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Fox Cake

I’m continuing my animal cake series with this adorable fox cake!

This cake is made with tender orange velvet cake layers and buttercream frosting. It’s just as delicious as it is cute!

image of a cute buttercream fox cake decorated with frosting

Making This Fox Cake: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Let’s walk through each step of this cake together to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible! I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

I figured it might be helpful to know what tools I use too, so I’ve shared a list below.

Not all of these are mandatory, but they make the process a lot easier. If you don’t have all these things on hand, feel free to improvise and work with what you have.

Step 1: Bake the Orange Velvet Cake Layers

First, we set to work on the cake layers. Line three, 7-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray or homemade cake release.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 27-30 minutes.

Let the layers cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Flip the cake layers onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

image of orange velvet cake layers that have been leveled with a serrated knife

Level the cake layers with a serrated knife once they’re fully cooled.

Place the cake tops in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then set aside. We will use this later to make our fox’s tail.

If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point. Take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to assemble the cake.

Step 2: Make the Buttercream Frosting

Next, we work on the buttercream frosting. I chose to make this cake with regular vanilla buttercream, but you can use cream cheese buttercream if you want!

I find regular buttercream is easier to smooth, which is why I chose to use it for this design.

If the frosting seems too thick after mixing all the ingredients, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tablespoon at a time). Or if the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).

image of vanilla American buttercream in a glass bowl

If you’re unsure how thick your frosting should be, you can learn what consistency you’re looking for in my frosting consistency post.

Wait to color the frosting until we’ve crumb coated the cake. Cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap and set aside.

Step #3: Stack and Frost the Cake Layers

Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board. Stack the layers off-center so that you have room to add the fox’s tail on the side.

Spread an even layer of frosting on top of each layer. Flip the top layer upside down to make it easier to frost and get sharp corners.

Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.

image of orange velvet cake layers being crumb coated with buttercream

Smooth using a bench scraper and an offset spatula. Chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

While the cake chills, add a couple teaspoons of buttercream into the bowl with the cake tops we set aside earlier.

Stir the mixture with a fork until it’s fully combined and has a consistency similar to cake pops. It should be easy to handle and shape.

image of orange cake tops being made into a cake pop mixture with frosting

Use the cake top mixture to shape the fox’s tail. It should look kind of like a sweet potato. Place it in the freezer to make it easier to handle later.

image of a cake pop fox's tail

Step 4: Color the Buttercream

While the cake chills, color the buttercream! It’s going to sound crazy, but all the frosting can be colored in one bowl.

Start by scooping about 2 Tbsp of white buttercream into a small piping bag fit with a very small round piping tip like a Wilton 2. Set aside.

Then we start with the lightest colors and work our way to the darkest, so it works out great!

Scoop 3/4 cup of buttercream into a small bowl and make it a light orange color with a small drop of orange gel food coloring to make our fox’s face. Place in a small piping bag fit with a small round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.

Scoop 3 Tbsp of buttercream into the same bowl and color it black using a very generous squirt of black gel food coloring.

Place in a small piping bag fit with a coupler and round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside. This will be used to make the fox’s eyes and mouth.

Color the remaining buttercream a burnt orange color with a generous squeeze of orange gel food coloring + a teaspoon of cocoa powder.

Place in a large piping bag fit with a large round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A) or cut with an opening about 3/4 inch wide and set aside.

image of colorful buttercream that's been placed in piping bags to frost and decorate a fox cake

Step 5: Frost and Decorate this Fox Birthday Cake

Cover the cake in a thick layer of orange buttercream. Smooth using an offset spatula and bench scraper.

image of a cake being frosted with orange buttercream

If you’re struggling to get your frosting smooth, I recommend reading my in-depth tutorial on how to smooth frosting on a cake.

Once the frosting is smooth, place the fox’s tail along the side of the cake and cover it in orange buttercream too.

image of orange frosting being smoothed onto a fox cake

Use a scribe to trace where you want the face to go, then it’s onto the piping! Pipe light orange frosting onto the cake to look like the fox’s face and pipe a light orange tip on the tail.

Smooth using a small offset spatula or acetate sheet.

image of light orange frosting being smoothed onto a fox cake

Then it’s time to sketch out our fox’s face. Use a toothpick or scribe to trace out where the eyes and mouth should go.

Pipe the black buttercream onto the cake to look like the fox’s eyes and mouth. Use the white buttercream to add little dots on the eyes and nose to give them a bit more dimension.

image of a cute fox cake being decorated with buttercream

The last step is to pipe the ears on top of the cake using the light orange and burnt orange buttercream like in the photos above.

image of a frosting ear being piped and smoothed onto a fox cake

If you’re nervous about making them with buttercream you can also use fondant triangles.

image of a cute buttercream fox cake decorated with frosting

Fox Cake – Substitutions and Swaps

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

  • Cake Flour – This recipe turns out best with cake flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend if that’s all you have on hand. Or if you can’t find cake flour you can make your own using this technique.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt)!
  • Eggs – If you have an egg allergy you can try using flaxseed eggs or an egg replacer but it will affect the texture of the layers.
  • Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
  • Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
image of an orange velvet cake that's been cut into to show how moist and tender the cake layers are

Buttercream Frosting Substitutions and Swaps

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Gel food coloring – Natural food coloring (like raspberry powder) or liquid food coloring can be used if needed.

Making This Fox Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

image of a cute fox cake made with buttercream and orange velvet cake layers

Tips for Making the Best Fox Cake

  • Use gel food coloring to color the buttercream. Liquid food coloring can throw off the consistency of the frosting and won’t make as vibrant of a color.
  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients.
  • Use an acetate sheet to make the frosting super smooth.
  • Make this fox birthday cake vegan or dairy free if needed! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk to replace the buttermilk and heavy cream and use vegan butter sticks in place of the butter. For the eggs I recommend using an egg replacer like this.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this fox birthday cake, I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know by leaving a rating below.

If you plan to share on social media, you can tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 20

Fox Cake

image of a cute buttercream fox cake decorated with frosting

Learn how to make this adorable fox cake! It's made with tender orange velvet cake layers and decorated with buttercream frosting.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 47 minutes

Ingredients

Orange Velvet Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (300g)
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (10g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (350g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature (300g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 tsp white vinegar (4g)
  • 2 squirts of orange gel food coloring (or 1 Tbsp liquid food coloring)

Buttercream Frosting

Additional Tools / Decorations

Instructions

Orange Velvet Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Grease three 6-inch or three 7-inch cake pans with homemade cake release or non-stick baking spray and parchment paper (I used 7-inch pans). Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment to cream together 1/2 cup of butter and 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar. Mix on a medium high speed for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes lighter in color. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  4. Mix in 2 large eggs on a medium speed until fully combined.
  5. Add in 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp white vinegar, and 2 squirts of orange food coloring. Mix on a low speed until combined. The mixture might look broken at this stage, but I promise it will come together once we add in the dry ingredients.
  6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on a medium speed in two additions. Mix until just combined and you can no longer see any visible streaks of cake flour.
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Remove the pans from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter. Carefully flip the layers out of their pans and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
  9. Level the cake layers with a serrated knife once they're fully cooled. Place the cake tops in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then set aside. We will use this later to make our fox's tail. The cake tops can sit out at room temperature for a day if stored in an airtight container.
  10. If you're making these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point. Take them out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to assemble the cake.

Buttercream Frosting:

  1. Beat 2 cups of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
  2. Add in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt and beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  3. Slowly mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of heavy cream on a low speed. Place a kitchen towel over your mixer to prevent powdered sugar clouds from coating your kitchen. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  4. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time). Wait to color the frosting until we've crumb coated the cake.
  5. Once the frosting reaches the desired consistency cover it with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Set aside.

Decorating this Fox Cake:

  1. Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board. Stack the layers off-center so that you have room to add the fox's tail on the side.
  2. Spread an even layer of frosting on top of each layer. Flip the top layer upside down to make it easier to frost and get sharp corners.
  3. Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper and an offset spatula. Chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  4. While the cake chills, add a couple teaspoons of buttercream into the bowl with the cake tops we set aside earlier. Stir the mixture with a fork until it's fully combined and has a consistency similar to cake pops. It should be easy to handle and shape.
  5. Use the cake top mixture to shape the fox's tail. It should look kind of like a sweet potato (see picture above). Place it in the freezer to make it easier to handle later.
  6. While the cake chills, color the buttercream! It's going to sound crazy, but the frosting can be colored in one bowl. We start with the lightest colors and work our way to the darkest, so it works out great!
  7. Start by scooping about 2 Tbsp of white buttercream into a small piping bag fit with a very small round piping tip like a Wilton 2. Set aside.
  8. Scoop 3/4 cup of buttercream into a small bowl and make it a light orange color with a small drop of orange gel food coloring to make our fox's face. Place in a small piping bag fit with a small round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
  9. Scoop 3 Tbsp of buttercream into the same bowl and color it black using a very generous squirt of black gel food coloring. Place in a small piping bag fit with a coupler and round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside. This will be used to make the fox's eyes and mouth.
  10. Color the remaining buttercream a burnt orange color with a generous squeeze of orange gel food coloring + a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Place in a large piping bag fit with a large round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A) or cut with an opening about 3/4 inch wide and set aside.
  11. Cover the cake in a thick layer of orange buttercream. Smooth using an offset spatula and bench scraper. Once the frosting is smooth, place the fox's tail along the side of the cake and cover it with orange buttercream too.
  12. Use a scribe to trace where you want the face to go, then it's onto the piping! Pipe light orange frosting onto the cake to look like the fox's face and pipe a light orange tip on the tail. Smooth using a small offset spatula or acetate sheet.
  13. Then it's time to sketch out our fox's features. Use a toothpick or scribe to trace out where the eyes and mouth should go. Pipe the black buttercream onto the cake to look like the fox's eyes and mouth. Use the white buttercream to add little dots on the eyes and nose to give them a bit more dimension.
  14. The last step is to pipe the ears on top of the cake using the light orange and burnt orange buttercream like in the photos above. If you're nervous about making them with buttercream you can also use fondant triangles.

Notes

How Much Batter Per Pan?

One batch of batter is about 1300g, so I'd recommend adding about 420g of batter to each pan (if you're using 3 pans like I recommend).

My Tips for Making the Best Fox Birthday Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your cake flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you've added in the flour. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
  • Use an acetate sheet to make the frosting super smooth.

Making This Fox Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

You can also make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 607Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 93mgSodium 248mgCarbohydrates 77gFiber 1gSugar 61gProtein 3g

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Lyndsay Sung

Sunday 16th of September 2018

Chelsea!! You are so amazing, thank you for the kind words and for your cakey support!! Your fox turned out perfectly!!! Xoxo Lyndsay

Chelsweets

Tuesday 18th of September 2018

Of course!! I had a blast making it. Congrats again on your book!!! <3

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