Cupcake Cake Ideas
Pull apart cupcake cake designs are one of my FAVORITE kid friendly cake designs because they are cute, easy, and fast!
I think we've all seen our fair share of cupcake cake fails (thanks to Cake Wrecks) ;0) - but don't let that scare you away!
When done right, you just cannot beat the cuteness and convenience of pull apart cupcake designs. Just grab and go!
Table of Contents
What is a Cupcake Cake?
A cupcake cake is a grouping of cupcakes on a cake board that are pushed so closely together that the can be frosted and decorated as one cake design.
Often the cupcakes are secured to the cake board with a dot of buttercream.
With cupcake cakes, you can have all of the creative options of a cake design and the convenience of cupcakes.
Today I'm featuring a roundup of cupcake cake designs for all occasions, both from our site as well as other favorite cake websites.
Use whatever cupcake recipes you like with these designs. Some of our favorites are our Coconut Cupcakes, Lemon Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes and easy Oreo Cupcakes.
Cupcake Cake ideas
This fish pull apart cupcake cake has been one of my most popular on the site over the years! Change up the colors to fit your theme!: Fish Cupcake Cake
It would be the perfect cake for pool parties as well as luau and beach themes!
I love this easy Crocodile Cupcake Cake by Mom Spotted! Just look at those eyes & teeth- too cute! Perfect for a Peter Pan theme, or "swamp party" or just for fun!
Sunflowers are my favorite flower - so cheerful! This Sunflower Cake by Martha Stewart is sure to brighten up any party or dessert table! I just love it!
Love, love, love this Owl Cake tutorial by Domestic Mamma!
Next up, we all scream for ice cream! Especially GIANT ice cream sundaes!
These pull apart cupcakes couldn't be simpler, as the cupcakes are frosted to resemble scoops of ice cream. Easy peasy!
Find the free tutorial here: Ice Cream Sundae Cake Tutorial
Next up, from HobbyCraft, an adorable giraffe cake tutorial! More proof that sometimes, the simplest ideas are the cutest!
This precious Lion Pull Apart Cupcake Design is so simple, and I love the whiskers & texture of the mane! Make sure to check out the Cake Tutorial by Mish Mash of Loves!
Beach Party! Love this cute and EASY beach themed cupcake design by Food Network. The beach and ocean are so simple to create, and there are a million ways to customize it from there!
If you like buttercream flowers, you're going to love our Ranunculus Cupcake Tutorial! It would be perfect for birthdays, showers, and more!
Learn our easy method for piping a buttercream ranunculus in this free video and blog tutorial! Buttercream Ranunculus Cupcake Tutorial
This next pull apart cupcake cake design is perfect for nautical themed birthdays and baby showers! Find the tutorial featured on CraftyMorning.com!
I'm in love with this UP themed Cupcake Cake! So clever! {by I Bake Cupcakes, featured on MyMondernMet.com}
So fun! For the golfer in your life, try out this Golf Course Cupcake Cake by Patty Cakes Bakery!
Make any occasion more special with a Bouquet of Cupcakes! This easy design is so much fun to make. It would be perfect for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, birthdays, and more!
You'll also learn how to create a few of our favorite buttercream flowers!
This next design would be perfect for the little princess your life! So simple to make and the dress design and colors could be easily altered to match the birthday girl's favorite princess. Find the tutorial as featured on TheWhoot.com!
Something for the Star Wars fans! I LOVE this lightsaber cake with stormtrooper (marshmallows) cupcakes!! (found via pinterest-source unknown -let me know if it's yours so I can add a link!)
Here's a sweet buttercream Beehive Cupcake Cake tutorial that we created for BHG.com a while back- Find the tutorial here!: CUTE Happy "Bee Day" Cupcake Cake Tutorial
I love colorful cakes, and this cute Butterfly Cupcake Cake is no exception! Find Coco Cake Land's free tutorial on BHG.com !
Here's a fun Very Hungry Caterpillar Cupcake Design for you! Perfect for little ones! Find our free tutorial here: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake
C is for Cookie! (Or in this case, CUPCAKE!) This adorable Cookie Monster Cupcake Cake was featured in this PopSugar post: Cookie Monster Cupcake Cake Tutorial
A little birdie told me it's your birthday!! Not a traditional cupcake cake, but these birdie cupcakes perched on their branches come together to make the sweetest little scene. Find out how we made it here! A Little Birdie Told Me It's Your Birthday- Cupcake Tutorial
Okay, this Puppy Cupcake design is so simple and absolutely precious! Created by Rachel's Cakes. It's the perfect cake for children's birthday parties!
Red frosting with white polka dots can only mean one thing- MINNIE! I'm loving this sweet Minnie cupcake design! Perfect for anyone who loves all things Disney. Find the tutorial by Crafty Morning here: Minnie Cupcake Dress
Nothing brightens up a dessert table quite lite a colorful rainbow of cupcakes! Here's a great one from My Cupcake Addiction! Look at those marshmallow clouds ;0)
Here's an adorable Hello Kitty cupcake design that we spotted on TheWhoot.com! I just love Hello Kitty designs, so sweet and simple!
Featuring an oldie! The first pull apart cupcakes design that I ever made was this adorable buttercream Dinosaur Cupcake Cake!
This cake was frosted with a crusting buttercream for easy smoothing but textured buttercream would be fun too! You can find all of the details here: Dinosaur Pull Apart Cupcake Cake
Sometimes just simply arranging the cupcakes into the age of the birthday boy or girl is the best way to go, as in this cute princess themed cupcake cake design by stephpatterson77 of cakecentral.com!
Oh how I love this ADORABLE cupcake design featuring monkeys in a tree!
This would be perfect for young birthdays, jungle themed parties, and more! Find the tutorial by A Cup 4 My Cake here!: Playful Monkeys in a Tree Cupcake Cake Tutorial
For the Minecraft fans... here's a fun pull apart cupcake design just for you! Created by JavaCupcake- this is so much better than having to decorate a cake with all of those tiny tiles! ;0) -
The unicorn trend is still going strong, and I'm not complaining! Loving this sweet and simple Unicorn Pull Apart Cupcake Design by So Yummy! It's just the cutest! I love this color combination (and her lashes are fabulous)!
These ice cream cone cupcakes have been one of our most popular tutorials over the years, especially during the warm weather months!
Not only are these tall cupcake ice cream cones super cute, they couldn't be easier to make!
Kids will love to help with this cupcake project too! Find our step by step photo tutorial as well as a quick video here: Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Tutorial!
Very cute cupcake cakes :-) I love them. I did make Melissa's caterpillar pull-apart cake for my Great Nephew's 1st Birthday - it was a hit :-)
Lot's of inspiration :-)
Nice Job hope to do them soon.
Great ideas. Really like the lightsabers with stormtroopers. I, too, would like to know whose idea it was. :)
Congratulations
This is really a nice work!!!!
So so cute. I love each and every one of them and will definitely make for my princess especially the dress.
I've made the monkey tree into an owl tree for a baby shower 9 years ago. It was a Wilderness animal theme for a niece's baby shower. Turned out amazing and everyone loved it. Going to do the giraffe for my great grandson who turns one this next week. Doing a safari theme. Along with Animal cupcakes of tigers, lions, zebras and then the giraffe cupcake design. Thank you for sharing such fun ideas.