Create a fun and festive Minions Birthday Cake using frosting, toy figurines and candy eyeballs. This easy Despicable Me party idea will be a blockbuster hit with your kids!
When it comes to our boys’ birthdays, I like to keep things as simple and easy as possible. One of my favorite ways to do that is to use toys to decorate birthday cakes. It’s so much easier to think of the birthday cake as a back drop or stage. Then I use toy figurines or game pieces to set the stage and create a scene in whatever themes my sons choose for their birthdays. Today, I’ll show you just how easy it is with this simple Minions birthday cake idea.
Using toy figurines on birthday cakes has become such a common practice now in our home that my oldest son (who we refer to as C1 on the blog) actually thinks about the toys when he thinks about what he wants on his birthday cake each year.
When he was three, I made a Mickey Mouse map cake. For his fourth birthday cake, I created a stage cake for the Muppets. He chose to have me make an Angry Birds Cake for his fifth birthday. Then last year, it was a Star Wars birthday cake when he turned six, complete with both a “light side” for The Force and a chocolate half for the Dark Side.
I think the only times I have not used toys on C1’s birthday cake was for his first and second birthdays. That first year of motherhood, I was ambitious and created an adorable bear shaped birthday cake. Then his second year, I made a Curious George cake out of frosting. If I knew then, what I know now…. it could have been SO MUCH EASIER!
So needless to say, I was thrilled when C1 told me he wanted a little Despicable Me birthday party this year when he turned 7. I knew it would be SUPER easy to find Minions online.
C1 was clear though — he only wanted Minions on the cake for our small family party. He did NOT want characters on his birthday treat for school. Much to my dismay because I really, really wanted to make these adorable Minions Twinkies with a free printable I found on online at Embellishments.com.
Instead for his classmates, he had me make Monster Cupcakes with swirl frosting and googly candy eyes which I shared on the blog last week. I thought those same colors and googly candy eyes would work great for his Minions birthday cake too.
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How to Make a Minions Birthday Cake
Making a Minions birthday cake for a Despicable Me party is very easy. You just need a cake mix, some frosting, candy and figurines of your child’s favorite Minions characters.
What You Need
Cake mix (any flavor cake mix + eggs, vegetable oil and water per the instructions on the box)
Sprinkles – The ones we used came in an assortment of six green, blue and white shapes and styles. These blue sprinkles from Wilton are similar, but a much lighter blue. These Halloween themed sprinkles would be fun for a Minions birthday cake too!
Prepare and bake the cake following the directions on the cake mix box or use your favorite homemade recipe.
Tip: To keep the top of your Minions birthday cake flat, wrap your cake pan with a long strip of an old terrycloth bath towel. Before you wrap the towel around your cake pan run it under cold water and wring it out with your hands. Use a safety pin to keep the towel securely in place.
As you can see in the photo below from another birthday cake I’ve made, doing this helps the cake to cook more evenly. Otherwise the outer edges cook first causing the batter to rise in the center.
2. Frost the cake.
Mix white frosting with blue food coloring in a small bowl. Use a knife or small spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top of the cake. To prevent cake crumbs from getting in your frosting, it’s best to start in one corner and then work your way across. Always move the knife or spatula in the same direction.
3. Add decorative frosting and sprinkles.
Next mix white frosting with green food coloring. Snip off the corner of a cake decorating or piping bag. Insert a simple cake decorating tip in the bottom of the bag. Then fill the bag with the green frosting. Use the green frosting to spell “Happy Birthday” across the center of the Minions birthday cake. You can also use it to create a swirly frame around the outer edge of the cake.
Add sprinkles and candy eye balls around the outside edge of the Minions birthday cake. I like how the candy eyes look just like Minion eyes!
4. Position the Minions figurines.
Next place the toy figurines where you want them on the Minions birthday cake to create a little Despicable Me scene.
I ended up putting four of the toys in the upper left corner of the Minions birthday cake.
Then I put the remaining Despicable Me Minions in the other corner. I love how it looks like Siren Bob is now shouting “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”
5. Store the cake until it’s party time.
After I decorated the Minions birthday cake we had several hours before our little Despicable Me party. I like to place birthday cakes on a flat cake carrier with a lid so we can protect the cake until party time. It also works great for storing leftover birthday cake for later.
After the party, just wipe the Minions figurines clean with a little soap and water. They’ll be as good as new, so your child can play with them and act out their favorite scenes from Despicable Me.
Other Despicable Me Party Supplies
We had a small party with family to celebrate our son’s birthday. Beyond the Minions Birthday Cake, I was able to find these other fun Minions party supplies to set the theme. Our 7 year old was thrilled with these:
Carrie is the chief writer, crafter and cook here at Ideas for the Home by Kenarry™. She's an optimist by nature and enjoys sharing recipes, trying new craft ideas, planning for parties and events as well as organizing and decorating. When she’s not blogging, preparing meals or picking up around the house, you’re bound to find her hidden away in a castle under the stairs reading to her two young boys.
Whether you’re cooking, crafting or creating for your family, follow Carrie on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get inspiring ideas for your home.
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All of his cakes look like fun. I love Despicable Me, the characters are all so much fun. I can’t wait to see the third one, and I don’t even have kids.
Thank you so much, Leslie! I can’t wait to see the third one too. We meant to go to the theatre this summer to see it, but surprising we never made it. Time sure flies by!
Leslie says
October 20, 2017 at 6:54 pmAll of his cakes look like fun. I love Despicable Me, the characters are all so much fun. I can’t wait to see the third one, and I don’t even have kids.
Carrie says
October 23, 2017 at 9:31 pmThank you so much, Leslie! I can’t wait to see the third one too. We meant to go to the theatre this summer to see it, but surprising we never made it. Time sure flies by!