11 Cute Bento Cakes for School Lunches

20

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Editorial Policy | Disclosure Policy

Adorable Animal Bento Cakes

Bento cakes are a delightful and visually appealing treat, perfect for back-to-school lunches or snacks. These adorable animal-themed bento cakes are not only cute but also incredibly easy to make. With a combination of simple cake and icing decorations, you can create your own menagerie of charming little critters that will bring joy to any lunchbox.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a small cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; then add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
4. Once cooled, cut the cake into animal shapes using cookie cutters or by slicing freehand.
5. Use buttercream frosting to cover each cake, creating a base layer for decoration.
6. Roll out fondant to create animal features (ears, noses, tails) and apply them to the frosted cake.
7. Add edible eyes and sprinkles for final decorations.
8. Arrange in bento boxes and enjoy your adorable animal bento cakes!

Colorful Rainbow Cake Pops

Colorful rainbow cake pops are a fun and vibrant treat that kids will love to include in their back-to-school lunches. These bite-sized desserts are not only visually striking with their array of colors, but they also provide a delicious way to sneak in some sweetness. Easy to make and fun to decorate, these cake pops are sure to brighten up any lunchbox or snack time.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
3. Divide the batter into separate bowls and add different food coloring to each bowl to create various colors.
4. Pour each colored batter into the baking dish and swirl gently to create a marbled effect. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then let the cake cool.
5. Crumble the cooled cake into a bowl and mix with cream cheese frosting until well combined.
6. Form the mixture into small balls and insert lollipop sticks into each ball. Chill for about 30 minutes.
7. Melt white chocolate in a bowl, dip each cake pop in the melted chocolate, and then decorate with sprinkles.
8. Let the cake pops set before packing them into lunchboxes for a colorful treat!

Sweet Fruit Garden Cake

Sweet Fruit Garden Cake is a delightful and visually appealing dessert perfect for welcoming kids back to school. This cake features a vibrant array of fresh fruits that resemble a charming garden, making it a fun and nutritious treat that can be enjoyed at lunch or as an after-school snack. Easy to assemble and delicious to eat, this cake is sure to be a hit!

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
4. Once cooled, spread a layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.
5. Arrange the sliced strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi artistically on the frosting to create the look of a fruit garden.
6. Garnish with fresh mint leaves for an added touch.
7. Slice and serve for a delicious and fruity back-to-school treat!

Classic School Bus Cake

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a rectangular cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, and yellow food coloring, and mix until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
4. Once cooled, trim the edges of the cake to shape it into a bus and frost it with chocolate frosting.
5. Use candy-coated chocolates for the wheels and edible markers to add details like windows and a school bus name.
6. Slice and serve to bring some fun back to school!

Whimsical Unicorn Cake

The Whimsical Unicorn Cake is a delightful and colorful treat that brings a sprinkle of magic to any back-to-school celebration. This enchanting cake is perfect for kids who love unicorns and will make for a fun centerpiece for a school party or a special surprise for little ones heading back to school.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until well-blended.
3. Divide the batter evenly into three bowls and add different colors of rainbow food coloring to each bowl, creating a vibrant mix.
4. Spoon the colored batter into the prepared cake pans, alternating colors to create a marbled effect. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
5. Once cool, layer the cakes with whipped cream frosting in between. Frost the entire outside of the cake with whipped cream and sprinkle edible gold stars on top. Add a whimsical unicorn topper to finish.
6. Slice and serve for a magical start to the school year!

Fun Under the Sea Cake

The Fun Under the Sea Cake is a vibrant and playful dessert that captures the wonder of ocean life, perfect for back-to-school celebrations or summer parties. This cake brings an aquatic theme to life with colorful decorations like edible seashells, fish, and ocean waves, sure to delight children and adults alike.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
3. Divide the batter into two bowls; color one bowl with blue food coloring to represent the water.
4. Pour the blue batter into one cake pan and the plain batter into the other. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
5. Layer the cakes with whipped frosting in between. Cover the entire exterior with frosting and then decorate with edible seashell sprinkles and ocean-themed cake toppers.
6. Slice and serve for an underwater adventure!

Charming Woodland Creatures Cake

The Charming Woodland Creatures Cake is a delightful and whimsical dessert that celebrates the enchanting beauty of the forest. Ideal for back-to-school gatherings, this cake features adorable woodland creatures like foxes, owls, and deer, all crafted from fondant or buttercream. With its earthy colors and charming decorations, this cake will surely bring a smile to children and adults alike.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Divide the batter into two portions; color one portion with brown food coloring for the base of the cake and the other with green for a grassy effect.
4. Pour the brown batter into one pan and the green batter into the other. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
5. Layer the cakes with whipped frosting in between, then cover the entire cake with frosting. Create woodland creatures from fondant or pipe with colored frosting for decoration, and sprinkle with edible glitter for a magical finish.
6. Slice, serve, and enjoy your enchanting forest-themed treat!

Sports-Themed Bento Cakes

The Sports-Themed Bento Cakes are fun and creative mini desserts perfect for celebrating sports enthusiasts heading back to school. These adorable cakes are designed to resemble favorite sports items, such as basketballs, baseballs, footballs, and soccer balls, making them a hit at any sports-themed gathering. They are easy to make and can be customized in flavors and decorations, sure to delight young athletes and fans alike.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare mini cake molds or a muffin tin by greasing it well.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
3. Divide the batter into portions and color them with different food colorings according to the sports themes you desire.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, frost the mini cakes with whipped frosting and decorate them to resemble different sports balls using fondant or edible markers.
6. Arrange the bento cakes in a fun lunch box, slice, serve, and enjoy these delightful sports-themed treats!

Seasonal Autumn Leaf Cake

Cute Back to School Bento Cakes are delightful mini desserts that capture the essence of the autumn season with flavors and designs inspired by vibrant fall leaves. These bento cakes not only celebrate the back-to-school spirit but also bring a touch of seasonal charm, perfect for lunchboxes or as a treat to share with friends. Each cake is decorated to resemble colorful autumn leaves, making them as visually appealing as they are delicious.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare mini cake molds or a muffin tin by greasing it well.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
3. Divide the batter into portions and color them with autumn hue food colorings like red, orange, and yellow.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, frost the mini cakes with whipped frosting and decorate them to resemble colorful autumn leaves using fondant or edible markers.
6. Arrange the bento cakes in a fun lunch box, slice, serve, and enjoy these charming seasonal treats!

Creative Book Stack Cake

Cute Book Stack Cake is a whimsical dessert that perfectly embodies the excitement of going back to school. This creative cake is designed to look like a stack of colorful books, making it a fun and thematic treat for students and teachers alike. With layers of moist cake and flavorful frosting, it’s not only visually appealing but also delicious, perfect for celebrations or as a special dessert to enjoy during study sessions.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare three 9-inch round cake pans by greasing them.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, then beat until well combined.
3. Divide the batter into separate bowls and tint each with different food colorings to create a variety of colors for the “books”.
4. Pour the colored batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once done, let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, stack the layers with whipped frosting in between and on the sides, trimming edges if necessary for a neat appearance.
6. Decorate the cake with fondant or edible paper to resemble book covers, adding titles with edible markers for a personal touch.
7. Slice and serve this fun and creative Book Stack Cake, perfect for back-to-school festivities!

Cute Penguin Bento Cake

The Cute Penguin Bento Cake is an adorable and delightful dessert that adds a fun twist to back-to-school celebrations. This charming cake is shaped like a cute penguin, making it not only a delicious treat but also a playful addition to lunchboxes or after-school snacks. With layers of fluffy cake and creamy frosting, it’s perfect for kids and adults alike, ensuring that everyone enjoys the sweet spirit of the new school year.

Cooking Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a round cake pan by greasing it.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth.
3. Divide the batter evenly into two bowls; mix cocoa powder into one for the penguin’s body color.
4. Pour the batters into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, level the cake and stack layers with whipped frosting in between.
6. Shape the top layer to create the penguin’s head, and cover with black food coloring for the body.
7. Roll the white fondant for the belly and secure it on the cake, adding edible eyes and an orange fondant beak to complete your Cute Penguin Bento Cake.
8. Slice and serve this whimsical creation at your back-to-school gatherings!