How to Make a Giraffe Cake (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
This adorable giraffe birthday cake is easy, fun, and guaranteed to stand out—all with no fancy pans required!
Cut-up cakes bring back so many memories for me. When I was a kid, we had this old, dog-eared booklet from Baker’s Coconut stuffed in a kitchen drawer, and we made so many cakes from it over the years. They were never perfect, but that the best part. We’d bake the cake, cut it into funny shapes, decorate it with frosting and candy, and probably eat way too many jelly beans while we worked.
This giraffe cake keeps that same spirit going. It’s made from one simple 8×8 cake, cut into a few easy pieces, and decorated with frosting stars and fun details. It’s perfect for a jungle party, a birthday, or just because you feel like baking something cute!
I’ve included my doctored cake mix and easy vanilla buttercream recipes below, but feel free to use any cake and frosting recipes you’d like!
Giraffe Cake Tutorial
Materials
- 8×8″ square cake (see recipe below)
- Serrated knife
- Cake board (at least 12″×16″)
- Printed cutting guide
- Buttercream frosting (see recipe below) tinted dark brown, orange, yellow, and white
- Piping bags and couplers
- Wilton Tip #4
- Wilton Tip #18
Directions
Make sure your cake is completely cooled before you begin this easy step-by-step guide!
Cutting and Shaping
Decorating
There are so many ways to decorate your giraffe cake! The original cut-up cakes often used shredded coconut, but feel free to get creative. Here are some options:
- Shredded coconut: This was the classic method in old-school cut-up cakes. Spread a thin layer of white frosting over the whole cake, then press on shredded coconut.To dye coconut for giraffe spots or accents, check out this tutorial from Lady Behind the Curtain. You’ll need about 2-3 cups total to cover this cake.
- Candy: Use candies to add fun giraffe features, like chocolate chips or M&Ms for eyes, mini marshmallows for horns, Twizzlers or licorice for a smile, or flattened Tootsie Rolls for spots.
- Piped Icing: This is the way I did mine. Feel free to follow the tutorial below to make your own. Fair warning: it’s not hard, but it does take a while!
Don’t worry if you can’t get into every tiny corner perfectly—turn your board as needed, and remember: cut-up cakes are all about fun, not perfection!
This cute little giraffe cake is sure to be a hit with both kids and grown-ups. Whether you’re throwing a jungle-themed party or just baking something fun for a giraffe-loving friend, it’s a super sweet (and totally doable!) way to make the day extra special.
Doctored Cake Mix and Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 15.25 oz box cake mix, any flavor
- 3.4 oz pkg pudding mix, complimentary flavor
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 4 eggs
For the buttercream
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup shortening
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- water to thin as needed
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until you have a smooth cake batter.
- Grease and flour a 8×8 pan, or line it with parchment paper.
- Pour half the cake batter into a pan. The rest can be used to make a second 8×8 cake, a single 9" cake layer, or 12 cupcakes.
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes at 350° or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and forming the giraffe.
For the buttercream
- Cream butter and shortening using an electric mixer.
- Add vanilla and salt and mix until well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well.
- When all the powdered sugar has been added, add water 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.
