17 Best Ugly Cake Ideas You Must Try

Are you thinking of joining the ugly cake prank to surprise your loved ones on their birthday? Please take a look at our list to find more ugly cake ideas!

A Few Words About Ugly Cake

Ugly cakes have been all over social media, whether intentionally or not. Originating as a viral story, everyone is now coming up with their version. The first known one was an ugly princess cake resembling Elsa in 2015 posted on Reddit; a well-meaning volunteer made it for a sick child. Nevertheless, the cake went viral and has now become a trendy prank.

To inspire you, we will give you three recipe groups: ugly cakes, cupcakes, and ugly duckling cakes. If you want to go all out, try making one of our ugly cake or ugly duckling cake recipes. But if you’re not in the mood to bake a full-size cake, try our ugly cupcake recipes. We bet everyone will be laughing at your funny ugly cakes!

See the Best Selection of Ugly Cake Recipes

Have a look at our funniest ugly cake ideas on this list. You won’t need any decorating talent or skills to pull off this prank, so pick one and get inspired!

1

Ugly Cake of Frogs in a Lake

First up on our list of ugly cakes is this ugly birthday cake featuring frogs on a lake. the cake has a sloping shape, and several frogs are hanging out. What makes this cake ugly is the shape of the frog.

Because the maker insisted on making the frogs using buttercream, it created a blob instead of the usual frog shape. Then create your frogs and place them on top of the base cake.

With this design, you can also make ugly wedding cakes because you have a female frog and a male frog on top of the cake!

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

2

Bear Ugly Cake

Here’s another excellent and simple idea for you to make your ugly birthday cakes. However, the visual is very elementary, which may be why it was classified as an ugly cake.

In this particular tutorial, the maker uses chocolate cake to keep with the bear color scheme. Then you’ll cut the base cake into a bear shape and top the cake off with some brown buttercream.

Try creating your design, such as an ugly man cake or an ugly spiderman cake, just by using different colored buttercream.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

3

Ugly Cake Easter Edition

This is a special ugly chocolate cake because the maker of this recipe is used to making stunning cakes.

This cake is suitable for celebrating Easter because you’ll use lots of chocolates as its toppings. The base of the cake is a moist chocolate cake; Cover the entire surface with more chocolate buttercream when the cake is ready.

Then top the cake with chocolate bunnies, eggs, jelly candies, and marshmallows.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

4

Chocolate Upside Down Ugly Cake

This ugly upside-down cake gets its name because it’s not the prettiest cake out there. The cake is haphazardly put together, and the maker only cares about the taste of the cake.

To make this cake, you’ll prepare the chocolate cake inside a 10-inch round cake pan. You will first put the brown sugar and marshmallow before topping them off with the chocolate cake batter.

That’s why it’s called the upside-down cake since the brown sugar and marshmallow will melt and create a top layer that’s caramelized and delicious.

Total Preparation Time: 45 mins

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

5

Face Ugly Cake

Here’s a straightforward ugly cake that anyone can make. You can start baking your base cake using a round tin pan.

Bake several layers to create a decent height for your single-layer cake. You will then top the cake with some pink buttercream icing.

We think that they used pink because they want it to resemble skin, but you’re welcome to use any color that is your favorite. Then use either chocolate ganache or black icing to create the details of the face.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

6

Ugly Cake for the 4th of July

This is another ugly cake created accidentally by the maker, Cooking with Raina. She wanted to create a 4th of July cake by dyeing the inside of the cake using some red and white food dye.

But the cake she baked needed to be longer made into two layers, so she baked another. When she tops the cake with whipped cream, the cake is slightly slanted because the cakes are far too thick to hold.

So if you want to create the same effect, there’s your tip! Use dense cakes and whipped cream to make a slanted cake.

Then top the cake off with edge piping and fresh fruits. Because the theme is independence day, the maker uses strawberries and blueberries.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

7

Twilight Ugly Cake

We’re betting you will laugh out loud when you’re finished watching this tutorial to make an ugly face cake.

This is another accidental funny cake, where the maker is not purposely making this cake ugly. Start making a base cake using a round cake tin, then top it off with buttercream.

You can customize this cake and create an ugly face cake using your friend’s portrait to make their ugly birthday cakes.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

8

Yummy but Ugly Cake Pops

This is a recipe to make yummy but ugly cake pops. Cake pops are bite-size lollipop cakes usually created using cake scraps.

So if you’re baking a cake, there’s usually some leftover cake from carving; you’ll use that as the base for this cake pops. Combine the crumbs with buttercream, create the balls, and pop them onto lollipop sticks.

The maker of this recipe wanted to make a simple cake pop, so she just dipped them in white chocolate and let them stand.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

9

Grandma Gloria’s Ugly Cake Recipe

There’s always something endearing about the cake that your grandmothers make you. She may call this an ugly cake, but the flavors will take you back to your grandma’s porch sipping iced tea.

This is a recipe for an ugly chocolate cake. What’s even better is Grandma Gloria used a box mix cake to create the base, so you don’t need to be an experienced baker to make this one.

This is a humble, delicious cake that your family will love despite its less-than-pretty looks.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

See the Best Selection of Ugly Cupcakes Recipes

Do you want to prank your loved ones, but you don’t want to bake a big cake? Try one of these ugly cupcake recipes instead!

1

Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Ugly Cupcake

Then try these ugly but delicious chocolate cheese cupcakes by Simply Delicious Baking. These cupcakes are called tuxedo cupcakes because they have that black and white color scheme.

For this recipe, you’ll create chocolate cupcakes using chocolate chips and chocolate base cake batter. That’s then mixed with some cream cheese on top of it, which is why it’s also called the black bottom cake.

The lower side will be dark with the chocolate, and the top will be lighter with the cream cheese.

Calories per Serving: 270
Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

2

Halloween Ghost Ugly Cupcakes

Are you in the mood to make some Halloween cupcakes? These ugly cupcakes by A Daily Dose will scare your friends for sure.

The inspiration for these cupcakes is Halloween-themed ghost cupcakes. You can start by baking some vanilla cupcakes using a sponge cake batter. You will then dye the cupcakes with orange food coloring to make the Halloween theme come alive.

Bake the cupcakes until they’re ready. Remember, you don’t need to be an artist because they’re ugly cupcakes!

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

3

DIY Giant Ugly Cupcakes

If you want to make something between a full-size cake and a cupcake, then this ugly giant cupcake recipe by Kids DIY Challengers is perfect.

Who knows, they’ll get inspired and make giant ugly cupcakes. Although it’s a simple cupcake, you still need to get a huge cupcake tin from the store.

If you want to avoid buying a new cake tin from the store, you’re welcome to carve your giant cupcake using sheet cakes.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

4

Scary and Ugly Halloween Cupcakes

This is another tutorial for you to make ugly Halloween cupcakes. The maker of this recipe is Lamia Oni Sama; she uses a mask the entire time, so the Halloween theme is well presented in this tutorial.

To make these cupcakes, you can make the base batter using a mixed box cake. They’re easy to bake and create, so you won’t have any issues completing this recipe.

You will also need to purchase some ready-to-use colored icing in several different colors. When your cupcakes are done, top them off by drawing Halloween designs on top of the cupcakes using your colored icing. Try making a ghost, a pumpkin, or a broken heart.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

See the Best Selection of Ugly Duckling Cakes Recipes

Ugly Duckling Cakes may look unpleasant, but their taste is out of this world. This delicious cake uses canned fruits in the best way possible, and the result is an amazing cake your family will love.

1

Ugly Duckling Cake with Cake Box Mix

You may have never heard of an ugly duckling cake, but it’s a famous cake. The cake is usually made from a yellow box cake with some fruit cocktails.

For this recipe, we’re keeping the vintage style alive by using the original recipe using yellow box cake and fruit cocktails as the base of the cake.

Top the cake off with the traditional pecans and coconut, and then you’re ready to enjoy this ugly duckling. Remember to put some whipped cream on top!

Calories per Serving: 454
Total Preparation Time: 1 hour and 5 mins

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

2

Ugly Duckling Cake from Scratch

This is another ugly duckling cake recipe, but the difference is you’ll be making everything from scratch. So if you’re a real baker who wants a challenge, this can be the perfect recipe for you to try.

You’ll be using all-purpose flour and baking soda to create the cake base, but you can also use self-raising flour if you don’t want to use baking soda.

You will also be making the glaze from scratch in this recipe using butter, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and shredded coconuts.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

3

Ugly Duckling Cake with Pineapple Base

Here’s another ugly duckling cake mix with a twist. This recipe by Turnips 2 Tangerines uses pineapple box cake instead of the usual yellow box cake.

That’s because the maker wants the taste of the base cake to match the fruit cocktail perfectly – and because there’s pineapple inside the fruit cocktail, why not use pineapple cake mix?

The process after you make the base cake is similar to the other two cakes; the difference between this cake and the rest will be the taste. The result will be a fresh cake with a tropical taste that your family and friends will love.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe

4

Ugly Duckling Cake With Instant Pudding

This is our last ugly duckling cake on this list, and it will have extra ingredients that you won’t guess.

This recipe by Phyllis Stokes will incorporate some vanilla or lemon pudding into the batter; You’ll use the pudding to make the topping together with pecans and shredded coconuts.

The delicious pudding will seep into the cake, creating another layer of flavors with a better texture. If you want to customize the cake, you’re welcome to use different kinds of nuts or pudding flavors.

Click here to see the instructions for the Recipe