Life
Our cultural obsession with everything and anything unicorn was at its peak this year. According to Google Trends’ recently released list, Unicorn Cake was the most Googled food of 2018. Perhaps it was because we all were seeking something bright and sparkly when the world has been anything but. Perhaps we were all trying to live out our Great British Bake-Off dreams. Perhaps it was just because unicorns are shiny and pretty and who doesn’t want to eat something pretty?
What we search for, food and recipes included, says a lot about a cultural moment. “Romaine lettuce” was the second most-searched food of 2018, likely due to the CDC recall of romaine lettuce following an E. Coli outbreak. Necco wafers were also among the top ten most-search foods after the NECCO’s factory shut down suddenly and people across the internet feared the fate of their favorite chalky discs. Korean condiment gochujang gained popularity this year and cracked the top ten list. (Srirachi is quaking.) The keto diet also dominated our search history. Five of the top ten most searched foods were keto-specific recipes. Keto pancakes, keto cookies, and keto brownies were among the most craved foods for those on the Keto diet.
The search for “unicorn cake” starting increasing last year but reached its peak in July of 2018. f you’re curious why everyone was so obsessed with cakes inspired by a singular-horned mythical horse, look no further than these incredibly crafted unicorn cakes.
1
This Three-Tiered Rainbow Unicorn Cake
Earlier this year Sam’s Club introduced a 3-Tiered Unicorn Cake big enough to feed a whopping 66 people. For less than $70, you could get a chocolate or vanilla cake decorated with sprinkles, rainbow frosting, and (most importantly) a unicorn topper. If you don't order a few as your wedding cake, why even have a wedding at all?
2
This Cake Shaped Like A Prancing Unicorn
UK-based Zoes Fancy Cakes is to thank for this My Little Pony/unicorn-hybrid fever dream come to life. If you're feeling bold and brave, you could follow the baker's YouTube tutorial on how to make this 3-D unicorn cake. (Or you could just watch in awe and eat Funfetti frosting from a can. That's a close second.)
3
This Unicorn Cake EATING ANOTHER UNICORN CAKE
In the cutest version of cannibalism, Dulcefina has created this adorable interpretation of a unicorn cake. It features a little fondant unicorn filling its tiny unicorn belly with an ombre blue cake. The little unicorn is so cute, you probably won't want to eat it. (But you probably should because it's made of food and will decompose.)
4
This Majestic Unicorn Atop A Moonlit Castle Cake
Fluffy Thoughts Cakes touts their unicorn cake as "a different unicorn cake," with a 3-D unicorn nestled atop a cake decorated to look like a moonlit castle. It's definitely the better option if you feel guilty eating a cake with a face on it.
5
This Glorious Unicorn/Pegasus Cake
Lara Halabi of Fluffy Thoughts Cakes has also created this two-tiered "pegasus cake," complete with gold dripping frosting and pastel-colored wings. It's perfect for when someone is like, "Didn't you just buy a unicorn cake?" Then, you can be like, "No, no, this is a pegasus cake. It's different. I swear."
6
This DIY Unicorn Cake Topper
Don't want to commit to baking a full-on unicorn cake? Happy Color Prints on Etsy has you covered. Just pop their felt and plastic unicorn accessories (which include a gold unicorn horn, set of unicorn ears, unicorn eyelashes, and colorful flowers) onto your cake and voila! Your non-magical vanilla cake is now a fully-magical unicorn cake.
7
This Edible Unicorn Topper Set
Did number 6's "unicorn cake topper" speak to your soul up until the part where I said they're not edible? Thankfully, Sugar Toppers CA on Etsy has fondant unicorn toppers (ears, eyelashes, and a horn). They're perfect if you want to turn your boring old round cake into a unicorn cake but don't have the patient for rolling out and sculpting fondant.
8
This Two-Tiered Unicorn Cake (If Three Tiers Was Too Much Commitment)
In addition to their three-tiered cake, Sam's Club also has a two-tiered unicorn cake available. While you lose the middle layer, you also gain the ability to eat even more of the cake without having your friends and family worry about you too much.
9
These Golden Wing Unicorn Cake Toppers
Want to turn your unicorn cake into a flying, golden Pegasus cake? I mean, you're here, aren't you? FashionLiciousStudio on Etsy has ready-made wings you can order for $9. Put them on your unicorn cake! Stick them to either side of your bagel! You can turn any food into a flying version of that food. Amazing!
10
This Holiday-Themed Unicorn Cake
Rudolph who? Sam's Club is killing the unicorn cake game and is also offering seasonal unicorn cakes. In addition to this red and green Santa themed cake, there is a blue and white three-tiered winter version that looks like if Elsa from Frozen turned into a unicorn. In other words, it is perfect.
11
This Disney-Themed Unicorn Cupcake
Do you want all your favorite things rolled up into one bite? Do your favorite things happen to be Disney, unicorns, and cupcakes? You're in luck because Disney launched unicorn-themed cupcakes earlier this year, and they are a pink, sparkly dream come true.
