It’s my kawaii Harry Potter cake!!! I made this kawaii Harry Potter cake for my dear friend Mia’s son Theo’s seventh birthday. My journey to being a Potterhead has been, ahem, decades long. Almost twenty years ago my then-boyfriend Rich was plowing through the series (which, when I look back, was rather adorable) and he encouraged me to read them, insisting I would love it. I’ve always had an issue with crappy design. I LOATHED the very first book covers of Harry Potter – HP was too cartoony, the colours were heinous and too geared towards kids (I know it’s a kids book, lol). But, I started it anyway… and never got beyond maybe the first two chapters and just said FUGGEDABOUTIT Harry. Fast forward to 2018 – my mom had just finished the entire series and gifted a whole set of them to Rich and I for our wedding anniversary! I decided to give it another go. Even still, it took until Book 3 to really get into it for me – I would start and finish other books in between like a jerk. But I finally fell in love.
Harry is truly a hero. He perseveres through so much and grows up for the first decade of his life without knowing love. TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET y’all. His first trepidatious forays into friendship – and becoming an honorary member of the Weasley family… then, finding out Siruis is his stepfather and finally feeling like he has a father figure in his life and then … JK ROWLING, ya KILL Sirius?? But Harry continues on. I lost it when in Book 7 he visits the graveyard where his parents are buried. Then, when Harry sees his mom for the first time after he’s “killed” and she tells him how brave he has been… just sobbing. I am now reading the illustrated version of Book 1 with Teddy and he is LOVING it.
Fondant glasses, lightning bolt scar, smile! I ended up giving Harry one winking eye instead.
I carefully pressed the fondant pieces into the buttercream, and made teensy fondant ears anchored by wooden skewers.
Gryffindor scarf!!! My trusty furry favourite, Wilton tip #234 to the knitting rescue.
BALD HARRY!
Okay, this was the part I was STRESSED about. Piping his hair with chocolate buttercream!
Finished!! Harry was a bit of a flat-head but he didn’t seem to mind.
Then of course we needed Harry Potter themed cake toppers! I drew a kawaii Hedwig and my attempt at Harry Potter font for “Theo” – hehe.
Behind the scenes of my “photo studio!” This is the closest I would let Teddy get to the cake, lol.
HARRY POTTER CAKE!!!
And… Harry post-surgery. It was a lot of fun coming up with this Harry Potter cake design, and my mom has already asked for it for her birthday too! Honestly I meant to post this in July but – SUMMER happened. However, back to school = back to Hogwarts – so this seems appropriate too… What’s your favourite book in the series? I think Book 7 was my favourite, though I also liked book 6 aka the Voldemort origin story. (Once again, Happy birthday Theo!!) xo Lyndsay
Katie Dorans
Hi Lyndsay,
I love your Harry Potter cake. It’s amazing. And look how Teddy has grown – and such a handsome boy!
I could never get past book one of the H P series. They all seemed so much the same and followed the same pattern. As you say, it is a kids series! But I guess in book 1 I just felt her excitement at creating a new world, naming potions from medicinal plants she found in antique books, etc. I could just feel her creativity in that first book and I was excited to turn each page to see what else she would come up with.
Maybe I need to try reading the rest of them. Or maybe not!! :-) Love your cakes. Well done.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
OH my goodness Katie this comment MADE MY DAY!! I rarely get comments on my blog these days and oh so nice to hear from you!! Yes, give it another go! Plus, Ruby and Leo will likely love it and it’s a fun one to read together! There are illustrated versions now, I bet Ruby will love to read it with you… Big hugs! xo Lyndsay
Amy Uren
This cake looks easyish. I’m going to try it for my daughters 6th birthday. Any tips and tricks or words of wisdom I may need? Thanks for the step by step. Wish me luck
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi Amy! Everything is fairly simple but the floppy hair was a bit trickier – make sure your buttercream isn’t too loose, that it’s sturdy enough to make the strands of floppy hair!! Have fun, please send me pics of the finished product! :)
Amy Uren
Hey Lyndsay, I just sent you an email. To show you my cake. No where as goodness yours but daughter loves it and I’m pretty happy about it
Thanks for your comment.
Lynn
I’m going to give this a go tomorrow for my daughter’s birthday on Wednesday. Wish me luck.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Looking forward to seeing it!
Misty
How did you get the buttercream to be flesh colored? also, do you have a preferred buttercream recipe that gets nice and stiff?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi, I used a tiny amount of Wilton gel colour in “copper” to get “flesh colour”. You can find all my favourite recipes in my cake book Coco Cake Land – I also have a few recipes over at Food.com (search Lyndsay Sung) – thanks! :)
Jenna
Hi! I just found this and am going to attempt for my daughter’s cake…but we are doing a blue velvet cake which of course means cream cheese icing…do you think it will still work with that instead of the buttercream?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi, You could fill the cake with cream cheese frosting so the tangy cream cheese flavour is there – and then frost the outside with buttercream? Let me know how it goes! :)
Kara
Hello! What cake # tip did you use for the hair? Thank you!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi it’s a multi opening tip, #234 Wilton!
Tina M Sineath
This looks AWESOME! What tip did you use for the hair? is that black buttercream or chocolate icing for his hair?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi Tina! Wilton #234 but any multi opening tip should work, it’s used for making “grass”. It’s chocolate buttercream! Have fun! :)
Rosie
Awesome! Going to try it tomorrow… What size cake pans did you use? Do you thing a larger base cake with a smaller top cake would work or better to use same size?
Thanx!
Patty Konkol
Hi, love your cake? Could you tell me what you used to make the cutouts? Thank you
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
Hi Patty! Apologies for the very late reply, I used pre-colored fondant that I purchased from a cake supply place.