I got so many kind comments on Instagram regarding Penelope's first birthday party, I wanted to throw together a quick post with links to everything I bought and used. It was actually super easy and tons of fun! There are really only two things you need to throw the ultimate unicorn theme birthday party: A unicorn cake and a balloon arch!
My amazing sister made the cake and taught me all her tricks! She's a talented self-taught artist who used to teach cake decorating classes. She even made my wedding cake!
Having said all that, I'm confident I could make another unicorn cake on my own now, and YOU CAN TOO!
For the "look" of the unicorn cake, we were inspired by Rossana Pansino's gorgeous UNICORN CAKE TUTORIAL. I found it on Pinterest
Here's what you need to buy for the cake (I bought almost everything on AMAZON!):
Cake Pan (you could buy two, but we just used the same pan to bake two cakes to achieve the height we wanted)
Gum Paste (best price!)
Gold Lustre Dust
Box Cake Mix (Yes, box cake mix! We used a couple boxes of Aldi's key lime gluten free cake mix and it was delicious!!)
TO MAKE THE CAKE:
1. Bake the cake the night before so it has time to completely cool before assembly.
2. Make your gum paste horn, ears, eyes and flowers the night before so they have time to dry.
HOW TO MAKE THE UNICORN HORN, EYES and EARS (that was my contribution! haha! It's like shaping play-doh.)
3. Frost the entire cake (between layers and everything) and put it in the freezer for about one hour until it's completely chilled. This step is essential for the mirror glaze to work!
MARTHA STEWART SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE HERE
4. When your cake is chilled, place it on a cardboard base and then stand it on a cooling rack or a sturdy can. This way the glaze will pour over the edges and leave a nice clean look.
Now for the fun part! Mirror glaze! We just used basic food coloring - a touch a pink and gold for a soft marble look.
MIRROR GLAZE RECIPE / TUTORIAL HERE
5. Once the mirror glaze sets, you can pipe on flowers for the hair and add your horn, ears and eyes! So cute!
Now for the party! Depending on the child's age, you could really do a lot with this theme. I just did goodie bags for the older kids with Dollar Tree finds! Unicorns are really popular now so I found rainbow stickers, rainbow colored candy, unicorn headbands and more for just $1 a piece!
Buy the BALLOON ARCH HERE (you can search for other colors, too.)
Pack of 100 balloons
Electric Balloon Inflator (don't skip this! You'll use it for future parties, too.)
The arch will stay inflated for DAYS so you can do this a couple days in advance.
Finally, let's not forget Penny's outfit! I ordered everything from H&M. Here are links to her exact dress, sweater, tights, shoes and hair accessory:
Let me know if I missed anything, and tag me @budgetbabe if you make your own unicorn cake! Thank you for all the birthday wishes for P, she feels so loved!
Having said all that, I'm confident I could make another unicorn cake on my own now, and YOU CAN TOO!
UNICORN CAKE + PARTY IDEAS
For the "look" of the unicorn cake, we were inspired by Rossana Pansino's gorgeous UNICORN CAKE TUTORIAL. I found it on Pinterest
Here's what you need to buy for the cake (I bought almost everything on AMAZON!):
Cake Pan (you could buy two, but we just used the same pan to bake two cakes to achieve the height we wanted)
Gum Paste (best price!)
Gold Lustre Dust
Box Cake Mix (Yes, box cake mix! We used a couple boxes of Aldi's key lime gluten free cake mix and it was delicious!!)
TO MAKE THE CAKE:
1. Bake the cake the night before so it has time to completely cool before assembly.
2. Make your gum paste horn, ears, eyes and flowers the night before so they have time to dry.
HOW TO MAKE THE UNICORN HORN, EYES and EARS (that was my contribution! haha! It's like shaping play-doh.)
3. Frost the entire cake (between layers and everything) and put it in the freezer for about one hour until it's completely chilled. This step is essential for the mirror glaze to work!
MARTHA STEWART SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE HERE
4. When your cake is chilled, place it on a cardboard base and then stand it on a cooling rack or a sturdy can. This way the glaze will pour over the edges and leave a nice clean look.
Now for the fun part! Mirror glaze! We just used basic food coloring - a touch a pink and gold for a soft marble look.
MIRROR GLAZE RECIPE / TUTORIAL HERE
5. Once the mirror glaze sets, you can pipe on flowers for the hair and add your horn, ears and eyes! So cute!
Now for the party! Depending on the child's age, you could really do a lot with this theme. I just did goodie bags for the older kids with Dollar Tree finds! Unicorns are really popular now so I found rainbow stickers, rainbow colored candy, unicorn headbands and more for just $1 a piece!
Buy the BALLOON ARCH HERE (you can search for other colors, too.)
Pack of 100 balloons
Electric Balloon Inflator (don't skip this! You'll use it for future parties, too.)
The arch will stay inflated for DAYS so you can do this a couple days in advance.
Finally, let's not forget Penny's outfit! I ordered everything from H&M. Here are links to her exact dress, sweater, tights, shoes and hair accessory:
Let me know if I missed anything, and tag me @budgetbabe if you make your own unicorn cake! Thank you for all the birthday wishes for P, she feels so loved!