What do you do when a diehard McDonald’s fan has a birthday? You make them a McDonald’s birthday cake, of course?
Why not? After all, a birthday cake is often the centerpiece of a party. It’s also a great way to celebrate the birthday boy or girl, particularly if the cake happens to match one of their passions.
As you’ll see, there are plenty of fun ways to build a McDonald’s birthday cake. Some of the cakes are simple and fast to prepare. Others are elaborate works of art that take a decent amount of skill and effort. While the elaborate pieces can be frustrating, they’re often well worth the effort.
P.S. If you want even more ideas, check out our lists of 21st birthday cakes and cake flavor combinations. These cakes come in plenty of different flavors and styles, giving you options for any occasion imaginable. There are many other unusual desserts out there too.
Alternatively, you could look at a birthday cake delivery service. These ship nationwide and some will get cakes to you surprisingly fast. While the cakes won’t be as customized as ones you make yourself, you end up with a delicious birthday cake with little effort on your part.
P.S. While cake generally freezes well, these birthday cake ideas are complex and may not hold up well in the freezer.
McDonald’s Birthday Cake Ideas (With Pictures!)
An Ultra Impressive Layered Cake
What could be a better place to begin than this cake? I mean, seriously, look at it.
It begins with a red McDonald’s themed base, then a yellow layer with fries, a chicken nugget box, and an entire Big Mac made from cake. It’s an astonishing cake that would impress anyone who sees it.
It Looks Just Like A Meal
Rather than being a layered cake, this version is served on a platter and legitimately looks like a McDonald’s meal. If you presented this one well, guests might even do a double take.
The drink is easily the most impressive part. Making a cake look like a burger is one thing, but creating a realistic drink is something entirely different. Many other cake makers attempt this, although the level of success varies dramatically.
Minimalistic, But Still Impressive
Cakes don’t need to be over the top to be impressive. This one uses red and yellow stripes and a red M on a white cake. That’s enough to highlight the McDonald’s theme.
Then there are just a couple of baby McDonald’s toppers – just a single burger and fries. You don’t need more than this though. The style is fantastic because you can easily add as many or as few toppings as you like.
All The Classics
Here’s another version that uses a simple cake with toppers. This time there are three items on the cake – fries, a burger, and a drink. The toppers are larger and more impressive with this creation, taking over the entire top of the cake.
This cake is one of my personal favorites from the list, as it looks fantastic without being too extreme. .
A Familiar Idea In A Different Style
Here’s the same idea again. It’s been done quite differently than the previous entries, partly because the food items have a more cartoon-like style.
Using a can of Coca-Cola instead of a paper cup works well too. The scale of the can doesn’t seem quite right, but that doesn’t really matter. It’s a fun cake, regardless.
Keeping Things Simple
It would be tough to make a simpler cake that still fits within the McDonald’s theme. There are no food items for this one, just a carefully iced red and yellow sheet cake.
The lack of food items is a serious advantage. While burgers, fries, and drinks can all be stunning, they’re also tricky to make. It takes a decent amount of finesse to create versions that look like the real deal and taste good too.
Many of us simply don’t have the skills or time to make such cake toppers.
Complete With Levitating Ketchup
The levitating ketchup packet is the most unusual feature of this cake, yet may not be that difficult to pull off.
The other items on the cake are more familiar. They’re no less impressive though. I particularly love how there’s even a little tray on top of the cake. It might even be possible to remove this (with all the food items on it) before cutting the cake.
A Huge Burger
Rather than having a cake with McDonald’s themed toppers, why not simply turn the cake into a giant burger? That’s exactly what’s happening here.
It’s an amazing sight really, as the birthday kid ends up with an oversized burger and fries, which should all taste amazing. Sugarpaste has been used for many of the features, while the burger patty itself is a delicious chocolate sponge.
Complete With A Large McDonald’s Sign
This treat starts with a chocolate sponge cake that has layers of whipped cream, chocolate, and lemon curd. This has been iced in white and then decorated with an edible ribbon and bow.
That’s just the base cake. Then there is the burger, fries, and drink which have all been made as toppers, plus the large McDonald’s sign behind it all. Every single part of the cake appears to be edible, which is a seriously impressive feat.
Here’s Something Completely Different
Most McDonald’s cakes attempt to replicate the company’s food. This one doesn’t do that at all. Instead, it’s a two-tier blue and white cake with some yellow accents.
The most distinct feature is the cartoon-like Ronald McDonald sitting on top (who seems to be made from fondant). He’s hardly the most realistic version of Ronald McDonald, but he does look pretty cool.
Plus, this is a birthday cake for a one-year-old, so the fun style is ideal.
A Big Mac With Nuggets, Fries, And A Drink
This cake has a pretty simple base, just a white iced cake with yellow stripes. The simplicity isn’t a bad thing, as the cake isn’t the focus at all. It’s all the extra parts that make this one truly impressive, including the fries, ketchup, and chicken nuggets.
The burger isn’t as elaborate as some of the others we’ve seen on this list. But, it still does the trick. You could make a larger burger if you like and perhaps even use it as a second tier for the cake.
Yes, This Is Actually A Cake
This cake is specifically for someone who adores Chicken McNuggets. The cake pulls off the theme exceptionally well, including the labeling on the box, all the nuggets, and even a floating nugget that’s being dipped in sauce.
There’s even a receipt. That’s probably not edible, but it’s difficult to know. Seriously. Cake art has become incredible these days, making it tough to know what can be eaten and what can’t be.
The Pinterest post for this one includes an interesting discussion of how the creator made the cake. This offers a fascinating insight into the trial-and-error aspect of cake making.
Why Not Make A McDonald’s Bag?
Rather than focusing on food, this is simply a cake version of a McDonald’s bag. This approach is a clever way around the finicky nature of creating individual realistic food items. However, there’s still the text to think about.
The Red Cake Is Stunning
The basic idea of a red McDonald’s cake has been done before. Still, this version looks stunning, partly because of the deep red color of the cake.
It looks like this one features a cup of McDonald’s coffee rather than soda, which is an interesting touch. It makes sense too, as not everyone will drink the soda from McDonald’s.
I love the fries too. They actually look tastier than the ones from McDonald’s itself.
Want A Tall Burger?
There are plenty of interesting things going on with this collection of cakes. One is the burger, which is impressively tall. Then there’s the drink, which looks surprisingly realistic.
Then there are the fries, which have a fun style to them. They’re thinner and seem to have sharper edges than many of the other versions on this list. This makes them much more realistic, as McDonald’s does offer very thin fries.
Another Large Burger
This cake looks like it was modeled after a Big Mac, although there aren’t any pickles. It also doesn’t have the McDonald’s logo, which makes it more versatile.
The coolest thing is that the image shows us the interior of the cake. This makes the layering easy to see. It’s also clear that the cheese and lettuce are simply decorations on the outside of the cake. They don’t extend all the way through. The same is true for most of the other burgers on this list.
Packed With Chicken Nuggets And Burgers
This cake includes a different selection of McDonald’s themed items than normal, but that’s not the only fascinating thing.
It’s also one of the few cakes that doesn’t try to make beautiful looking McDonald’s burgers. The burgers featured are just as smushed and ugly as they are in real life. This makes them much more realistic, as you never actually get picture perfect burgers from McDonald’s.
A Burger Cake With Fries
This time, the burger is the main birthday cake, while the fries function mostly like a side. The cake is quite impressive too, especially as some of the ingredients look very realistic (particularly the cheese).
The ketchup packets and McDonald’s drink help to make the whole thing look even more amazing. However, these don’t seem to be part of the cake. They may simply be real products from McDonald’s. Why not though? There’s no reason for everything to be cake.
A Nugget-Based Meal
Most of the cakes on this list focus on burgers. However, this isn’t what everyone is interested in. Sometimes you might need a different type of cake entirely, like this one, which relies on chicken nuggets, dipping sauce, fries, and a drink.
There is a burger box included too, off to the side, but this isn’t such a big focus.
Some Seriously Impressive Nuggets
We’ve looked at a few nugget-focused cakes already, but this one is too amazing to ignore. Seriously, just look at the nuggets. They seem just like the real deal.
I’d almost think that someone actually put a box of nuggets on top of a McDonald’s cake, except that this one is tagged as being a realistic food cake. That said, I suspect it’s just the nuggets that are made from cake. The box appears to be authentic.
The fries are pretty realistic too. They’re not in the same league as the nuggets, but they’re still closer than the versions from many other creators.
What Doesn’t This Cake Have?
I swear, someone was trying to include as many items as humanly possible on this cake – and they succeeded. There’s a full Big Mac on top, various chicken nuggets, a large packet of fries, and a hot drink from the McCafé.
There are some cool features too, like the receipt and the chicken nugget that’s floating over the ketchup. Who could see a cake like this and not be impressed?
Some Interesting Chicken Nuggets
Here’s another cake featuring chicken nuggets. This time even the box is part of the cake, making the whole thing even more striking.
There aren’t any instructions for this particular cake. That doesn’t matter though. Plenty of people have made cake versions of chicken nuggets, so directions won’t be hard to find at all.
Plenty Of Bright Colors
The colors are really what make this cake special. Everything is bright and vibrant, particularly the red and yellow gradient on the cake.
I love the burger too. It looks brighter and tastier than most of the others on the list. McDonald’s burgers don’t look like that in real life, of course, but you have plenty of creative license when making a birthday cake.
McDonald’s Goodies With A Simple Tiered Cake
I love how this cake has been kept incredibly simple (on the outside, at least, we don’t know what the interior looks like). Each of the layers simply has smooth pale blue icing.
This style allows the cake toppings to truly shine. I love how individual chicken nuggets and fries have been scattered on the different layers. The dipping sauce works well too, helping to make the nuggets even more interesting.
There are even two boxes of fries, plus two burgers and a drink. Impressive, right?
Not Just A Cake, But Cupcakes And Cookies Too
This entry takes things in a different direction. There is a cake, but it’s a pretty simple one – just a single tier bright yellow cake.
Then there are the tiny burgers. These are made using cupcakes and little brownies as meat patties. These would be perfect at a party, as they’re easier to share than a full cake.
The packets of fries are fascinating too, as these are sugar cookies. The cookies would be delicious and an excellent contrast to the taste and texture of the cake.
A More Cartoon Style
Most of the cakes on this list try to make their food as realistic as possible. This version takes a different approach, with a burger, fries, and drink that look like they come out of a comic book.
The ice cream is more representative, largely because it uses an actual ice cream cone. The unusual style works well for this cake, helping the whole thing to stand out.
The Floating Ketchup Bottle Really Sells This One
Okay, so this isn’t a McDonald’s burger specifically, but it easily could be. The burger certainly matches the theme well.
While the whole thing is stunning, it’s the floating ketchup bottle that really makes it unique. Gravity-defying cakes and toppings always look amazing, yet they’re not as difficult as you might expect.
There are now many examples of these cakes online, plus instructions teaching you how to prepare them for yourself.
A Large Fish Burger
Here’s a cake for anyone who enjoys fish burgers from McDonald’s. It’s a similar idea to many of the previous examples, except that you’re using different fillings in the burger.
The fish burger style might even be easier because there are fewer fillings in the burger.
The one slightly strange thing is the scale. There’s a huge burger, a moderate drink, and a tiny packet of fries. Still, this is a birthday treat, not an actual McDonald’s meal, so the sizing doesn’t matter that much.
This Time There’s Even Pizza
Pizza isn’t a common feature on a McDonald’s cake. That’s probably because McDonald’s stopped selling pizza back in 2000, except in some places in Orlando, Florida.
This cake features pizza anyway. Not just that, but the pizza looks fantastic next to all the other ingredients. There’s even a red and white checkered board at the base of the cake that ties the whole thing together.
Complete With The Man Himself
Rather than food, why not include Ronald McDonald on the cake? That’s exactly what this one does. It’s a pretty simple one too, as we’re just talking about an iced red cake with yellow stars, a McDonald’s logo, and a topper that features Ronald McDonald with a can of Coca-Cola.
Straightforward as it may be, the cake still looks fantastic.
Including Fries, A Big Mac, And A Shake
Rather than including cola on the cake, why not serve a shake instead? Actually, this version may be cheating slightly, as it looks like it is using a real McDonald’s cup and straw, which has then been filled with frosting.
Still, that style is much easier than attempting to make an edible drink using cake ingredients. The burger, fries, and drink also look great together.
Another Burger And Fries Style
Making cake-based burgers and fries is a pretty common approach. This one follows the same theme, but does so exceptionally well.
I particularly love the tomato sauce icing splotches. They add an exciting element to the cake that’s not typically seen. Plus, the whole thing comes on a tray, ready to serve.
Just A Large Box Of Fries
This cake would be ideal for someone who’s only really into the fries from McDonald’s. The fries on the cakke really do look stunning, especially with sugar sprinkled on top to mimic salt.
Plus, you might find it easier to focus on one type of McDonald’s food, rather than trying to make a full meal.
Complete With Stars
This cake gets much more realistic with chicken nuggets and fries than normal. Even more impressively, the paper carton for the fries is made from cake. Many people simply use an actual container from McDonald’s instead.
Keeping the rest of the cake white with just a red band and the McDonald’s logo works well too. This means there’s little to distract guests from the intricacies of the fries and chicken nuggets.
Many Burgers, Shakes, And Fries
This cake would take a lot of work as there are so many different elements at play, including roughly ten smoothies, and half a dozen or more baby burgers.
Then there are the fries. These are extraordinary, as the cake seems to be built of individual fries, rather than having an actual cake shape. How impressive is that?
Each of the elements would need to be made individually. So, if you plan to give this one a go, make sure you have plenty of time on your hands.
Messy, But Tasty
I love how messy the burger is for this McDonald’s cake, especially as most creators make their burgers more elegant than this. The rest of the piece is pretty impressive too, including a basket of fries and even a drink.
Chicken Nuggets Plus Wine
The top part of this cake is familiar enough. Like a few others, it’s simply a homemade box of cake chicken nuggets, which is used as the topper for a cake.
What makes this unusual is the extra items. These are hard to identify from the angle, but they look like a bottle of bubbly, a black handbag, and a paper bag of some description.
The explanation is given in the description – de-stressing with a shopping spree, followed by the McDonald’s drive through.
What About A McDonald’s Sign?
Here’s a completely different style. It’s an entire signboard for McDonald’s, made into cake form. The extra wording about Pastor Rick is fun too. This makes it a very personal cake.
Of course, if you tried this style yourself, you could easily change the writing to match your recipient.
An Even More Personal Cake
Some elements of this cake are familiar. But, you’ve also got the two figures on top, wearing matching McDonald’s T-shirts.
The design of the faces suggest that the figures are probably custom-made to represent two people. I presume the one on the right is the birthday boy, as Tommaso is a male name. However, it’s hard to be certain.
The creator of this cake also made other items, including a burger, fries, and a whole box of chicken nuggets. Needless to say, everyone would be satisfied at the end of the party.
The Messy Sauce Makes This One Even Better
This cake looks amazing in many ways, but it’s the messy sauce and mayo drips that really seal the deal. They make the cake much more engaging than yet another version with a few McDonald’s food items.
The two-tier effect works well too. This makes it easy to space the toppings without overloading the cake.
This One Is Surprisingly Realistic
This giant burger gets closer to a true McDonald’s burger than many others. Just look at the lettuce, cheese, and pickles. They’re all so well done.
Only one thing takes away from the realism here – McDonald’s burgers don’t actually look like this. Their marketing images do, but the burgers you buy tend to be quite squashed and dismal instead. Still, most of the cakes on this list copy the idealized versions of McDonald’s burgers, so there’s nothing unusual going on here.
There’s Even A Receipt
While this cake has some familiar additional, the style is different too, particularly for the chicken. The pieces actually look like chicken you’d get from KFC, but I think they’re meant to be McDonald’s chicken nuggets. The burger and fries are more familiar and are both excellently done.
I’m very curious about the receipt with this one, as it has a QR code at the bottom. I wonder if this actually does anything when scanned or if it’s just there to help with aesthetics.
The White Cake Works Well
This cake maker keeps things simple with a white cake, the McDonald’s logo, chicken, and fries, plus a few birthday toppers and the birthday kid’s name.
The simplicity works exceptionally well, creating a cake that looks surprisingly elegant (which is impressive for any fast food themed cake).
A McFlurry Cake
Despite the popularity of McFlurries, they’re not normally featured on cakes. This one is an exception, where the creator has made an entire cake themed like a McFlurry (plus a baby one for good measure).
The cake also sounds delicious, as it includes raspberry gel, vanilla buttercream, and marble mud. That’s enough to bring guests back for seconds and thirds.
The Actual McDonald’s Sheet Cake
This cake isn’t nearly as impressive as the others on the list. That’s because it’s an off-menu cake that some McDonald’s stores sell.
The cake doesn’t score any points for style and doesn’t have an exceptional flavor either. The big selling point is the price, as this is a sheet cake that costs just $9. It’s hard to beat that, especially when your budget is very stretched.
There is one catch and it’s a big one – the cake isn’t available everywhere. Only some McDonald’s stores offer this and many employees don’t even know about it. Because it’s an off-menu item, you’ll need to ask to find out whether the cake is available in your local store.
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