Easy Gruffalo Birthday Cake

Now, I featured the making of this Gruffalo Birthday Cake in a post on my old blog, and since it proved to be one of my most popular posts, I couldn’t resist sharing it here!

Adam and I made it for Freddie’s 2nd birthday back in February. He had, and still has, a Gruffalo obsession, so we decided to make for him a Gruffalo-themed birthday cake!

Now, I do enjoy making cakes, and so I wasn’t a complete novice when it came to using ready-roll icing, but making this one was a little daunting as I really didn’t want to mess it up- the potential for embarrassment was huge as there were a lot of people at his party. Plus, you want your child to actually know that it really IS a Gruffalo cake! If you’re looking for some Gruffalo cake ideas, I thought I’d share this as some inspiration, even if the cake is made more with love than perfection!

The actual cake is a simple Victoria Sponge recipe, with a buttercream and jam filling.

Ingredients to make a Gruffalo Birthday Cake

To make the round, top bit of the cake, you will need:

225g unsalted butter, room temperature
225g golden caster sugar
4 medium, free range eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour

2 round sandwich cake tins 20cm/8in in diameter

To make the base (square) bit of the cake you will need:

450g unsalted butter, room temperature
225g golden caster sugar
8 medium, free range eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
450g self-raising flour

1 large, square cake tin

Follow the below directions for both cakes, except for the round part of the cake , whereby you divide the mixture between the two round cake tins. (if that makes sense!)

How to Make the Gruffalo Cake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas4.
2. Grease cake tins.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
5. Fold in the flour with a large spoon until the mixture resembles a batter with a soft consistency.
6. Put the mixture in the cake tin(s), and smooth down with a spatula.
7. Bake each round cake for 30 mins until golden on top and you can put a skewer in it and it comes out cleanly, and bake your square cake for about an hour. Do keep checking on the square cake as the timing for this being finished can vary by several minutes or so.
8. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on a wire rack.
9. When cool, cut the square cake in half across the middle, so it becomes a square sandwich cake ala the round ones.
10. Spread buttercream in the middle of both square and round cakes, and then top with jam, before sandwiching the cakes together. There is a good buttercream recipe HERE You should now have one round sponge cake, and one square sponge cake, ready to be decorated.

For decorating your Gruffalo Birthday Cake, you will need:

2 large packs nuclear green ready-roll icing
1 pack brown ready-roll icing
1 collection of ready-made edible Gruffalo characters from an Ebay store, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could make your own
2 packs Cadburys ‘Chocolate Fingers’
Edible glue and little glue brush
1 leaf-shaped cutter
Rolling pin
Small paint brush/pastry brush (for spreading jam)

How to Make the Icing:

1. Dust a clean work surface and your rolling pin with icing sugar so the icing doesn’t stick.
2. Combine both packs of green icing, and then roll out flat (and evenly) with your rolling pin, so the icing is big/wide enough to cover your square cake.
3. Spread a thin layer of jam onto your square cake so that the icing will stick to it.
4. Transfer icing onto your cake (you may need help with this, I did), and then smooth down to the bottom of the cake, and cut off any loose edges with a knife.
5. Repeat the above instructions for your round cake, and then place the round cake on top of your square one using some jam to attach the two.
6. Position your Gruffalo characters on top of your cake(s) how you would like them. You can see how I arranged mine in the picture above.
7. Cut your chocolate fingers in half, and brushing the underneath of them with edible glue, proceed to stick them around the bottom of your square cake to create a wood/logpile effect akin to the Gruffalo story.
8. Roll out your brown icing, and using your leaf cutter, create as many little leaves as you would like to stick on your cake. We did enough to create a trail of leaves around the round bit of the cake, finally snaking up towards the Gruffalo. Attach these leaves to the cake using a little edible glue on each leaf.
9. Leave the cake to dry, and keep out of reach of small toddlers!

And there you go, one Gruffalo Birthday Cake!

NB Unless you want your children bouncing off the walls for the rest of the year, i’d resist letting your kids actually eat the icing- it is nuclear green for a reason, with enough e-numbers in it to keep that Countdown bird busy for a while! The cake is fine for little ones to eat in small amounts though.

Gruffalo Birthday Cake FAQs

1. How to make a Gruffalo cake step by step?
Start with one square sponge and one round sponge (Victoria sponge works well). Cover both with green fondant, stack them, and decorate with Gruffalo characters, chocolate fingers for logs, and fondant leaves.

2. What is the easiest Gruffalo birthday cake idea?
The simplest option is to bake a basic sponge, cover it with green ready-roll icing, and add edible Gruffalo cake toppers. You can skip making detailed decorations yourself if you buy them ready-made.

3. Can I make a Gruffalo cake without fondant?
Yes! You can use green buttercream instead of fondant. Pipe grass effects with a nozzle, then place Gruffalo cake toppers or toy figurines on top. It won’t be as smooth, but it’s just as fun.

4. Where can I buy Gruffalo cake toppers?
Search eBay, Etsy, or cake supply stores for edible Gruffalo toppers. If you prefer non-edible, toy Gruffalo figures can also be placed on top and washed for reuse.

5. What’s the best recipe for a Gruffalo cake?
A Victoria sponge is perfect as it’s light, tasty, and sturdy enough to hold decorations. Buttercream and jam filling add extra flavour and moisture.

6. How do you decorate a Gruffalo cake to look like the storybook?
Use chocolate fingers for a logpile, fondant leaves for the forest, and Gruffalo toppers for the characters. Arrange them to mimic the forest scenes from The Gruffalo.

7. Can I make a Gruffalo cake in advance?
Bake your sponges 1–2 days ahead and keep them airtight. Decorate the day before the party so the fondant stays fresh and the cake looks its best.

8. How do you make a no-fail Gruffalo cake for beginners?
Stick to simple steps: bake two sponges, cover them with green fondant, and add toppers. Avoid over-complicating details – the characters and chocolate fingers will make the theme clear.

9. What icing is best for a Gruffalo birthday cake?
Ready-roll fondant gives the neatest look, but coloured buttercream can work for a quicker, messier (but still fun) effect.

10. Is a Gruffalo cake suitable for toddlers?
Yes, just go easy on the icing. The bright green fondant is fun to look at but best eaten in small amounts. The sponge and buttercream are perfect for little ones.

11. How can I make a budget-friendly Gruffalo birthday cake?
Skip expensive fondant modelling and use supermarket fondant, toy Gruffalo figures, and budget-friendly chocolate fingers. Themed decorations make it look special without breaking the bank.

12. What can I serve with a Gruffalo birthday cake?
Themed snacks like “Scrambled Snake” (gummy worms), “Owl Ice Cream” (small ice cream tubs), and “Roasted Fox” (sausage rolls) go perfectly with the cake and tie into the Gruffalo story!

13. How do I store leftover Gruffalo cake?
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If decorated with fondant, avoid the fridge to stop condensation spoiling the icing.

See some more of my baking posts here!

If you’re looking for other children’s birthday cake ideas, you might like the following:

Easy Digger Birthday Cake

Peppa Pig Birthday Cake

Easy Paw Patrol Cake

Star Wars Cake

JellyCat Birthday Cake

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.