How to Draw a Birthday Cake (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)
To draw a birthday cake, start with a wide bottom layer on a plate. Add a smaller top layer and wavy frosting drips on both. Finish with three striped candles and their flames.
- Steps
- 6 easy steps
- You need
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Black marker
- Brown, pink, light blue, yellow, orange, gray crayons
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Teaching this to a class?
Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.
How to draw a birthday cake step by step
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Step 1 of 6: Draw a wide round cake layer with an oval top, sitting on a flat oval plate.
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Step 2 of 6: Add a smaller round layer with an oval top on the middle of the bottom layer.
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Step 3 of 6: Draw a wavy drip line under each oval top. Let the frosting bulge out a little at both sides.
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Step 4 of 6: Add three candles on the top oval, each with three slanted stripes. Erase the oval line in them.
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Step 5 of 6: Draw a teardrop flame with a small inner flame on top of each candle.
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Step 6 of 6: Color the cake brown, frosting pink, candles light blue, flames yellow and orange, plate light gray.
Tips for little artists
Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.
Tip: Make the top layer clearly narrower than the bottom layer so the cake looks stacked.
Tip: Space the candles evenly, with one in the middle and one on each side.
Make it yours
More candles
Draw five candles instead of three and space them evenly along the top.
Party cake
Add small dots of sprinkles on the frosting and a flag on top.
Chocolate cake
Color the frosting dark brown and the cake light brown.
Common mistakes and easy fixes
The cake looks flat
Draw an oval on top of each layer and curve the bottom line the same way.
The frosting looks like a stripe
Make the drip line wavy, with round drops hanging down.
The candles float
Start each candle right on the oval top of the top layer.
Fun facts about the birthday cake
The custom of putting candles on birthday cakes is often traced to the German Kinderfest, a traditional festival that celebrated children. (Source: National Geographic)
German writer Goethe described a large cake with about 50 flaming candles at his 52nd birthday. (Source: National Geographic)
Cakes were once topped with a lit candle for each year of life, plus one more said to stand for the light of life. (Source: National Geographic)
Questions grown-ups ask
How to draw a birthday cake easy?
Draw a wide layer on a plate and a smaller layer on top. Add wavy frosting, three candles and three flames.
How to draw a birthday cake step by step?
Draw the bottom layer and plate, the top layer, the frosting drips, the candles and the flames. Color everything last.
How to draw a birthday cake for kids?
Use two stacked shapes with oval tops for the layers. Wavy frosting lines and striped candles make it look like a party.
If your cake came out a little lopsided, that's fine. Your cake is ready for the party. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.