Want to make your summer cakes stand out? These summer cake ideas are fresh, fun, and full of colour. In this tutorial I’m sharing ten buttercream cake designs that are perfect for warm-weather celebrations. There's even one that you can travel with! These summer cake designs are simple to recreate — no fancy tools needed!t
This eye-catching design uses frozen buttercream to create a mosaic effect that’s both modern and fun. Start by spreading different shades of pink and coral buttercream onto a piece of parchment paper and placing it in the freezer until the buttercream becomes hard. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the buttercream into small triangles. For the flamingo’s beak and eye, do the same with black buttercream.
To assemble the design, lightly outline the shape of a flamingo on your cake using a toothpick. Press the frozen triangles into the outline to form the shape, fitting them together like a puzzle. If the frosting on your cake is still soft and sticky, the tiles will stick to it easily. If the frosting has set you can brush your shape with a damp paintbrush first and the tiles will stick to that.
It’s important to keep the buttercream pieces cold while you work so prepare two trays and rotate them between the freezer and your decorating station. This way you’re always working with cold, firm buttercream that holds its shape. The result is a colourful, artistic cake featuring whatever theme you choose!
Nothing says summer like ice cream and this ice cream cone cake design is a playful twist. Begin by cutting a triangle out of parchment paper to use as a stencil for your cone. Press the stencil against your cake after chilling it for at least an hour in the fridge. The frosting should be cold and firm. Spread cone-coloured buttercream over the stencil and scrape over it with a cake comb to leave a thin, smooth layer behind. Peel the stencil off and use the edge of a cake comb to gently score diagonal lines across it, creating the look of a waffle cone.
To create the scoop of ice cream, scoop up buttercream with an ice cream scoop and lower it on top of the cone. For a realistic touch, pipe a few buttercream drips just beneath the scoop to mimic melting ice cream. You can finish it off with a cherry on top or a handful of sprinkles to make it look extra tempting.
This water-textured cake is ideal for beach or pool parties. Frost your cake as usual but only use a frosting smoother or cake comb once or twice because the frosting doesn't need to be super smooth. Then turn it sideways so that the short edge is against the cake. Hold it at a slight angle, pressing the bottom edge into the frosting while letting the top lean gently outward. As you spin the cake, wiggle the comb up and down to create the look of soft, rippling waves rising up the sides.
While the frosting is still soft, toss tiny white nonpareils or hundreds and thousands against it to look like bubbles. To turn this design into a mermaid cake, add buttercream mermaid tails. These are part of my tutorial on 10 DIY cake toppers and are easy to make in advance.
Number cakes are easily personalized summer birthday cakes. They look stunning with very little effort! Simply cut the number you want out of a sheet cake, twice. Spread or pipe buttercream onto the first number-shaped layer and then gently place the second cake layer on top. Decorate with more buttercream piping and finish with your favourite toppings: macarons, chocolate, cookies, candy, fresh flowers or whatever matches your party theme. To learn more about how to get the perfect shape and decoration check out my number cake tutorial with lots of helpful tips and design ideas.
If you’re short on time or just not in the mood to bake, try a cake makeover instead. Buy a cake from a grocery store or supermarket and remove the decorations. Garnishes can be picked off the top and scraped off from the sides using a cake comb. The re-decorate it to make it your own.
For a fun, cheerful effect, press sprinkles all over the frosting. It's best to put the cake on a tray while you do this, to catch all of the falling sprinkles.
Another easy option is to pipe melted chocolate onto a piece of parchment or wax paper that's long enough to wrap around your cake. If the frosting on the cake is textured, you'll need to smooth it first by scraping around it a few times with a cake comb. Then lift the parchment up and wrap it around the cake. After chilling it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, peel off the paper to reveal a beautiful chocolate collar or cage.
One of the more intricate but rewarding summer cake designs is a wrapped buttercream mosaic. This technique involves drawing a summery design on parchment or wax paper, optionally placing acetate on top. Pipe tiny, random buttercream shapes to fill in your design. You can use piping bags without piping tips or with small round piping tips. Even a ziplock bag will work, with one of the bottom corners snipped off to pipe through.
Once the design is complete, freeze the paper or acetate until the buttercream is firm. Spread a background colour over the design and then carefully wrap the design around a cake, pressing it gently against the frosting.
After chilling the cake to set the buttercream, gently peel away the acetate or paper to reveal a smooth, colourful mosaic pattern. The result looks jaw-dropping!
Need a cake for a celebration while you're on vacation? You can travel with this one! Bake your cake layers in advance and layer them with buttercream filling or your favourite jam or jelly. Wrap the cake in cling film and lower it into the cake pan you used to bake the cake. Put it into the freezer for up to a month, until your travel day. You'll also need to freeze some buttercream in a ziplock bag or a piping bag.
On the day you travel, move the cake in the pan and the buttercream into a cooler. Add an ice pack so that they'll thaw very gradually while you travel. When you get to your destination, slide the cake out of the pan and unwrap it. Put it onto a plate and add some piping on top. Now you have a homemade celebratory dessert without wasting your vacation time stuck in the kitchen!
Offer two flavours in one cake with a fun half-and-half design. Bake two flavours of cake, dividing the recipes in half to make just one or two layers of each flavour. Cut the cake layers in half to make semi-circles of cake.
To assemble a half-and-half cake, place a semi-circle of one cake flavour onto a cake board and pipe or spread a neutral flavoured buttercream across the flat edge. I use my 4 minute buttercream for this. Press a semi-circle of the other flavour of cake against this to make a circle of cake.
Add your fillings to each half and then repeat to layer the rest of your cake, remembering to attach each pair of cake semi-circles with buttercream so that the cake doesn't fall apart.
To frost a half-and-half cake, cover one half of the cake with parchment or wax paper while you frost the other side. Peel off the paper and the frosting will stop neatly along the join of the two flavours. Before you frost the other half, it’s important to chill the cake before covering up this frosting with paper so the buttercream doesn’t smudge.
Repeat the same process for the final coat and use piping along the dividing line to decorate and blend the two sides.
This way you can offer two different flavours in one cake. It's a fun option for a joint birthday party where each person has a different favourite flavour, or just to give your guests more options!
Summer is all about fresh, fruity flavours. To make the most of seasonal ingredients, try my strawberry cake recipe. It uses both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries in the cake layers, with a filling and frosting made from freeze-dried strawberries so it's bursting with flavour.
If you’re looking for something tropical, try my piña colada cake. It’s made with coconut milk cake layers and a pineapple frosting and filling, using freeze-dried pineapple for a bold flavour without watering down the buttercream. Decorate with shredded coconut and some dried pineapple for a beachy vibe.
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter than buttercream, especially in the summer heat, try my stable whipped cream frosting. It holds its shape beautifully without drooping or weeping, even on warmer days. You can pipe it onto cupcakes, frost a full cake with it, and use it for detailed borders and swirls. It pairs beautifully with fresh summer fruit and makes cakes taste refreshing and delicate.
Condensation can ruin your beautiful cake designs and it can be especially challenging in summer. If you're in a hot of humid climate or want to serve a cake outdoors in summer, check out my tutorial on how to prevent and fix condensation.
These summer cake ideas are all easy to customize and most importantly, they’re fun! Whether you're baking for a beach party, summer birthday party cake, picnic, or just enjoying the sunshine at home, there’s a design here to inspire your next cake.
You can also watch a video of this tutorial on 10 summer cake ideas:
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