Pusheen Cake Recipe: Easy Decorating Guide

This pusheen cake recipe makes one 8-inch, two-layer vanilla cake with enough buttercream to fill, cover, and decorate it with Pusheen’s recognizable gray face, ears, stripes, and whiskers.

What You Will Make

The template below is designed for a round 8-inch cake, approximately 4 inches tall after stacking. It serves about 12 to 16 slim slices. The design uses simple piped shapes rather than fondant, so it is achievable with a small decorating kit and can be adapted for a child’s birthday, a cat-themed celebration, or a casual afternoon dessert.

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Ingredients for the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Ingredients for the Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened but not melted
• 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• Black gel food coloring, for gray and black details
• Yellow gel food coloring, for the nose
• Pink gel food coloring, for optional cheek details

For a less-sweet frosting, replace up to 1 cup of the powdered sugar with 1 cup of chilled cream cheese, added after the butter has been whipped. Keep the finished cake refrigerated, because cream cheese frosting softens more quickly at room temperature.

Step-by-Step Pusheen Cake Recipe

1. Prepare the pans

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and dust the sides lightly with flour. If using a 9 x 13-inch pan, grease and line it instead; the cake will be flatter and is best decorated as a rectangular Pusheen portrait.

2. Mix the batter

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix until the texture resembles fine crumbs. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Pour in the milk gradually and mix only until the batter is smooth. Overmixing can make the finished cake dense.

3. Bake and cool

Divide the batter evenly between the two round pans. Bake for 26 to 32 minutes, or until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. A 9 x 13-inch cake generally takes 30 to 36 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the layers onto a rack and cool completely.

4. Make the buttercream

Beat the butter for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar in four additions, mixing on low speed after each addition. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat for another 3 minutes. If the frosting is stiff, add cream 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is loose, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.

5. Divide and color the frosting

Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of white buttercream for the eyes, muzzle, and small highlights. Tint approximately 2 1/2 cups a light to medium gray for the face and ears. Tint 1/2 cup dark gray or black for the outlines, stripes, pupils, and mouth. Set aside 2 tablespoons of yellow frosting for the nose and 2 tablespoons of pink frosting for optional cheeks.

6. Fill and crumb-coat the cake

Place one cake layer on a plate or cake board. Pipe or spread approximately 1 cup of white or gray buttercream over the top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Add the second layer with its flatter side facing up. Cover the cake with a thin layer of gray frosting to trap crumbs, then chill it for 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Apply the final gray coat

Spread the remaining gray frosting over the top and sides. Aim for a layer about 1/4 inch thick rather than trying to create a perfectly sharp finish. Pusheen’s rounded silhouette works well with a softly smoothed cake. A bench scraper gives the sides a cleaner finish, while a small offset spatula is easier to control around the top edge.

How to Pipe the Pusheen Face

Make the ears

Use gray frosting in a piping bag fitted with a round tip 10, or cut a 1/2-inch opening in the bag. Pipe two rounded triangular ears at the upper left and upper right of the cake. Keep each ear approximately 2 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches tall. Fill the centers with a smaller triangle of pink frosting, then soften the edges with a small spatula or toothpick.

Add the eyes and muzzle

Use white frosting with a round tip 10 to pipe two oval eyes, each about 1 inch wide. Leave 1 1/2 to 2 inches between the eyes. Add black or dark-gray pupils with a round tip 3. Pipe two small white or pale-gray muzzle ovals below the eyes, leaving a narrow gap between them.

Pipe the nose and mouth

Use yellow frosting with a round tip 3 to make a small triangular nose between the muzzle ovals. With dark frosting and a round tip 3, pipe a short vertical line beneath the nose and two curved lines extending toward the muzzle. Keep these lines thin; thick outlines can make the expression look crowded.

Add stripes and whiskers

Use dark-gray frosting with a round tip 3. Pipe three short curved stripes on each cheek, angling them slightly upward. Add two or three whiskers on each side of the face. For neat whiskers, touch the tip to the cake, squeeze gently, pull outward, and stop squeezing before lifting the tip.

If the stripes spread, chill the cake for 10 minutes and try again. Buttercream that is too warm will lose definition, while frosting that is too cold may break as it pipes.

Practical Pan and Tool Substitutions

Serving, Storage, and Table Protection

Chill the completed cake for at least 30 minutes before transporting it. It will be easier to cut and the piped details will remain sharper. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to three days, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

For a dining table or wood furniture surface, place the cake on a rigid cake board, tray, or washable placemat. Leave at least 3 inches of clear space around the cake stand so plates, candles, and utensils do not crowd the edge. Avoid placing a cold, condensation-covered cake box directly on unfinished wood; use a waterproof tray or folded towel underneath.

A standard 8-inch cake board is usually about 10 inches wide, so allow a display area of approximately 16 inches by 16 inches. This is enough room for the cake, a serving knife, and a few small plates without pushing items against the table edge.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

• The cake domes: Trim the raised center with a serrated knife after cooling, or use a lower oven temperature of 325°F and extend the baking time.

• The gray looks blue: Add a tiny amount of black gel rather than more food coloring. Excess gel can make frosting bitter.

• The frosting is grainy: Beat it longer, and make sure the butter is soft enough to blend with the sugar.

• The face is off-center: Mark the cake lightly with toothpicks before piping, using the center point and two horizontal guidelines as placement references.

• The whiskers crack: Thin the dark frosting with a few drops of cream and use a smaller opening.

Easy Flavor Variations

For chocolate cake, replace 1/2 cup of the flour with 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and add 2 tablespoons of milk. For lemon cake, replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Keep the frosting quantities the same so there is still enough buttercream for the Pusheen design.