I needed a last-minute birthday cake idea for this weekend, so I gussied up a simple yellow box cake and turned it into this fun Animal Cookie cake.

The frosted circus cookies didn’t just decorate the outside of the cake; they also made a tasty crunch in the batter.

Animal cookie cake recipe.

I created this for a sweet friend’s 1st birthday. It was a total hit.

Bright sprinkles, colorful cookies, and zero stress, it’s the kind of birthday cake hack anyone can pull off… And if you don’t want to bake at all, just decorate a store-bought cake with the circus cookies for an equally fun birthday cake idea.

No piping bags or bakery skills required, just a bag of circus animal cookies and a little frosting magic. 🐘🦒🦓

Frosted animal cookie cake.

Animal Cookie Cake Recipe

A frosted circus animal cookie cake with a sweet cookie crunch.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Decoration Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people
Calories 135 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Box Yellow Vanilla Cake Mix
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/3 Cup Vegitable oil
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 3 Cups Frosting
  • 2 Bags Circus animal cookies

Instructions
 

  • Mix the cake ingredients per the directions on your box. Grease and fill your pan with the cake mix.
  • Take 1 cup of the frosted animal cookies and place in a small plastic bag. Use a mallet to crush into small pieces. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs over the cake before placing into the oven.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350, based on your pan size and box directions. Allow to cool fully.
  • Starting at the bottom of the cake and working up, place the animal cookies in rows along the cake.
  • Repeat until the entire cake is covered, filling the top and all the sides. Stick a couple candles in the cake for a simple and super sweet birthday cake solution.

Notes

To get a good stick on the circus animal cookies, use the knife to put a small dab of frosting on the back of each cookie. Think of this as birthday cake glue!
Keyword birthday, cakes

Circus animal cookie cake for birthdays.

Repeat your decorating until the entire cake is covered, filling the top and all the sides! I love how the cake looks just as good from any angle you look at it.

Stick a couple of candles in the cake for a simple and super sweet birthday cake solution.

Frosted animal cookie cake.

I love finding easy ways to make baking easier and cakes cuter, especially when their nostalgic like this Twinkie cake is also.

Photography Erin Holland.