How to Make a Simple Bear Cake with Video
This bear cake was so fun to make I can barely stand it! This is a great cake to make no matter what your skill level. If you’ve been thinking about making cakes, but aren’t sure where to begin, this little bear cake wants to show you how simple it is and encourage you to get started. It really isn’t hard and cakes like this are perfect for birthday parties, a woodland themed party or dinner with your family. You don’t have to serve boring cakes when you can make a fun cake like this. It’s so simple you don’t have one single excuse not to make this fun little bear cake!
Imagine a cute little Goldilocks and the Three Bears party with a Momma Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear cake or a cute bear party with little bear cupcakes and bear paw cupcakes. There are so many possibilities for this guy and the best part, you probably have most of the supplies you need to get started. One decorating tip, a little fondant and a couple of Oreos and you’ll have a bear cake in no time. Let’s get started.
How to Make a Simple Bear Cake:
Recipes:
Pound Cake Recipe or any recipe you choose
Fondant Recipe-Easy Fondant Recipe-Half a Batch or a Small Marshmallow Fondant Recipe or you can buy pre-made fondant
Frosting:
2 Containers of Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Frosting, Milk Chocolate Flavor, 16 Ounce
1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar (also called powder sugar)
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Colors:
Ivory
Super Black
Tools:
Piping Bag, Coupler, Decorating tip #233
Offset Spatula
Fondant Rolling Pin
1 1/2″ Circle Cookie Cutter
Corn Starch or powdered sugar
Cutting Matt
Cake Decorating Turntable-optional
Tylose Powder
Two Cookie Sticks
Supplies for Fondant Shine Recipe:
Paint Brush
Vodka
Corn Syrup
Ears, Snout and Eyes:
- Make a batch of Marshmallow Fondant. Depending on the size of your cake a small batch or half a batch is all you’ll need.
- Color some of the fondant with an ivory soft gel paste. The size of the snout depends on how much you will need to color. Mine was about the size of my fist.
- Add a little Tylose Powder to help the fondant dry hard and a bit faster than fondant.
- Roll out a piece of fondant and cut two 1 1/2″ circles for the ears.
- If the fondant sticks to the mat, use a little corn starch or powdered sugar to prevent it from sticking.
- If your fondant becomes dry or starts to crack, rub it with a little shortening.
- Open two Oreo Cookies and place a cookie stick into the cream filled center. If the sticks are too long, trim them before you place them on the Oreo’s.
- Place the top of the Oreo back onto the base with the cookie stick.
- Gently press them together but be careful not to break the cookies.
- Place the two ivory colored circles on the Oreos. Gently press the fondant into place.
- Roll two circle eyes with the black fondant and set them aside.
- Roll a ball slightly larger than the eyes for the nose.
- Shape it like a triangle.
- Roll a snout with the ivory colored fondant.
- Make a line from the nose to the mouth. You can make it with a cookie stick or a fondant tool.
- Use the paintbrush to add a little water on the snout where you want to add the nose.
- Place the nose on the snout and let it dry.
Frosting and Cake:
I have a secret. It is kind of shameful for a baker. My husband doesn’t like sugar cookies or he doesn’t like many frostings. If I make a cake, he wants either the Seven Minute Frosting or he prefers I use Pillsbury or Duncan Hines Frosting. It’s sad. I have all of these amazing recipes and he won’t even try them. How did we end up together? For the love of frosting someone tell me!
Since he won’t even try chocolate buttercream I have had to get creative so I don’t end up eating all of these desserts myself. I have learned how to doctor store bought frosting to make it thicker so I can decorate with it and my dear hubby will eat it. Here is my secret. Are you ready?
- Add 1/2 cup of confections’ sugar to one can of Pillsbury or Duncan Hines Frosting to make it thicker so it will hold shapes. That’s the big secret. Aren’t you glad you know!
- Mix it until it is smooth.
- Place a layer of frosting on the cake and place it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the freezer and use the grass tip #233 to cover the sides.
- Place the snout on the top of the cake.
- Insert the cookie sticks Oreo ears.
I didn’t take a picture of this next step but I think it adds a lot to the bear cake. Mix a little ivory gel paste and water. Paint it on the ears and the snout to add a little detail. Let it dry while you add the fur.
- Continue adding the fur to the top of the cake and the outer edges of the ears.
- Add the eyes.
- Roll two small white dots with the fondant and add them to the eyes.
- Do you see the frosting on the side of the snout? Use the paintbrush dipped into the ivory and water mixture and gently paint them to remove it.
How to make Fondant Shine:
- Mix a 1:1 ratio of vodka and corn syrup and paint it onto the eyes and nose. This is a little trick I learned from Peggy Does Cakes. You can find the link to the tutorial here.
Once the vodka and corn syrup is dry, feel free to add multiple layers if you choose. I found one was all this little guy needed.
If you have any questions about how to make him you can watch the video. Who knows, it might inspire you to make another type of animal cake.I know you probably don’t like bears as much as I do but you have to admit this guy is cute. There is only one problem though. He needs a name. Any suggestions?
Bear hugs,
Oh Lisa! I absolutely love this. You have out done yourself again
Adorable! Thanks for the shiny fondant tip!!!
shiny fondant .. a real excuse to buy vodka ( then I can use some of the remaining for more yummy flavoring as I soak my vanilla beans in after I have removed the seeds )
Vodka and corn syrup for shine! Who knew?
MY husband and ALL FOUR KIDDOS don’t like sugar cookies OR very many types of frosting either!!! How weird is that?!! And all of this time I thought I was the only one with “the wrong family”. 🙂 How we ended up together and how in the world I could give birth to four kids who prefer CANNED (gasp!) FROSTING over anything I can make is beyond mind blowing for me as well.
Your version of a bear cake is adorable, Lisa. You should name him Oreo. (or Mr. Grizzle)
Thanks for the great tip!