This easy unicorn bundt cake is as simple as boxed cake mix that’s swirled into a pretty pastel rainbow of colors then topped with a gorgeous vanilla glaze and colorful sprinkles.

Why this recipe works

Take an ordinary vanilla cake and turn it into a magical unicorn bundt cake with a few everyday ingredients. It’s all about what colors you use here. It can even be considered a mermaid bundt cake with the right sprinkles!

There’s no fuss or loads of ingredients – just a boxed cake mix, gel food coloring, and an easy vanilla glaze to create this impressive party cake. It would pair so well with our unicorn freakshakes at a themed birthday party.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CAKE – Using 2 boxed cake mixes makes life a lot easier and requires less clean-up. You will also need the ingredients listed on the back of your cake mix boxes*. You can use a homemade white cake or vanilla cake recipe if you’d like, but you will likely have to double the recipe to fill a bundt cake pan. Gel food coloring will provide more vibrant colors as opposed to liquid. If you want brighter colors in your cake, slowly keep adding the food coloring until you reach the desired vibrancy.

GLAZE – Icing sugar (aka confectioners sugar or powdered sugar), milk, and vanilla extract. That’s it!

SPRINKLES – These unicorn sprinkles are pink, purple, and have little gold horns. Or you can opt for these more vibrant purple, pink, and white sprinkles!

How to Make Unicorn Bundt Cake

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-10 inch bundt pan.
Make cake batter as directed on the back of your box. Divide 3/4 (you probably won’t need all of it. You can use the last bit for cupcakes if you like) of the batter evenly into 4 or 5 bowls. Add food coloring to all but one bowl, leaving the last white.
Pour batter into Bundt pan, one color at a time. Bake 50-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean in center. Cool 20-30 minutes before removing from pan. Allow to cool completely before adding glaze and sprinkles.
Make glaze by adding icing sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk to a bowl. Beat slowly, adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Place cake on a cooling rack and then on a baking sheet. Pour glaze on cooled cake. Add sprinkles. Leave to set, approximately 30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can I make it into cupcakes instead?

Yes, you can easily make this cake in a cupcake tin. Layer the colored batter into the tin as you would in a bundt cake pan. Follow the baking time on the back of your cake mix box for cupcakes.

How do I store this cake and how long will it keep?

You can either store this cake in an air-tight container or cake container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It can be prepared a day in advance, any longer than that you risk losing moisture in the cake.

Serving Suggestions

Feel free to use a bit of food color in the glaze as well if that’s what you fancy, this bundt cake leaves so much room for creativity. Use different gel food color to match the theme of your party with sprinkles to coincide. Just think of how cute a dinosaur bundt cake would be with these adorable dino sprinkles and green, blue, red, and yellow colored cake, or a Valentine-themed cake with baby pink heart sprinkles!

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