Whimsical Cakes Are the Biggest Baking Trend of 2025—and You Can Join the Fun

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Inspired by shows like The Great British Bake Off, Spring Baking Challenge, and Is It Cake?, a growing number of expert and amateur bakers are dolling up their cakes with decorations that are almost too pretty to eat. Now, the baking baton has been picked up by creators on TikTok and Instagram who are coaching viewers to make cakes that look like they came straight from a bakery.

2025’s cake adornments aren’t shy—and neither are the bakers who have started to gather for epic cake picnics boasting the most creative and unique cakes imaginable. The biggest trend we’re spotting online and IRL? Wonderfully whimsical cakes you can totally re-create at home.

Why Whimsical Cakes Are the Biggest Baking Trend of 2025

The art of cake decorating is extremely accessible, according to Sift n Sprinkle Bakery owner Alisa Woods. And you don't need to attend culinary school or invest 10,000 hours (or thousands of dollars) to try it.

Whimsical cake techniques like Lambeth piping were originally popularized during the mid-1930s; this was in the heart of the Great Depression, when Americans were likely seeking solace and sweetness anywhere they could find it. In this age of slower living and relaxation spaces, it is no wonder that whimsical decorating techniques are making a return.

“Many of us, especially millennials, remember those Barbie cakes we had growing up with a Barbie stuck in the middle and frosting all around the skirt cake,” Woods says. “Or remember the pans you could check out from the library, which instructed us to meticulously pipe star tips around the entire picture? So fun! I think a lot of us are millennials chasing that ‘Barbie cake high’ and those nostalgic memories, and this cake trend checks those boxes.”

Cakes as a Form of Self-Expression

The wonderful thing about this trend is that it allows for flexibility and can offer a peek into the personality of the baker or for whom they’re making it. Plus, you can be precise or as free-flowing as you like. If you’re not proud of any particular sections of piping, just add some edible flowers or tell everyone that was an intentional quirk.

“Cakes have evolved and have now become a way to express your style. You no longer have to pick from 10 designs. You can express your love, creativity, and flair,” notes Jenna Jenkins, executive cake designer at Cescaphe and event partner for The Bellevue Hotel. “Anything goes.”

Even if you're achieving one-tenth the extravagance of the cakes on those shows or viral videos, you'll still blow the minds of your friends and family, says Sarah Sanneh, co-founder of Pies ’n’ Thighs and Heap’s Ice Cream.

How to Make Bakery-Quality Decorative Cakes

If you, too, are feeling inspired to try your hand at this carefree cake trend, our panel of pros have a handful of tips.

Be a Follower

Early in her state fair blue ribbon submission career, Woods began following Food Network stars like Ron Ben-Israel and Duff Goldman on social media. Although they made “realistic cakes that looked so insanely out of reach,” according to Woods, they occasionally showcased doable techniques or sparked unique ideas for color combinations, piping strategies, or other flourishes. The Instagram account for the aforementioned Cake Picnic is full of creations made by amateurs and professionals alike.

Here are a few more sweet and inspiring follows:

Gear Up

Sanneh initially began decorating cakes when she started working at New York City’s iconic Magnolia Bakery in 2003. Once working there, she realized how useful a turntable is when decorating all parts of a cake. She also suggests investing in an offset spatula for smooth spreading, and Woods recommends buying a few different piping tips to play around with.

Consider looking into classes as well. Watching these may build your confidence and give you the push you need to take on the task.

Woods considers herself a “graduate of YouTube University,” and admits that anything she wanted to learn in the cake space, she would search and stream videos about on YouTube, then practice until she felt confident and comfortable.

Wilton also offers a variety of beginner to advanced courses, along with plenty of easy decorating hacks on their social media.

Practice Piping

Before you frost a cake, practice piping on a sheet of parchment paper. The parchment paper will make it easy for you to scrape off the used icing and refill your piping bag to try again. You can even use a graham cracker and enjoy your creations right after piping.

“It’s not going to be great or perfect the first time, or the second, or the third, and that’s okay," says Jannet Ceron, owner of J's Affect and cake connoisseur at The Joule. "This trial run will show you if you truly like it or not. If you don’t, that’s okay too.”

Bakeries exist for a reason, and prepared yellow cake mix with a flat layer of whipped canned frosting is still irresistible.

Utilize Your Freezer

While you’re practicing piping—or ideally overnight—pop the baked cake layers in the freezer. “This locks in the moisture, and even more importantly, it makes frosting your cakes about one thousand times easier,” Woods says. “The cakes themselves are more sturdy. Plus, your frosting gets a little bit solid as you're going. That way, you're less likely to accidentally take a swipe out of your beautiful design with a stray finger.”

Don't Forget to Have Fun

“It's cake. No matter how it looks, people will be happy to dig in!” Woods says. No matter how precise your crumb coat or piping turns out, keep in mind it isn't that serious. Jenkins says it's not about being perfect or the best. Rather, it's about expressing yourself through something you can enjoy afterward. And the experts are giving you the green light to try whatever colors, piping designs, or garnishes that speak to you.

“Cake is something we should have fun with," Jenkins says. "It’s an art piece sometimes, yes, but then we eat it and it’s gone. Go for the color; go for the trend. Try new things!”