toast Crunch cake recipe to make your own childhood sweets cake like Cap’n Crunch cereal, Pixie Sticks or even a Pop Rocks candy cake. 

Grab the free Cinnamon Toast Crunch cupcake recipe from Your Cup of Cake.

Frosting tip: Always wipe the frosting spatula clean every time it's lifted from the cake.

Image credits (from top): Sweetapolita, Sweetapolita, Brit, The Hungry Housewife, Bakers Royale, Make It, Love It, Oh! Cupcakes, I Am Baker, Malou Burger and Your Cup of Cake.