Easy Lion Cupcakes

The Mane Event: Easy Lion Cupcakes

Screenshot

These easy lion cupcakes are the cutest way to bring the king of the jungle to your dessert table. With a fluffy orange buttercream mane, a smooth yellow face, and candy details for the features, they’re colourful, playful, and surprisingly simple to decorate. Perfect for birthdays, jungle themes, Tiger Cupcakes, or just for fun, these cupcakes will have everyone roaring with delight.

Designing Easy Lion Cupcakes

The mane is built using simple piping techniques: orange buttercream is piped in dots around the edge of the cupcake with a piping tip, then spread inward to look like fur. A large round tip is used to pipe a smooth yellow dollop in the centre, which becomes the lion’s face. To get the most vibrant golden shades, I used my buttercream colouring guide.

The fun is in the details — mini yellow M&Ms become ears, a pink heart sprinkle forms the nose, and fondant cheeks (with tiny whisker holes poked using a toothpick) give the lion its sweet expression. Two small black sugar balls finish the look as eyes.

Why You’ll Love These Easy Lion Cupcakes

Fun + colourful – perfect for kids’ birthdays or jungle themes.
Beginner-friendly – the mane technique is simple but effective.
Creative use of candy – turns everyday sweets into adorable features.
Customisable – change colours for tigers, bears, or other animals.
Showstopper cupcakes – playful, charming, and full of character.

Things I Used

Piping bags – Two, one for the mane and one for the face.
Extra-large round piping tip (Ateco 809) – For the big, smooth dollop of yellow buttercream that makes the lion’s face.
Large open star piping tip (Wilton 4B) – To pipe the orange buttercream mane around the edges.
Small piping tip (used for spreading) – Ideal for pressing and dragging buttercream dots inward.
Small metal spatula – To smooth the yellow buttercream face.
Toothpick – To poke tiny whisker holes into the fondant cheeks.
Orange and yellow buttercream – Two colours to create contrast between the mane and face.
Mini yellow M&Ms – Used as ears.
Pink love heart sprinkles – Perfect little lion noses.
White fondant – Rolled and cut into small circles for cheeks.
Black sugar balls – To create the lion’s eyes.
Tweezers (optional) – For placing sprinkles and details neatly without marking the buttercream.

Serving Ideas

Display on a jungle-themed dessert table with leaf props or animal toys.
Pair with other animal cupcakes (like bees, pigs, or pandas) to create a full cupcake zoo.
Make them the centrepiece of a safari or zoo birthday party.

FAQ

Do I need special piping tips?
The Ateco 809 and Wilton 4B are the ones i used, but you can substitute with other large round and star tips.

Can I make them without fondant?
Yes — pipe buttercream dots for cheeks or use white candy melts instead.

How do I get smooth buttercream for the face?
Pipe a large dollop with the round tip and then smooth with a small spatula.

Can I prepare them in advance?
Yes, bake cupcakes up to two days ahead and decorate on the day of or day before serving.

Final Thoughts

These easy lion cupcakes are proof that you don’t need complicated techniques to create a bake with big personality. With just two colours of buttercream, a few candies, and a little fondant, you can make cupcakes that are both adorable and impressive. Perfect for kids and animal lovers alike, these easy lion cupcakes will always be the mane event of any celebration.

Rachel Lindsay

Chief Resident Cake Baker

Ingredients

12 cupcakes
Orange and yellow buttercream
24 mini-M&Ms (yellow)
12 pink love heart sprinkles
50g white fondant
24 black sugar balls

Equipment

2 piping bags
1 Extra large round piping tip (ATECO 809)
1 Large open star piping tip (Wilton 4B)
A small piping tip for spreading the buttercream
A small metal spatula
A toothpick

How to...

Decorating easy lion cupcakes with piped orange buttercream dots around the edge for the mane.

Step 1

Use a large open star piping tip and orange buttercream to pipe a dot at the edge of the cupcakes.

Step 2

Using the large end of a small piping tip to spread the buttercream dot into the centre of the cupcake.

Lion cupcake with piped orange buttercream mane.

Step 3

Continue this technique around the edge of the cupcake.

Close-up of an easy lion cupcake with a smooth yellow buttercream face and a piped orange mane.

Step 4

Use a round piping tip to add a large dollop of yellow buttercream to the middle of the cupcake. Smooth it out with a spatula so that you have a nice flat surface to add the facial details.

Adding M and M ears with tweezers to the lions face.

Step 5

Add two yellow mini-M and Ms for ears by pushing them slightly into the buttercream at the top of the face. Then add a heart sprinkle for the nose. I like to use tweezers to add the small details, this avoids making finger holes in the buttercream.

Easy lion cupcake with fondant cheeks and a pink heart sprinkle nose. Adding cheek dots with a cocktail stick

Step 6

Roll out a piece of white fondant and use the large end of a small piping tip to cut out circles for the cheeks. Attach them to the lion’s face and then use a toothpick to poke whisker holes in each cheek.

Easy lion cupcake with fondant cheeks, black sugar ball eyes being added with tweezers.

Step 7

Add two black sprinkles for his eyes. Again, using tweezers will make this a lot easier.