We’re back at our animal cake series this week with this adorable lion cake!

This lion cake is made with tender vanilla cake layers, rice krispie legs, and loads of piped vanilla buttercream fur!

Making this Lion Cake: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Let’s walk through each step of this cake together to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible! I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

I figured it might be helpful to know what tools I use too, so I’ve shared a list below.

Not all of these are mandatory, but they make the process a lot easier. If you don’t have all these things on hand, feel free to improvise and work with what you have.

• Six, 6-inch Cake Pans
• Serrated Knife
• Spinning Cake Stand
• 10-inch Cake Board
• Offset Spatula
• 3 Small Piping Bags
• 2 Large Piping Bags
• Thick bubble tea straw or wooden dowel
• 1 Open star piping tip like a Wilton 1M
• 3 Large round piping tip like a Wilton 1A
• 1 Large flat piping tip like an Ateco 898
• Small Acetate Sheet (I cut these down into smaller squares with scissors)
• Gel food coloring
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer

Step 1: Bake the Vanilla Cake Layers

The first step is to make the vanilla cake layers. Line six, 6-inch round cake pans and one, 4-inch pan with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray or homemade cake release.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 30-33 minutes.

Let the layers cool for 15 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Flip the cake layers onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the cake layers have finished cooling, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer (leave one layer rounded to be the top of the lion’s head) and trim the layers to look like a lion’s body and head (see photo below).

The lower three, 6-inch layers will be the lion’s body, and the top three, 6-inch layers will be lion’s head.

The 4-inch layer will be the lion’s neck. I like to trim the head and body layers together, then stack them to make sure they look right.

If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point. Take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to assemble the cake.

Step 2: Make the Buttercream Frosting

Next, we work on the buttercream frosting. I chose to make this cake with regular vanilla buttercream, but any type of frosting should work great on this cake.

I find American buttercream is sturdier and easier to smooth, which is why I chose to use it for this design.

If the frosting seems too thick after mixing all the ingredients, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tablespoon at a time).

Or if the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).

If you’re unsure how thick your frosting should be, you can learn what consistency you’re looking for in my frosting consistency post.

Wait to color the frosting until we’ve crumb coated the cake. Cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap and set aside.

Step #3: Stack and Frost the Cake Layers

Stack and frost cake layers on a 10-inch greaseproof cake board or cake drum using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Stack the cake layers slightly off center so that you have room to add on the lion’s legs.

Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula and stack them in the same order you trimmed them.

Insert either a thick plastic straw (like a bubble tea straw) or a wooden dowel through the center of the cake layers to help stabilize them.

Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers.

Smooth using an acetate sheet then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 4: Make the Lion’s Rice Krispie Legs

While the cake cools, make the lion’s rice krispie legs. Place the mini marshmallows in a heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds at full power.

They should be melted at this point and easy to stir. If not, heat in additional 15 second intervals until melted.

Pour in the rice krispies or puffed rice cereal and stir until the cereal is fully coated in melted marshmallows.

Grease your hands with cooking spray then shape two thin front legs and two thick hind legs with the rice krispie mixture.

Place the arms, legs and tail next to your cake as you shape them to make sure they’re proportionate and shaped properly.

Step 5: Color the Buttercream

Next, we color the buttercream. It’s going to sound crazy, but all the frosting can be colored in one bowl.

We start with the lightest colors and work our way to the darkest, so it works out great!

I recommend using gel food coloring to color the frosting. It allows you to create vibrant colors without throwing off the consistency or taste of the buttercream.

Step 6: Frost and Decorate this Lion Cake

Then it’s finally time for this cake to come together! Start by pressing the rice krispie arms and legs into place on the chilled cake.

If they aren’t staying in place, use a little buttercream to help them stay put.

Then spread an even layer of yellow buttercream over the entire cake.

Use a small offset spatula and/or acetate sheet to smooth the frosting. This is the hardest part of the process in my opinion!

It can be hard to get the frosting smooth, but just do your best and remember that the mane is going to cover up most of it.

Next, trace out where you want the lion’s face to go with a toothpick or scribe.

The cake might look a bit odd at this point, but trust the process! I promise that once you add on the mane it’s going to look so cute.

Use the black, light yellow, and pink buttercream to pipe on the lion’s facial features like in the photo below.

If you don’t feel comfortable piping on the face, you can also use fondant instead of buttercream.

Use the orange buttercream to pipe on the lion’s mane. I used a combination of buttercream rosettes and squiggles to make the mane.

Then add on some buttercream ears using the yellow buttercream, and use the light yellow buttercream to pipe on the lion’s tummy. The last step is to pipe on the lion’s tail. Then enjoy!

If you make this cake in advance, store the frosted cake in the fridge and let the cake sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving to make it easier to cut.

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Cake Layers

This lion birthday cake uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt! You can also use vegan butter in its place.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Egg Whites – If you can’t find egg whites in a carton or want to use whole eggs, use 4 whole eggs instead. Or if you have an egg allergy you can use an egg replacer like this.
• Cake Flour – This recipe turns out best with cake flour, but you can also use all-purpose flour or a gluten free flour blend if needed.
• Sour Cream – You can use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil would work great in this recipe, like canola or sunflower.

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe too.
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract.

Making this Lion Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

You can also make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Or store it in the freezer for up to 3 months! Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist. It can be stored in the fridge like this for up to a week.

Tips for Making the Best Lion Cake:

• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Trim your cake layers before stacking and frosting them! It makes it so much easier to get the shape of the lion just right.
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it a lot easier to stack and frost.
• Make a vegan or dairy free lion cake if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the sour cream and heavy cream and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the eggs I recommend using an egg replacer like this.
• Be patient and give yourself lots of time! Sculpted cakes like this can be challenging. Take your time piping the frosting and adding on the details to this cake.
• If your hands run hot, wrap a paper towel, or thin kitchen towel around your piping bag to prevent the transfer of heat from your hands into the frosting.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this lion cake, I’d love to hear how it goes! Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below.

If you share on social media, tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations!

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